Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Lessons for Introductions and Conclusions

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. What are the purposes of introductions? Why are introductions important?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Purposes for Introductions The introduction grabs the reader’s attention. clearly implies an organizational structure of the paper. includes support that is specific and relevant and provides a clear, connected lead-in to a paper’s main idea or thesis. includes a thesis that is stated or implied.

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Ineffective Introductions I hope you enjoy… Hi, my name is… You are going to learn about… This essay/letter is about… I am going to tell you about… There are three reasons…

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. What are some effective ways to introduce a piece of writing?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Introduction Strategies A writer may begin with –an anecdote or scenario –a quotation or dialogue –a brief history or overview –5 W’s of situation or issue –an interesting fact –a description –a question –taking a stand or making an announcement –a contrasting situation –a combination from this list.

V Format Grab attention with a broad opener (1-2 sentences) Give background specific to your topic (~2 sentences) Finish with your specific thesis (1 sentence) Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

Analyzing Introductions from Printed Texts Does the introduction grab the reader’s attention? Does the introduction imply or set-up a structure for the essay? What structure would work? What introduction strategies did the author use? Why were they used? What is the main idea or thesis (either stated or implied)?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Analyze examples. Turn to a partner. With your partner, identify strategies in the introduction on the following slide and list of the strategies you found. Pairs should be ready to discuss. – What strategies were used the most? – Which strategies especially made you want to keep reading?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Expository - Rainforest Destruction Introduction Imagine the destruction of one hundred football fields in less than a minute. This is what deforestation, or the process of cutting down stands of forests, can do. Logging and other factors lead to this removal of tree stands, which affects humans because the whole world suffers when the rainforest is destroyed. The climate changes and the air gets warmer when trees are cut or burned down. The effects of deforestation are harmful to humans and contribute to making the world less green.

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. What are the purposes of conclusions? Why are conclusions important?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Purposes for Conclusions The ending/conclusion clearly connects introduction and body of the paper with insightful comments or analysis. wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about.

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Ineffective Conclusions I hope you enjoyed reading my… In this essay/letter you have learned… In conclusion,… As you can see/tell… I just told you about (exact thesis)…

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. What are some effective ways that we might conclude a piece of writing?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Conclusion Strategies A writer may end with –an echo from the introduction –a quotation or dialogue –an anecdote or scenario –an interesting fact –a prediction –a question –a call to action –a generalization from given information –a self-reflection –a response to a “so what?” question –a combination from this list

Upside Down V Format Restate your main idea (specific thesis) in 1 sentence Review the supporting ideas WITHOUT JUST REPEATING THEM (~2-3 sentences) Finish with a lasting impression that is broad and connecting (1 sentence) Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

Analyzing Conclusions in Printed Texts How does the conclusion connect to the introduction and the middle of the essay? Does the conclusion provide a satisfying ending?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Analyze the sample conclusion on the next slide. Use your Conclusion Strategies list to help identify strategies the authors have used.

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Rain Forest Destruction Conclusion Deforestation affects people in many different ways and makes the planet less clean. Practices like logging clear the earth of trees and lead to more pollution and warming of Earth’s temperature. Deforestation doesn’t affect one person, but all people, as we share the same planet. The causes and effects of deforestation need to be understood because what is a world without trees?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved. Your Assignment.... Turn back to your Body Paragraph Organizer and continue working on it. - This organizer is due next class. We will review this intro and conclusion information together next class.