LET’S. GET. IT. STARTED! Writing the Intro Paragraph

BASIC ESSAY FORMAT We will be writing 5-paragraph essays in this class. Each essay, no matter what kind, will follow the same general format: I: INTRODUCTION II: BODY PARAGRAPH #1 III: BODY PARAGRAH #2 IV: BODY PARAGRAPH #3 V: CONCLUSION

A FEW WORD ON BEGINNINGS “And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” ― Meister EckhartMeister Eckhart “Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise.” ― HoraceHorace “First things first…” ― Iggy, Igg

WHAT DOES AN INTRO PARAGRAPH DO? An Introduction Paragraph has [3] purposes 1. Grab the Reader’s Attention [HOOK] 2. State what your writing is going to do [CENTRAL IDEA STATEMENT] 3. State how you are going to do it [THESIS STATEMENT]

FIRST PART: HOOK! Your first sentence of your composition is called the HOOK The hook’s job is to grab your reader’s attention. Because if you don’t grab their attention no one will read what you have to say… This is also the part where you can actually have a lot of fun/be creative with your writing. Your hook SHOULD be creative!

TYPES OF HOOKS Anecdote Personal Story Quote Rhetorical Question Humor Fact

HOOKS IN ACTION Writing Situation: Your principal plans on removing the athletics program to save money. Writing Directions: Write a killer hook sentence to for your essay on why this should not happen!

WHY WE SHOULD NOT REMOVE SPORTS PROGRAMS. Anecdote: Silent crowds, dead grass, and depressed students is all you will find on the field when Harlan strips away their athletics program. Personal Story: I remember that rush of adrenaline the first time I stepped onto the Harlan football filed, but that rush will forever be lost if this beloved program is dissolved. Quote: “Great athletes become great people,” noted the famous thinker Steven Palmer, but if we decided to strip away our athletics program, then we are destined to lose our chance at creating even more great people. Rhetorical Question: Have you ever seen a school defeated, depressed, and distraught? Well, you are about find out what that looks like if you make this cut to athletics. Humor: It looks like the closest thing to sports that will be happening at Harlan is the foul play that our principal will be making in June. Fact: A recent study by Harvard Medical school has found that a healthy athletics program helps develop a stronger sense of community among high school students.

SECOND PART: CENTRAL IDEA STATEMENT Another name for this is the main idea statement. This sentence tells the reader exactly what your position is in the paper. What are you trying to prove, explain, or express? It is expressed in a very simple sentence Ex: Writing Directions: How do you feel about Harlan removing their athletics program? Central Idea Statement: Harlan Middle School should not remove their athletics program. Simple right?

THIRD PART: THESIS STATEMENT The thesis statement is expressed in 3-part list It tells the reader the three ways you will prove or explain your central idea statement Ex: Harlan should not remove its athletics program because it would negatively impact student morale, it would cost the school money, and it would ultimately decrease academic performance of students.

THOSE 3-PARTS ARE IMPORTANT! Ex: Harlan should not remove its athletics program because it would negatively impact student morale, it would cost the school money, and it would ultimately decrease academic performance of students. The three points of your thesis statement are also the topics of your three body paragraphs. So: Thesis: Harlan should not remove its athletics program because it would negatively impact student morale, it would cost the school money, and it would ultimately decrease academic performance of students. Body Paragraph #1: Removing the athletics programs will negatively impact student morale. Body Paragraph #2: Removing the athletics program will cost the school money. Body Paragraph #3: Removing the athletics program will decrease academic performance of students

THESIS = ORGANIZATION The order you topics in your thesis statement is the order they come in later in the essay This is extremely important! for creating organization in your essay

HOOK + CENTRAL IDEA STATEMENT + THESIS STATEMENT So, my final introduction paragraph should look a bit something like this: I remember that rush of adrenaline the first time I stepped onto the Harlan football filed, but that rush will forever be lost if this beloved program is dissolved. Harlan Middle School should not remove their athletics program. Harlan should not remove its athletics program because it would negatively impact student morale, it would cost the school money, and it would ultimately decrease academic performance of students.

HOMEWORK: INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH #1 Syllabus #2 Week-by-week Course Topics #3 Introduction to On-Demand Writing Guided Notes #4 SPAM Worksheet #5 Introductory Paragraph Guided Notes #6 Introductory Paragraph Worksheet  you are here