1. Tree Health in the ECS Forest 7 th Grade Class

2. Introduction Writing a good introduction is an essential part to a scientific experiment! This will help us determine the methods we will use for our study.

3. Introduction A good introduction will have the following: Opening sentence Research information Justification for your experiment. Hypothesis.

4. How to Write A Good Introduction: -First, you want to write a good sentence describing why your study is important. -This is the most important sentence in your paper! It will determine whether or not someone reads your paper.

5. How to Write A Good Introduction: -For our study, you will want to write about why it is important to study tree health. -For example, a good introduction sentence may state “Tree health can indicate the health of an entire forest.”

6. How to Write A Good Introduction: -Next, you will want to write 3-4 sentences about tree health. -You should use research to help you write these sentences.

7. Research -You can use your textbook, newspaper articles, books, or the Internet to help you write these sentences.

8. Research -Not all Internet sites have truthful information. - Make sure that you get information from a truthful source. -Wikipedia is not a source you should use.

9. Research -If you do not reference where you found your information, it is considered plagiarism. -Plagarism is a very serious offense and can result in expulsion from school. -Plagarism is trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own.

10. Research -However, if you reference information it can make your introduction really strong. To reference information, you must tell the reader where the research came from.

11. Research -For example, let’s say that in Encyclopedia Britannica, I found out that the number of leaves on a tree relates to the health of the tree. -A good sentence in my introduction would be, “the number of leaves on a tree has been shown to relate to the health of a tree (Encyclopedia Britannica).” -By putting (Encyclopedia Britannica) at the end of my sentence, it tells the reader where I found this information.

12. Research -Try to include the date in the parentheses also. If the article in Encyclopedia Britannica was from 2007, my sentence would look like this: -The number of leaves on a tree has been shown to relate to the health of a tree (Encyclopedia Britannica 2007).

13. Research -Try to find other studies on tree health. For example, let’s say that Dr. John Smith conducted a study on tree health. I could then make my introduction sound good by saying: -In a previous study, it was found that the depth of soil affected tree health (Smith 2006). -Again, by putting (Smith 2006) in parentheses, I am showing the reader that this is where I found this information.

14. How to Write A Good Introduction -Next, you need to give a justification for your study. -For example, maybe you think that studying tree health is important to determining the overall health of the ECS forest. -You need to tell the reader why your study is important.

15. How to Write A Good Introduction -Finally, you need to give your hypothesis. -For example, maybe your hypothesis is that trees near the middle of the ECS forest will be healthier than trees at the edge of the ECS forest. -You would say, “My hypothesis is trees near the middle of the ECS forest will be healthier than trees at the edge of the ECS forest.”

16. How to Write A Good Introduction -Finally, you need to give your hypothesis. -For example, maybe your hypothesis is that trees near the middle of the ECS forest will be healthier than trees at the edge of the ECS forest. -You would say, “My hypothesis is trees near the middle of the ECS forest will be healthier than trees at the edge of the ECS forest.” -

17. Homework -Introduction on our study due on Monday Oct. 17th. -Include at least 3 references.