Introductions and Conclusions Summer Reading Introductions and Conclusions

The Five-Paragraph Essay The Introduction Introduction Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Body Paragraph #3 Conclusion

These are the elements of an effective introduction: I. “Grabber” Sentence II. Expository Details: Novel Title/Author’s Name Story Background Main Character III. 3-Point Thesis

The Body Paragraph Remember, the main idea of each body paragraph should be one of your thesis points. The main idea should be the first sentence of each body paragraph. Each body paragraph should include a specific quotation from the novel. Make sure your introduce your quotations and explain their relevance! Cite the source of your quote correctly within the text.

The “Grabber” The purpose of a grabber is to capture the reader’s attention. However, a grabber must also be relevant to your topic! The grabber is also the most general statement in your introduction. So, how do you write an effective grabber?

Writing a Grabber Ask a Question Tell an Anecdote (Give a Command) Tell an Anecdote (Use a Quote) Relate an Interesting Fact (Give a Surprising Detail from the Plot)

A Sample Prompt: In the novel April Morning, the protagonist undergoes many experiences, experiences that significantly change him. In the beginning of the novel, Adam Cooper is truly an adolescent; however, by the end of the novel, Adam is an adult. How do Adam’s experiences change him from an adolescent into an experienced and more mature young man?

Asking a Question Can one experience change a boy’s life forever? How can a terrible tragedy give a young man the opportunity to grow and change? Imagine a small group of farmers who decided to stand up to over a thousand well-trained soldiers.

Tell an Anecdote “Yesterday he was a boy... Tonight, he’s not.” With these words, Moses Cooper expresses how the experiences of one day can change a young man forever. “Falling asleep I said farewell to a childhood...” In a space of little more than twenty-four hours, Adam Cooper’s childhood is gone, and he has become a man.

Relate a Surprising Fact In the early hours of April 19th, 1775, the actions of a small group of men changed the world. The Battle of Lexington is not only the story of a nation’s struggle for independence, but also the background for a young boy’s struggle to become a man.

Expository Details Pretend that your reader has never read the novel about which you are writing. In your introduction, you need to orient the reader – to give him or her just enough information to understand the context of your ideas. This information is called expository details.

Expository Details You should always include the title of the story and the author’s name in your introduction. Don’t retell the story! Avoid giving the reader any information that: they will learn somewhere else in your paper doesn’t relate to your thesis

A Sample Introduction Imagine being a boy in 1775, standing on a field in Lexington and facing hundreds of British soldiers. This happens to fifteen year-old Adam Cooper in the novel April Morning by Howard Fast. In the story, Adam is a young boy longing to reach manhood. He is then called to arms, along with his father, when British redcoat soldiers march through his town of Lexington on their way to Concord. In the battles that begin the American Revolution, Adam begins his coming-of-age journey through fire and blood. In April Morning, Adam Cooper comes-of-age by facing death, accepting responsibility for his actions, and letting go of his fantasies and romantic ideas about war.

A Sample Introduction The grabber Imagine being a boy in 1775, standing on a field in Lexington and facing hundreds of British soldiers. This happens to fifteen year-old Adam Cooper in the novel April Morning by Howard Fast. In the story, Adam is a young boy longing to reach manhood. He is then called to arms, along with his father, when British redcoat soldiers march through his town of Lexington on their way to Concord. In the battles that begin the American Revolution, Adam begins his coming-of-age journey through fire and blood. In April Morning, Adam Cooper comes-of-age by facing death, accepting responsibility for his actions, and letting go of his fantasies and romantic ideas about war. The grabber

A Sample Introduction Expository Details Imagine being a boy in 1775, standing on a field in Lexington and facing hundreds of British soldiers. This happens to fifteen year-old Adam Cooper in the novel April Morning by Howard Fast. In the story, Adam is a young boy longing to reach manhood. He is then called to arms, along with his father, when British redcoat soldiers march through his town of Lexington on their way to Concord. In the battles that begin the American Revolution, Adam begins his coming-of-age journey through fire and blood. In April Morning, Adam Cooper comes-of-age by facing death, accepting responsibility for his actions, and letting go of his fantasies and romantic ideas about war. Expository Details

A Sample Introduction Three-point Thesis Imagine being a boy in 1775, standing on a field in Lexington and facing hundreds of British soldiers. This happens to fifteen year-old Adam Cooper in the novel April Morning by Howard Fast. In the story, Adam is a young boy longing to reach manhood. He is then called to arms, along with his father, when British redcoat soldiers march through his town of Lexington on their way to Concord. In the battles that begin the American Revolution, Adam begins his coming-of-age journey through fire and blood. In April Morning, Adam Cooper comes-of-age by facing death, accepting responsibility for his actions, and letting go of his fantasies and romantic ideas about war. Three-point Thesis

The Five-Paragraph Essay The Conclusion Introduction Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Body Paragraph #3 Conclusion

These are the elements of an effective conclusion: Conclusion (Restated Thesis) II. Summary of Main Points: Main Idea #1 Main Idea #2 Main Idea #3 III. Clincher

The Conclusion The conclusion to your essay is just your thesis, reworded and restated! The purpose of a conclusion is to remind the reader what they have just read. Your conclusion should be a mirror-image of your thesis statement – don’t introduce any new information!

A Sample Conclusion As he faces the loss of his father, takes on the responsibility for his family, and lets go of his illusions about adulthood and war, Adam Cooper changes from a young boy into a man. Notice that this conclusion is a restatement of the thesis!

Summarizing Your Main Ideas The next few sentences in your conclusion should restate and remind the reader of the main ideas of each of your three body paragraphs. Don’t just repeat your main ideas, but restate and rephrase them!

Restating Main Ideas Although he begins the novel unable to even think about death, he eventually learns to accept the tragic loss of his father. He has to take over his father’s role as the man of the house and take responsibility for his mother, grandmother, and little brother. His experiences in the day’s bloody battles force him to let go of his false ideas about both war and manhood.

Restating Main Ideas Although he begins the novel unable to even think about death, he eventually learns to accept the tragic loss of his father. He has to take over his father’s role as the man of the house and take responsibility for his mother, grandmother, and little brother. His experiences in the day’s bloody battles force him to let go of his false ideas about both war and manhood.

Restating Main Ideas Although he begins the novel unable to even think about death, he eventually learns to accept the tragic loss of his father. He has to take over his father’s role as the man of the house and take responsibility for his mother, grandmother, and little brother. His experiences in the day’s bloody battles force him to let go of his false ideas about both war and manhood.

Restating Main Ideas Although he begins the novel unable to even think about death, he eventually learns to accept the tragic loss of his father. He has to take over his father’s role as the man of the house and take responsibility for his mother, grandmother, and little brother. His experiences in the day’s bloody battles force him to let go of his false ideas about both war and manhood.

The Clincher The final statement of your conclusion should express a larger idea or theme of the novel. This statement should be as general as your grabber. This is the “so what?” statement of your essay – connect the ideas of your essay to the reader’s (or your) personal experience.

Writing a Clincher Use an important quote: Adam himself realizes that he has grown and changed: “I said farewell to a childhood… [a] past that was over and done with and gone away for all time.” Indeed, the horrible events of war can shape a boy forever. Emphasize a key theme: Coming-of-age is a dramatic process, and a person can change forever in just a single day. Make a general statement: Although Adam Cooper’s experiences in war are unique, each person must learn to grow, take responsibility for themselves, and face reality, just as he did.