1. Informational Writing: Effective Introductions
Grade 9
Copyright © 2015 by Write Score LLC

2. Informational Writing: Review
Also called explanatory essays
Purpose is to inform or educate reader on a
certain topic—can even be controversial as long
as the reader does not choose a side
Needs a strong introduction to pull the reader in

3. Informational Writing: The Introduction
Your introduction should:
include a thesis
capture your audience’s attention
NOTE: An introduction does NOT have to be in a particular order, nor does it all have to be in a single paragraph, but these elements should be at the beginning of your paper.

4. Writing the Thesis: What is a thesis?
a clear, specific statement of what you plan to share in your paper
could be an answer to the question asked (is assigned)

5. Writing the Thesis: How to Write a Thesis for Informational Essays
Define your topic. You have to know what you are writing/talking about before you can formulate your thesis.
Tighten your focus. With explanatory/informational writing this is primarily going to be about narrowing the topic so that it is manageable for the size of the paper you are writing.
Write/Revise thesis for an outline. Use the thesis as a roadmap for the rest of your paper. All the points you make in the rest of the paper should relate directly to your thesis statement.

6. Informational Writing: The Introduction: WHAT NOT TO DO
Your introduction should not:
Announce what you are going to do in the paper
Example:
In this paper, I will....
In this essay, I am going to talk about....
Define the topic/word
According to Merriam Webster, determination is defined as...
Include a forced “grabber” or “hook”
In other words, do not create a grabber that does not relate to the context of the essay, just to say you have it.

7. Informational Writing: Introductory Techniques
You can begin your essay in many ways.
We will look at techniques that writers often use to begin their essays:
an Analogy/Comparison
a Paradoxical or Intriguing Statement

8. Introductory Techniques:
Begin with an Analogy/Comparison:
Make a comparison with something the reader is most definitely familiar with, or if you are requested to read two items and write about one, you can initially make reference to the other.
Example: Friends and family in literature often take a courageous stand for one another. In “The Hunger Games”, Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games. Similarly, even though Huckleberry Finn believes that he will “go to hell” for doing so, he bravely helps his friend Jim.  

9. Introductory Techniques:
A Paradoxical or Intriguing Statement:
This can be something directly opposite of what is usually perceived about your topic, or it could just be a really interesting statement or fact. In the example below, this grabber also incorporates the thesis statement.
Example: “Eat a chocolate bar, and call me in the morning.” Such advice from your cardiologist might sound like a sugar fanatic’s dream, but recent studies have, indeed, confirmed that chocolate may reduce heart disease risk.

10. Informational Writing:
An Example Introduction
Take a closer look at the rockfish, and you can see it has a glass eye. Rockfish that live in tanks often get an eye disease and some lose an eye. An operation can now fix that.
What is the introduction technique, and where is the thesis?

11. Introduction Technique:
Informational Writing:
An Example Introduction
Introduction Technique:
Surprising Fact
The Thesis
Take a closer look at the rockfish, and you can see it has a glass eye. Rockfish that live in tanks often get an eye disease and some lose an eye. An operation can now fix that.

12. Rewrite the introduction using another technique, such as a comparison.
Take a closer look at the rockfish and you can see it has a glass eye. Rockfish that live in tanks often get an eye disease and some lose an eye. An operation can now fix that.

13. Informational Writing:
Drafting The Introduction
Your Turn!
Select three techniques to try on your own using the writing task on the following slide. Use your handout as a guide.
Use a Surprising Fact or Statistic
Describe Something
Ask a Question
Provide Background
Personal Anecdote
an Analogy/Comparison
a Paradoxical or Intriguing Statement
Use a Quotation
Tell a Story

14. Informational Writing:
Drafting The Introduction
Writing Task:
How are Greenland and Iceland both similar and different? Write an explanatory essay based on the articles “Greenland” and “Iceland.”