How do you write a strong introductory paragraph for an argumentative essay?

1. How do you write a strong introductory paragraph for an argumentative essay?

2. In this lesson you will learn to write an introductory paragraph to engage the reader in the topic by telling your reader why this issue is important.

3. Choosing a topic Finding Supporting Evidence Planning To Write Drafting the Essay

4. An unorganized introduction makes for an unclear argument.

5. 1 Grab the reader’s attention with a hook like an interesting fact, personal story, or a question. • Describe the topic and why its important by presenting the major ideas of the essay. 2 3 • Write the thesis as the last sentence of your paragraph.

6. How do I structure an introductory paragraph? Hook Major Topics Thesis Statement

7. School lunches need to be improved. • The food is not tasty • There are not options • The food is not healthy

8. How do I start my essay with a hook? A hook is used at the beginning of an essay to grab the readers attention. Most students look forward to lunch time each day, but not because of the food. Lunch time is usually a student’s favorite time of day, so why should the food be so horrible? Have you ever eaten a school lunch that you thought was disgusting?

9. How do I describe my topic and present the major reasons for my argument? The food served at school does not taste good. • The food is not tasty The menu in the cafeteria does not offer options to hungry students. • There are not options • The food is not healthy The food served in the cafeteria is rarely healthy.

10. Can I rewrite my thesis to improve the argument? School lunches need to be improved. Strengthened Claim There is no doubt that school lunches need to be improved.

11. Does this paragraph clearly state what my argument is about? Lunch time is usually a student’s favorite time of day, so why should the food be so horrible? The food served at school does not taste good. The menu in the cafeteria does not offer options to hungry students. The food served in the cafeteria is rarely healthy. There is no doubt that school lunches need to be improved.

12. 1 Grab the reader’s attention with a hook like an interesting fact, personal story, or a question. • Describe the topic and why its important by presenting the major ideas of the essay. 2 3 • Write the thesis as the last sentence of your paragraph.

13. In this lesson you learned how to write an introductory paragraph to engage the reader in the topic by telling your reader why this issue is important.

14. Practice by using the information below and the structure provided to write your own introductory paragraph. School lunches need to be improved. Hook 2. Description 3. Thesis • The food is not tasty • There are not options • The food is not healthy

15. On your own, think about a time you really wanted to do something. Write an introductory paragraph that lays out your argument in a clear and concise way. Then, have a partner break it down to check that it effectively communicates the argument.

16. With a partner, find an op-ed article in the local paper. Read the first paragraph and break it down using the structure you learned for writing introductory paragraphs. Did the author effectively state his/her argument? Why or why not?

17. With a partner, draft an introductory paragraph for a topic you’d like to argue. Use the steps to develop a hook, reasons for your argument, and then a thesis. Together, decide if this paragraph clearly states your argument.

18. On your own, use your thesis and major supporting reasons for your argument to develop an introductory paragraph.