Writing the first draft—Intro Paragraph and Conclusion Crucible Argument Essay PLEASE HAVE YOUR OUTLINES OUT ON YOUR DESK! THANKS!

General Thoughts… The idea is that the introduction paragraph really INTRODUCES us to whatever will be explored in more depth in the body of your paper. Short introductions always leave out important introductory material. But what are the components of a strong intro for this paper?

Hook Begin with a striking statement that is related to your topic and thesis. Avoid rhetorical question. Sometimes, a quote is a good way to begin.

Establishing Context Introduce the argument/theme/claim that you will be exploring. Hint at the idea that examples of this theme appear in the text and outside of it, both historically and in the present. Introduce the play—1 to 2 sentences Provide any other needed context to understand your argument.

Thesis The thesis itself comes after the context has been established…toward the end of the paragraph. You also need a statement in which you affirm or challenge Miller’s claim. (remember the idea is that you will be arguing for or against his idea, using evidence from the play and outside of it) This can be separate, after the thesis, or it can be worked into the thesis itself.

Brief discussion of thesis It is sometimes a good ideas to briefly elaborate on the thesis in a couple of sentences. This could include your agreement or disagreement. This could be a way to more clearly discuss context/characters/sources— Briefly and generally!

Transition to body End the paragraph with some hint of what the first body paragraph will be about.

Conclusion Paragraph—general idea Goal of the conclusion: to recap the overall argument and provide a finished feel to the paper. Recap…not repeat! All Commentary…no textual examples

Conclusion Paragraph--components Global Comment and transition out of the body: Ex: “Although we do indeed have nothing to fear but fear itself, that fear does indeed have real-life impacts both on our own behavior, and the way we treat others.” Recap the thesis and make mention of the sources used. Concluding thoughts on the topic Final global comment—based on writing this paper, what can we take away that we can apply to today or in our own lives?

Writing the first draft! We have today in class to begin working on our first draft. The hard copy of draft 1 is due Friday!! Typed and double-spaced. If you are unable to print, either do it in the library before school or email the doc to me as an attachment and I will print for you. Use the time wisely to get feedback and get as much done as you can.