Components of an Introduction Lead (Attention-Getter/Hook) Background Info Preview of Main Points Thesis Statement

Lead The lead is always the very first sentence (and maybe a few more after that). Pull your reader in! Show them that what you are writing matters and make them want to read it. Can be a quote, a shocking statement, a statistic, an anecdote, etc.

Background Information What does your reader need to know in order to understand the topic you are writing about? Don’t give too much information here…just enough!

Preview of Main Points Tell your reader what you will discuss in each body paragraph. (DO NOT write: This is what I will discuss in each paragraph…) The preview of your main points should be in the order that these main points will appear in your body paragraphs.

Thesis Statement Strong, bold sentence that explains what your entire paper will be about. Use strong word choice! This sentence should really clarify for your reader what you will be discussing/proving in the rest of your essay. Be specific but general at the same time: Scout and Jem Finch, the main characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, experience a loss of innocence when they encounter prejudice and realize the world is not always a just place.

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” (Lee). A person’s conscience is their moral compass, and lawyer Atticus Finch must follow his own conscience during the Jim Crow era when he chooses to defend an African-American in a trial. Atticus is going against the majority rule in his quiet, unassuming town of Maycomb, Alabama. His decision to fight prejudice forces his children to mature and realize that the world is not always a just place. Scout and Jem Finch, Atticus’ children and the main characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, experience a loss of innocence as they grow throughout the novel.

Mrs. Dipert’s Example Introduction “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” (Lee). In the quiet, unassuming town of Maycomb, Alabama, individual conscience is pitted against the majority rule as lawyer Atticus Finch fights to overcome prejudice against African-Americans during the Jim Crow era. Scout and Jem Finch, Atticus’ children and the main characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, experience a loss of innocence when they encounter this prejudice and realize the world is not always a just place.