1. Introduction Grabs the reader’s attention Gives reader’s a broader context for your argument Introduces the author and title of work ◦In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye… Previews main ideas General (topic) to specific (thesis)

2. Creative Opening/Hook/Attention Grabber: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader’s interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following: 1) A startling fact or bit of information 2) A brief snippet of dialogue between two characters 3) A meaningful quotation (from the book you are analyzing or another source) 4) A universal idea 5) A rich, vivid description Other “Hook”/”Attention Grabber” Ideas: Thought-provoking question Definition or explanation of a term relevant to topic Analogy or metaphor

3. What to Avoid Clichés (overused & ineffective) ◦Questions: “Have you ever wondered what would happen if…?”  Reader could say, “Nope. Never wondered.”  Reader could say, “Yes, yes I have. No need to read on.” First person point of view: “In this essay, I will show…” *Avoid alienating your reader from viewpoints different from your own or making all or nothing statements or generalizations about people ◦-All teenagers have an attitude…

4. Evaluate and critique the sample introduction paragraphs  Hook:  Transition to author/novel:  Preview of main ideas:  Thesis: AD, PR, BA, or MI?

5. Example #1 Is Holden Caulfield one of Peter Pan’s lost boys? In Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger Holden Caulfield is lost in his own Neverland and is living in his own little naive childish world. We can see that Holden wants to grow up but doesn’t want to grow up at the same time. In this paper I am showing how Holden is in his own land and wants to protect the mind, heart, and eyes of the naive and innocence of the children the adults can’t.

6. Example #2 “I don’t know where I belong, I don’t know where I am going, I just got to find a place in this world.” These lyrics from “A Place in this World” by Taylor Swift describe Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye perfectly. Holden is portrayed as an outsider who has absolutely no idea where he is going because he is trapped between his childhood and adulthood. He just wants to find a place where he can be young forever because he hates the idea of growing up and entering this scary place known as adulthood. Holden searches for this particular place by asking about the ducks, expressing his love for the museum, and a song. Holden withdraws from society not only because he feels the need for stability but also because he is afraid of growing up and entering the adult world.

7. Example #3 “‘Do you feel any concern for your future, boy?’ ‘Oh, I feel some concern for my future all right. Sure. Sure, I do.’ I thought about it for a minute. ‘But not too much, I guess,’” (Salinger 14). In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a teenager suffering from depression. He’s failing almost all his classes, he doesn’t have many friends, and his world is quickly changing around him. The fact that Holden doesn’t embrace his friends’ growth and maturity, that he thinks everything in a typical American adult life is so repetitive, and that Holden’s dream job is to save children as they fall makes it clear to us that Holden has a bit of a fear and detest toward adulthood. Holden withdraws from society because he is finding no value in, and is scared of, adulthood.

8. Steps to Success for IB Learners: 1. Write your thesis statement. 2. Find three supporting pieces of evidence from the text. 3. Develop your body paragraphs using quote sandwiches and transitions. 4. Write your introduction 5. Read, reread, and reread again what you have so far to ensure it is clear and organized ◦Use all of your resources (website: msweinfurter.weebly.com, examples, samples, notes, handouts) Volume: Keys typing, pencils writing, and minds thinking