High School English Senior Thesis Lesson Plans

Course Description

This capstone course requires students to complete an independent year-long Senior Thesis, demonstrating mastery of advanced research, analytical writing, and scholarly argumentation skills through sustained inquiry on a student-selected topic. Students conduct literature reviews, analyze existing scholarship, and synthesize original findings to produce a substantial academic work (typically 15-25 pages). The curriculum integrates all previously developed skills—close reading, critical analysis, and persuasive writing—into a cohesive research methodology. Students engage in iterative processes of topic refinement, source evaluation, argument development, and revision while receiving individualized mentorship throughout the project. This honors-level independent study develops the research capabilities, intellectual rigor, and academic presentation skills essential for university-level scholarship and prepares students for the demands of collegiate thesis work.

Books and Resources

Optional resource

• (Review) 7 Sister’s MLA Research Paper Writing Guide, Thorpe (scheduled in Level 5 Year 1 English) – While the senior thesis will be a much larger project, the main principles are the same.
• 7 Sister’s Chicago-Style Research Paper Writing Guide
• Rhetoric Alive! Senior Thesis Student Workbook, Barnes (The teacher edition is not necessary.) – This optional resource is included in the lesson plans below.

expectations

This will be a long well-researched and persuasive paper delving deeply into a topic of great interest to the student. Parents should clearly share expectations for the thesis with students. For example:

• Number of pages: 12-15, 15-20, 25-30, etc.
• Font size and spacing: 12 point font, double-spaced, etc.
• Minimum number of sources: 5, 10, etc.
• Method of citation: MLA, Chicago, etc.
• Is there an appropriate use of AI language tools for the thesis?

Lesson plans

The student should plan to work on the thesis throughout the year.

TERM 1

Week 1

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Introduction and Chapter 1: Find Your Topic

Spend time this week considering what you would like to research deeply this school year. At this point, you are merely choosing a main topic. You will choose an issue within your topic at a later time. (You may also choose to change your topic; you are not committed by your choice this week.)
Brainstorm topics that interest you.

What do you enjoy in your free time?

• Makes lists of your talents, hobbies, interests, strengths, passions, and future careers.
• Ask friends and family members what they think you love most. You may wish to share the lists you made.
• What are the topics of your favorite books, movies, or games?
• Is there something you wish you could change about your community, state, nation, or the world?
• Explore one or more of your topics by reading some general encyclopedia or online articles.

Week 2

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 2: Explore Your Topic

This week, you will read more on your general topic. As you read, you will take notes and keep a list of citations.

First, spend some time learning about plagiarism and academic writing. MIT has a useful resource.

• Read the four sections of Citing Your Sources: What is Plagiarism?; Why and What to Cite; Common Knowledge; Electronic Sources
• Read the seven sections of Academic Writing: Writing Original Work; Avoiding Plagiarism; Quoting; Paraphrasing; Quote vs. Paraphrase; Summarizing; Good Note Taking

Now you are ready to spend some time researching your general topic, keeping in mind what you have learned about note taking and citations.

Spend time researching online or at your library for sources to begin a bibliography for your paper. Be careful to ascertain the reliability of your sources, especially those that are self-published (in print or online).

• Keep a careful list of your sources using your citation method (e.g. MLA or Chicago-style).
• You should consider books, periodicals, internet sources, and personal interviews.
• Decide how you will keep notes for your paper such as notecards or an online document. Use whatever works best for you, but be consistent in your note-taking and citations.

Week 3

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 3: Find Your Issue

By the end of this week, you should have a thesis topic or statement. You can change it later, as you read and learn more, but this will give you a beginning.

As you continue to read and research your topic, consider what you would like to say about it.

A senior thesis topic should be:

• Something about which thoughtful people can disagree
• Based on research you find, not just an opinion
• Persuasive; you should explicitly ask the reader to change something

Week 4

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 4: Explore Your Issue

This week, continue to research your topic. You should be finding and reading books and scholarly articles (paper and online). Take time to visit your library and learn about resources available. Perhaps a local university library would be available as well.

You may wish to take a few minutes to write down some thoughts you already have about your topic. What questions do you have? What are alternative ideas? Find sources to answer your questions or provide the opposite point of view.

As you read, think about the issues within your topic. What specific issues seem interesting to you?

Brainstorm some specific arguments for your thesis.

Week 5

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 5: Find an Expert

This week, search for someone you can interview (in-person, on Zoom, or through an email exchange) who is an expert in your topic.

You may also wish to ask your expert to recommend books, articles, or websites for additional research.

The University Writing Center at Appalachian State University has a useful short guide on interviewing for research.

• Create a list of possible contacts. Brainstorm with your parents, who may have helpful connections.
• Draft an email asking an expert for their help with your topic. Ask your parent or teacher to proofread the email and provide feedback.
• Contact your expert.
• You should compile a list of questions before the interview. It is common for an interviewer to send an email with a set of questions ahead of the interview, which the interviewee can then take time to ponder and answer in a reply, even if you meet in person.
• Conduct an interview. Take copies notes during your meeting. The more you have written down, the less you will have to remember when it is time to write. (If you are conducting the interview over email, you can jot down the answers in your notes documents or print the emailed answers for your research.)
• Formally thank your interviewee for his or her time with an email or letter.

