1. Strong leads hook our reader
Persuasive leads

2. Strong leads hook our reader
Myth-
Busting
Anecdote
Fascinating Fact

3. Myth-busting lead
A great way to put your reader off-guard is to blast apart a commonly held belief in the very first sentences.
This makes for interesting reading AND can give an historical dimension to your argument.

4. Myth-busting lead
There are quite a few misconceptions about nuclear energy: it’s dangerous, it’s dirty, and it leads to radiation sickness. However, a survey by the Washington Department of Energy reveals that a nuclear power plant gives off less radiation than a coal-burning plant. Compared with gas-powered cars and trucks, nuclear power plants do not give off greenhouse gases. In fact, nuclear energy is one of the cleanest energies available.
Thesis: Nuclear energy is the best option for our future.

5. List all the “myths” you have heard about your topic
List all the “myths” you have heard about your topic. Example (why we need fine arts in school): *waste of time *we need math/science more *no relation to future career *it’s just “fluff”

6. Anecdote Lead
An anecdote is a brief story. Think of it as a small scene that illustrates the main idea of your piece.
If your topic is water pollution, for example, you might open by telling about a time you saw trash or dead fish floating in a dirty river.

7. Anecdote Lead
I grew up hearing stories about my dad’s pet when he was a kid, a retriever mix named Mallory. Just like most dogs and their humans, Mallory and Dad were best friends, and they went everywhere together. However, no one realized how brave and loyal Mallory was until she saved the family from a terrible fire.
Thesis: Every family should have a dog of their own.

8. Anecdote Lead
On the last warm weekend of summer, I attended a pool party with my little sister. One of the 9-year-olds there did not know how to swim. I found that scary, especially since no adults seemed to be supervising the pool. I know the other girls were keeping an eye out for her, but I worried about them being able to rescue their friend if she got into trouble.
Luckily, the party was uneventful and ended with everyone getting safely out of the pool. But when I told my parents later, they agreed that every kid should know how to swim.

9. Anecdote Lead
Before beginning a lecture on why staying out late is inappropriate, a father tells his daughter about a scary incident he had one time when he stayed out too late.
To introduce a speech about lab safety, the speaker tells about a serious injury that occurred when someone didn’t follow the rules.
A student writes about his favorite holiday moment for an essay about the importance of tradition.
A teacher tells about the first Thanksgiving, with Native Americans and pilgrims eating together, before discussing about respect among different cultures.

10. Tell a quick story that relates to your thesis
Tell a quick story that relates to your thesis. If you can’t think of something real that happened, it’s OK to make it up. (For your essay, you need a true story.)

11. Fascinating fact
A well-chosen fact can say more than a dozen well-chosen opinions.
Look for interesting, shocking, or bizarre facts that relate to your topic.
Try to grab your reader with a truly fascinating fact!

12. Fascinating fact
The largest and highest-grossing restaurant chains in America are McDonalds, Subway, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Hut, KFC, and Chik-fil-A. When you consider that 74% of Americans are overweight, it seems like the restaurants
Sources:
1. overfedandundernourishedmovie.com, 2015
2. Technomic, 2013

13. Use your phone to find a “Fascinating Fact” about your topic OR write a lead that goes with the facts on the next slide…

14. Fascinating Facts:
If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you’ll feel thirsty. If it’s reduced by 10%, you’ll die.
About half of all Americans are on a diet on any given day.
The population is expected to rise to 10.8 billion by the year 2080.
On Jupiter and Saturn it rains diamonds.
In New York, it is illegal to sell a haunted house without telling the buyer.