Writing Effective Introductions

1. Writing Effective Introductions Developed by Professor Allison Knox

2. Questions to Answer today: What is the purpose of an introduction? How does an “attention getter” affect the direction of an essay?

3. Questions to Answer Today: • What is the structure of an introduction? • How does the thesis statement fit in?

4. Where ? Let’s go!

5. What does an Introduction DO? Gets readers in the car [attention getter] Narrows the readers’ focus toward the actual destination

6. What does an Introduction DO? Tells readers where they are going[part 1 of thesis statement] Tells readers why they are going[part 2 of thesis statement]

7. Advertisements use effective attention getters • What attention getter did this ad use?

8. “Tricks” for Attention Getters Scenario or Analogy Question Quotation Facts or Statistics Definition

9. We live in a society today where everyone plays an important role to keep a stable society. As citizens, we each live in a particular “class.” A majority of people make up the middle class, while fewer are considered to be lower or upper class. The same classes and roles that are presently seen in our society also exist in an aquarium. The aggressive fish are the upper class fish, the middle classes are the non-aggressive fish, and the algae eaters fill the lower class role. With one of the classes absent from the aquarium, the entire environment can become unstable.

10. Do you watch television? Have you read any magazines lately? How often do you flip through the channels or pages and suddenly slow down at the sight of a particularly attractive person? From milk ads to Doritos commercials, the media blitzes the public with sex appeal. That is sexual advertising. And why are those tanned men and women placed cover to cover in our magazines, channel to channel across the networks? Because it works. Sex sells American products to the public.

11. Pianist Arthur Rubenstein once said, “There is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.” That a man as accomplished as he could approach life with acceptance of whatever hand he was dealt amazes me. Like Rubenstein, I love music and the piano. Like Rubenstein, I try to love life and greet each day with joy. Although life has dealt me my share of blows, I have found Rubenstein’s philosophy to be true. Acceptance of the good and bad moments in my life has led me to some success and has helped me become the independent and determined person that I am today.

12. 2.6 million students graduated from U.S. high schools in 2001. Their average ACT test score was 21. Unfortunately, in large towns like Elgin, Illinois, the average drop out rate was 6.5. Most of those drop outs did not take the ACT test. What happens to those high school drop outs? Are they all flipping burgers at McDonalds? Are they living homeless in the Windy City? Perhaps some are -- drop outs, like the homeless are hard to track. But not all high school drop outs join the ranks of the unemployed and disenfranchised. Some go on to lead happy lives without further education. Some, like me, seek second chances. . .

13. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “anxiety” as a “state or cause of uneasiness and apprehension; worry.” I define anxiety as teenagers; giving my teens the freedom to make decisions. Many of my nights are sleepless, yet my days are buoyed by the hope of being a “good enough” mom. Sometime I wonder if am am going to survive parenthood at all. I feel I am drowning in a sea of anxiety. After all, family life is not what is used to be. I find that our current American culture creates an alarming atmosphere in which to raise teens.

14. Surprise But be sure the paper DELIVERS what the intro promises

15. Introduction Structure Start out BROAD To get audience in the car! Narrow focus toward thesis Thesis statement gives the topic and point of paper

16. Writing the Thesis A thesis statement is just a BIG umbrella statement

17. Two Parts of a Generalization = The topic Part One Writer’s point about the topic = Part two

18. Generalization as Thesis Statement = Part One The topic That’s you -- or your experiences, or your qualifications!

19. Generalization as Thesis Statement = Part two Writer’s point about the topic Your experiences make you the BEST scholarship candidate! Include major points from body

20. Review Get the readers in the car with you Narrow from attention getter to thesis Thesis tells readers where they are going and WHY Be sure that THESIS reflects content of body