Introductions Purpose: To write a multi-paragraph essay that establishes a problem with Neshaminy’s course offerings and provides a reasonable solution, proven through credible and ample research. Done: Learn methods for researching a single topic using various resources. Blend quotations properly into the essay. Understand how to adequately construct an argument and support it with credible and reliable research. Recognize the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing. Today: Create a defensible claim and place it in an engaging introduction. Write multiple drafts of the essay (pre-write, drafting, revision and editing). Later: Correctly cite a source and quotations used in research. Create a research paper with proper citations and Works Cited page.

General issues to address Revise your body paragraphs according to my feedback. Highlight in your final draft what you have revised. Do not capitalize the title of the course unless it is a foreign language. Spell out numbers that can be spelled out in two words of less (with a hyphen). Take out second person (replace with teacher, student, parents, etc.). You should cite three to five sources total (do not just rely on two sources). The more sources you use, the stronger your argument. Tell me why the person or organization you are citing is credible (address ethos). Otherwise, the reader might not care. Do not forget to counter the counter argument (with evidence, logic, or opinions). Otherwise, you are just helping the other side. Replace big/huge with words like plethora, sufficient, important, critical, crucial, serious, etc.

Model Titles: Titles should peak the reader’s interest/motivate them to read it. Missippi’s Literacy Program Shows Improvement City Council Runs Out of Time to Discuss Shorter Meetings Healthy Diet Lowers Death Risk Man Accused of Killing Attorney Receives New Lawyer Most Earthquake Damage is Done by Shaking Post-Industrial Age? The Department of Education Seems to Think Otherwise The Right Stuff: Music Programs that Prepare Students Dozing in class: Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents Here We Go: Finance Education in American Public Schools E.V.I.L.: Every Villain is Lemons Fry, Bake, or Marinate? A Look at Food Science in High School

Structure of an engaging introduction Hook- 4-5 sentences Transition sentence- links hook with claim Claim- 1-2 sentences (contains problem and solution/ addresses the prompt)

Model Hook Which hook is better and why? Students often go into high school not knowing how the rest of their life will pan out; they also leave not knowing the same thing. There should be a class in school that everyone needs to take that will help a student understand college and figure out what career path they want to take. Without it, their future will seem impossible to reach. How would you know how to do your laundry? Like, for real? Do you separate the colors? Do you wash the clothes on warm or cold? How do you clean the washing machine? Do you have to even wash it since it is a washing machine? These problems could be easily solved with a Google search, but how would you know the information was accurate?

Options for Hooks (no questions allowed) Interesting Facts: Estimated percentage of Florida homes that will be underwater by 2100 : 13 Percentage by which a person reduces their paper consumption immediately after chopping down trees in virtual reality : 20 Net change, in acres, in the world’s forested land since 1990 : –319,000,000 In China’s : +126,500,000 Percentage by which the global wildlife population has declined since 1970 : 58 Amount the United States will spend to train giant African rats to detect illegal shipments of plants and wildlife : $100,000 Discuss the problem in general Quotes a literary text that relates to your topic Discuss current events related to your topic Describe a personal experience related to the topic

Model Introduction If Dickens were to observe the phenomenon of twenty first century standardized testing in the United States, he would have said “it was the most modern of times, it was the most obsolete of times, it was the age of progress, it was Elon Musk, it was Shakespeare.” The fact that a developed country still has a standardized test modeled around understanding literary and writing techniques is baffling. The twenty first century economy does not call for improved literature, it calls for computer programming. Therefore, the English SAT should be modified to better fit the modern economy.

Model Introduction Students at Neshaminy feel that math classes are only teaching them how to do useless concepts that they will never use again after they leave high school. Teachers often teach the curriculum to the letter and only show how to do specific problems and testing on that information. This creates the problem that students will only memorize the information for the test and forget it immediately after the test; they do not actually understand what they are taught. In response, the school can revamp the Algebra II course so that students can see that they are learning an applicable skill.