You can interview more than one person for your thesis.

Weeks 6 – 9

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 6: Research Your Issue

Use these weeks to complete your interview (or a second one) and continue reading about your topic. You should aim to spend 20-30 minutes a day reading about your topic and taking notes. A good goal might be to find, read, and evaluate 3-5 sources each week.

Take some time to search for scholarly articles. Some online databases are: Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCOhost. Your library may have access to the articles found in these databases.

If you haven’t already, begin considering the strength of your sources. Not all articles and books are equally good sources. Cornell University Library has a useful online guide, “Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria.” Click through all the tabs along the top.

Week 10

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 7: Create an Outline

Focus this week on creating a general outline for your paper. It should include arguments that support your thesis with supporting evidence and counter-arguments with your responses.

You can find example outlines online:

• The Basic Outline of a Paper
• Basic Research Paper Outline

Continue to read and evaluate sources.

Week 11

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 7: Write the Statement of Facts

Focus this week on creating a mini-history of your topic.

• What do people agree on about your thesis?
• What do they disagree about?
• Are there words or phrases you need to define?
• How serious is the problem?
• Why should we care?
• What should we do?

The point of this exercise is not to make an actual argument yet. You are organizing the background for the conversation. You may use all or part of this exercise in your introduction.

WEEK 12: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Continue researching or catch-up on exercises from previous weeks.

TERM 2

Week 13

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 9: Write the Argument

Return to your outline. Begin fleshing out the outline.

• Write sentences for each of your arguments.
• Create paragraphs for the claims, evidence, and analysis for each of your arguments.

This is just a pre-rough draft. Try to spend 20-30 minutes organizing information and writing. Do not be concerned with transitions or flow. Return to your sources or search for more information if you find you have questions about your claims and evidence as you write.

Week 14

Continue to write text for your arguments and supporting claims.

Week 15

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 10: Write the Counterargument

Return to your outline. Begin fleshing out the outline.

• Write sentences for each of your counter-arguments.
• Create paragraphs explaining the counter-arguments, your response, and evidence for your response.

This is just a pre-rough draft. Try to spend 20-30 minutes organizing information and writing. Do not be concerned with transitions or flow. Return to your sources or search for more information if you find you have questions about your claims and evidence as you write.

Week 16

Continue to write text for the counter-arguments and your refutations.

Week 17

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 11: Write an Introduction

Write a few different introductions for your paper using different techniques. Try to write one introduction each day.

The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a useful webpage on introductions:

• Use one of the options for an introduction on the UNC webpage listed above.
• Begin with a story or anecdote. (Alternative – use half the story; then return and complete it in the conclusion.)
• Begin with an imaginary or hypothetical scenario.
• Begin with a series of questions.
• Describe a scene related to your topic.
• Begin with facts or statistics.
• Use a powerful quotation.
• Use an analogy.

Week 18

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 12: Write the Conclusion

Write a conclusion for your thesis paper.

The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a useful webpage on conclusions.

• Write a summary of your main points. (Remember, the arguments were a long time ago for your audience.)
• You may want to place your summary into a larger context.
• You may want to refer to your introduction in some way.
• End with a “call to action.”

Week 19

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 13: Choose a Brilliant Title

Hopefully by now you have the beginnings of a rough draft. You should aim to spend time each day adding text and revising your thesis. Meet at least weekly with your teacher to discuss progress, problems, and questions.

Brainstorm at least ten titles for your paper. Choose one.

Week 20

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 14: Put It All Together

If you have written or typed your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion in different places, now is the time to move them all together. You should notice the paper is “choppy.” One of your goals for revisions and edits is to provide transitions between sections.

• Consider section headings
• Add transitions – words, phrases, or sentences to help your reader move through your argument.

By the end of week 23, you should have a rough draft of the complete paper to share with your teacher.

Week 21

Senior Thesis Student Workbook – Chapter 15: Bring the Language to Life

Consider how you might incorporate analogies, anecdotes, figures of speech, or a maxim into your thesis.

Weeks 22 – 23

Complete your rough draft.

WEEK 24: MAKEUP/EXAM WEEK

Ask your teacher and another person to proof-read and provide comments on your rough draft. You may find it helpful to present an oral version (or reading) of your paper.

Weeks 25 – 30

Revisions

Complete your revisions. You may find it necessary to return to the research phase to answer questions raised by your reviewers. Don’t be dismayed. It’s all part of the process.

Weeks 31-32

Complete your revisions and turn in your paper. Congratulations!

Notes

If you have been using Senior Thesis Student Workbook, the remaining chapters assist the student in preparing the thesis as an oral presentation. Many of the techniques are useful for future projects even if there will not be an oral presentation of the thesis.