1. Introduction Paragraph

2. What goes in the Introduction? Attention Getter—grab the readers’ attention/an effective opening Preview—let the reader know what the topics of the body paragraphs are Thesis Statement—the one sentence that focuses your entire paper

3. Attention Getters Question Think of a question or two that requires reflective thinking on the part of the reader. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: How would one react if one heard a mysterious voice calling them? What if that voice was telling them to go to one of the worst places on Earth?

4. Attention Getters Quote Find a quote that fits in with your topic, or a quote by your person that sums up what you want people to know about him/her. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, said of Mother Teresa: “To meet her is to feel utterly humble, to sense the power of tenderness and the strength of love.”

5. Attention Getters Statistic Use a statistic that helps make a point, or a statistic that is unexpected or shocking, to get the reader’s attention. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: There are over 13,000,000 people living in Calcutta, India. Two-thirds of these people are profoundly poor, living in primitive slums or on the streets.

6. Attention Getters Little-known Fact Surprise the reader with a little-known fact about your topic. It may make the reader want to know more about the topic. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the highest honors a person can receive. Mother Teresa received this honor in 1979 for her work with the poor of Calcutta, India.

7. Attention Getters Fragments Use a series of sentence fragments to focus the reader’s attention on images or key words you want them to think about. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: Compassionate. Fearless. Strong. These are words that describe Mother Teresa.

8. Attention Getters Set a Scene Describe where the person was born, their turning point moment, etc. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: Filthy streets are cluttered with garbage, sacred cows wandering about, and the stench of poverty. In the middle of all this misery walks a woman in a white gown, Mother Teresa.

9. Attention Getters Metaphor Make a comparison between your person and something with similar qualities. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: Mother Teresa was an angel walking on the Earth.

10. Attention Getters Riddle Give some clues that lead to an answer that ties in to your person. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: She was called “mother” by millions, though she had no children of her own. She was Mother Teresa.

11. Attention Getters Definition State a definition in your own words that ties to your topic. Here’s a sample about Mother Teresa: A saint is someone who sets aside his or her own wants and needs to follow a higher calling.

12. Preview/Background Preview what your are going to talk about OR Give some background information on your topic