1. Mini-lesson: Heighten Interest with Anecdotes Purpose: –To illustrate how to open a piece of writing with an anecdote. An anecdote is a brief story (four to six lines) that both introduces the content of your piece and sent the tone.

2. Before Example Four year-old Anthony had fun pretending and dreaming about flying. He dreamed of using his Batman cape and Donald Duck umbrella for flying. Think of an anecdote as a small scene that captures the personality of your main character or the main idea of your paper. For example: -if your write a report on water pollution, you could write an anecdote about a beautiful white heron, its legs and under feathers slick with oil.

3. After example Four-year-old Anthony had always dreamed of flying. Now, dressed in his midnight blue Batman costume, Anthony rummaged through the hall closet until he found the Donald Duck umbrella. He climbed to the top of the stairs, opened the umbrella, balanced on the railing, and jumped. For a brief moment Anthony thought, I’m flying.