March 11 SSR Quick Write – you just bought a brand new phone. Everyone you know is super jealous that you were able to get this phone. One hour after bringing it home, your sibling dropped Writing an amazing introduction

Elements of an introduction Hook Transition into thesis Thesis statement (better rewording of the prompt Optional – review points

Possible hooks Literary quote Quote from famous person Anecdote Pose a question Set a scene Include an interesting fact or definition

Example hooks The pentagon has twice as many bathrooms as are necessary. Schindler’s List graphically portrays the horrific acts of german concentration camps in World War Two. My mother always said, “The ultimate responsibility always lies within you, and the opportunities are the ones you create.” H.L. Mencken defined “Puritanism” as “the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” Yesterday morning I watched as my older sister left for school with a bright white glob of toothpaste gleaming on her chin. I felt no regret at all until she stepped onto the bus. The whole world watched as the comet flew overhead.

Transition A sentence or two that connects your hook with your thesis More Examples on the bulletin board For anyone fortunate enough to have a wood-burning fireplace, sitting in front of a healthy fire on a frosty winter afternoon provides a sense of comfort and luxury. Unfortunately, many fireplace owners do not understand the three essential steps for achieving a successful fire. Everyone should learn the basics of preparing the fireplace, arranging the materials before igniting, and tending the fire.

Thesis statement Main idea of the entire essay May contain a preview of the essay Never says, “I’m going to tell you” or “This paper is about” or anything similar to those statements Can be a better rewording of the prompt

Sample introduction Most people have a special day that they enjoy. It can be a holiday, a birthday or a day of the week such as Friday or Saturday. What day is special to you? Write to explain why your special day is enjoyable for you. As I awake to the silence of the morning, a slow moving realization comes to mind. Today is the day! My Birthday. The day of my birth which is special for so many reasons including the fact that it was the day I came into existance. And aren’t you all happy about that? My birthday is the one special day of the year that I enjoy the most. The day where everything I want is given to me, where what I say goes, and the day where everyone is extra nice to me.

Partner work This will be done using the three prompts at the top of your paper. Look over the brainstorming work you did for that prompt. Write an introduction for each prompt which includes a hook, transition, thesis statement, and preview (optional). Some students may choose to work alone or as part of a group of three. Walk around and check that they are following the steps as best as they can. I’m not looking that they’re following the steps, rather I’m looking that their paragraphs stay on topic and provides enough specific details. If you could read at least one paragraph per group and provide some feedback, it would be very helpful to them.

HOmework Write three additional introductions for the prompts at the bottom of the page.