Informational Introductions Grade 10 ©Copyright by Write Score LLC

Informational Writing: Review Also called expository essays Purpose is to inform or educate readers on a certain topic—can even be controversial as long as the reader does not choose a side Needs a strong introduction to pull the reader in

Informational Writing: The Introduction Your introduction should: Include a thesis Capture your audience’s attention NOTE: An introduction does NOT have to be in a particular order, nor does it all have to be in a single paragraph, but these elements should be at the beginning of your paper.

Writing the Thesis What is a thesis? a clear, specific statement of what you plan to share in your paper could be an answer to the question asked (is assigned)

Writing the Thesis How To Write a Thesis for Informational Essays - Define your topic -- You have to know what you are writing/talking about before you can formulate your thesis. Tighten your focus -- With expository/informational writing this is primarily going to be about narrowing the topic so that it is manageable for the size of the paper you are writing. Write/Revise thesis for an outline -- Use the thesis as a roadmap for the rest of your paper. All the points you make in the rest of the paper should relate directly to your thesis statement.

Informational Writing: The Introduction Your introduction should not: Announce what you are going to do in the paper In this paper I will.... In this essay I am going to talk about.... Define the topic/word According to Merriam Webster, determination is defined as... Include a forced “grabber” or “hook” In other words, do not create a grabber that does not relate to the context of the essay, just to say you have it.

Informational Writing: Introductory Techniques You can begin your essay in many ways. We will look at the following techniques that writers often use to begin their essays: an analogy/comparison a paradoxical or intriguing statement use a quotation tell a story use a surprising fact or statistic describe something in rich detail ask a question provide a personal anecdote provide background information

Introductory Techniques Begin with an Analogy/Comparison Make a comparison with something the reader is most definitely familiar with, or if you are requested to read two items and write about one, you can initially make reference to the other. Example: Until recently, the only way to load a gas tanker was to climb up on top, where the openings to the tank are located. You can picture this if you think about a soda bottle on a table being filled up with a small hose. A gasoline tanker is loaded in a similar way, but on a much larger scale in which a man climbs on top of the tanker and fills it with a large hose.

Introductory Techniques A Paradoxical or Intriguing Statement: This can be something directly opposite of what is usually perceived about your topic, or it could just be a really interesting statement or fact. In the example below, this grabber also incorporates the thesis statement. Example: Ants are sweet, nutty little insects. I'm not talking about their personalities, but how they taste. Stinkbugs have an apple flavor, and red agave worms are spicy. A bite of tree worm apparently brings pork rinds to mind. This information will come in handy for those of us following the latest recommendation from the United Nations: Consume more insects.

Introductory Techniques Use a Quotation Find a quote from an expert in the field of your topic, or an excerpt from a poem or book to begin your paper. It must be something truly interesting to grab the reader’s attention and must relate directly to your topic. On a paper about how important it is to stay motivated when young, an example introduction might begin like this: Example: What’s amazing is, if young people understood how doing well in school makes the rest of their life so much more interesting, they would be more motivated. It’s so far away in time that they can’t appreciate what it means for their whole lives,” said Bill Gates. He should know, since he seems to have been a motivated young person who has had a very interesting life.

Introductory Techniques Tell a Story Stories allow people to immediately relate. We like stories. Your reader will connect with your topic if you show them how it affects real people and their world. Example: On a beach in north Florida, a tiny turtle struggles to free itself from the oil soaked mud. The longer it stays away from the water, the less likely it will survive. Slowly, it tries to move toward the waves. Its little fins slip in vain against the slippery gunk, and though it certainly can’t know why it struggles, it realizes something is wrong. A year ago, it would have only had its natural predators to fear. Today, though, thanks to faulty systems, turtles – and all other wildlife in the area – have a man-made monster to fear: an oil spill of epic proportions.

Introductory Techniques Use a Surprising Fact or Statistic If you find a surprising piece of information when researching your topic, consider using it as an introduction. Show the reader something they didn’t know and they will want to read more. Example: Believe it or not, peanuts aren’t really nuts at all, they’re actually legumes. These strange little foods grow underground and are responsible for all the jars of peanut butter you see on grocery shelves. One day, their genetic makeup just might hold the key to ending world hunger. Now that’s nuts.

Introductory Techniques Describe Something Help the reader to “see” your topic by using descriptions that involve the senses. Example: In the final days of 1794, a Portuguese ship taking about 400 slaves from Mozambique to Brazil crashed on the rocks off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. About half of the slaves died in the rough surf, while the survivors were resold and sent on to work on Brazil's sugar plantations.

Introductory Techniques Ask a Question Asking a question makes your audience think about your topic. The question should not be rhetorical, however. It should be a question that you will at some point answer or expand on in the paper. Example: Is it possible for an Iraqi girl to make a difference in the established customs of thousands of years?

Introductory Techniques Personal Anecdote An anecdote is a brief story that leads to a central point. In essay writing, the anecdote can be an effective attention- getting device because it lets audiences get emotionally involved with the topic. If you have direct experience with your topic, consider using a personal anecdote. Example: When I was 11, my parents took me to volunteer at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving Day. We helped prepare food, and then we served it to over 500 homeless people, including kids. I had never spent any time with people who don't have homes. Volunteering at the homeless shelter on Thanksgiving helped me realize a lot about homelessness, and it helped me learn a lot about myself. I am more understanding, more compassionate, and more giving as a result of volunteering. If I had my way, all students would participate in service learning projects as a way of learning and helping the community.

Introductory Techniques Provide Background Information Sometimes it is necessary to give the reader a brief history to understand the topic. Give the background information but only what is necessary. Some beginning writers use background information as space filler. Example: For years, a coal-producing power plant in the Midwest spewed thousands of tons of polluted wasted into the air. Little was done to regulate the problem until a group of community activists brought the issue to politicians. This small group of concerned citizens brought about a big change.

Example Introduction In Greco-Roman mythology, Jupiter is the king of the gods, a deity who destroyed an older race of titans to become the jealous and vengeful lord of heaven and Earth. Strange though it may seem, scientific theory lends credence to this historical fiction. As the largest, heaviest object orbiting our sun, Jupiter’s namesake world is the lord of planets, a dominant force in the solar system.  What is the introduction technique, and where is the thesis? Source: https://www.newsela.com/articles/skorea-mers/id/10725/ via Scientific American

Introduction Technique: Example Introduction In Greco-Roman mythology, Jupiter is the king of the gods, a deity who destroyed an older race of titans to become the jealous and vengeful lord of heaven and Earth. Strange though it may seem, scientific theory lends credence to this historical fiction. As the largest, heaviest object orbiting our sun, Jupiter’s namesake world is the lord of planets, a dominant force in the solar system.  Introduction Technique: Analogy / Comparison The Thesis

Informational Writing: Drafting The Introduction Select three techniques to try on your own using the writing task on the following slide. Use your handout as a guide. an analogy/comparison a paradoxical or intriguing statement use a quotation tell a story use a surprising fact or statistic describe something in rich detail ask a question provide a personal anecdote provide background information

Informational Writing: Drafting The Introduction Writing Task: Compare the survival techniques explained in the articles Surviving the Arctic and Surviving the Desert. How are they similar; how are they different? Write an explanatory essay based on the articles Surviving the Arctic and Surviving the Desert.