INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPHS LEADS/HOOKS and THESIS STATEMENTS

ORGANIZATION  Organization is the internal structure of the piece of writing. Once a writer has assembled his/her information or thoughts, it’s time to put things together in a way that makes sense and that holds the reader’s attention.  The first question to ask yourself is…

Where do I begin?

DEFINITION The INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH of an essay is the first paragraph. It should do two things: 1.State the topic (Thesis Statement) 2.Get the reader’s attention (Lead/Hook)

THESIS STATEMENT  The thesis statement is usually considered the most important sentence of your essay because it outlines the central purpose of your essay in one place. In a short essay, a good thesis will link the subject of an essay with a controlling idea. Consider, for example, the following thesis: People in the past spent a great deal of effort protecting themselves from witches. Subject: people feared witches Controlling Idea: people spent a great deal of effort protecting themselves

ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT! Subject + Attitude = Thesis Statement Example: Tahiti is a wonderful place to go on vacation. Subject = Tahiti Attitude= a wonderful place to go on vacation.

LET’S PRACTICE! For each of the following thesis statements, underline the subject once and the attitude twice. a)Shopping is fun to do when I’m with my friend. b)Math is my favorite subject. c)It’s exciting to travel to a foreign country. d)Pizza is my favorite food. e)I like MTV the most.

THE GOOD THESIS STATEMENT PLEDGE AND CHECKLIST Your thesis statement promises the reader two things: what you’re going to discuss and the angle you are going to discuss it from. Make sure that you follow through with your commitment. Take the good thesis pledge today:

GOOD THESIS PLEDGE On my honor, I promise that: 1.I did not start with “This thesis states” or “In my opinion.” 2.I narrowed my topic to fit the scope of the essay. 3.I have an honest opinion, insight, angle, perspective, or argument worth sharing. 4.I have made one clear point, not four. 5.I will stand by my thesis until I finish my essay.

LET’S PRACTICE! Come up with a thesis statement for each of the following subjects: 1)A cool store 2)A toy, stuffed animal, or game that once meant a lot to me 3)Why I deserve a larger allowance 4)One thing I want to do by the time I finish the 8 th grade

LEAD/HOOK A lead or “hook” is a sentence or two at the beginning of the introductory paragraph that grabs the reader’s attention. The objective of a lead/hook is to get the reader interested in your topic so that he/she will want to continue reading.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS… 1.Begin with a question. Example: Do you know what to do if there is an emergency in your home? Here are some steps you can take to handle this situation.

2. Begin with a surprising or shocking statement. Example: Yes, you can save a life! If there is an emergency in your home, here are some steps you should take to handle the situation.

3. Begin with an anecdote (short story). Example: My neighbor, Mrs. Ellison, almost died last week. Thanks to the quick-thinking of her eight-year-old son, however, Mrs. Ellison is alive and well today. You too, could save a life if you follow these steps in a home emergency.

4. Use the name of a famous person. Example: Lindsey Lohan, the movie star, had an accident in her home recently. Fortunately, her brother was with her and knew exactly what to do. Here are the steps that everyone should know when there is a home emergency.

PRACTICE Using each of these techniques, write four introductory paragraphs for an essay called “A Typical Day at School.” 1)(question) 2)(surprising statement) 3)(anecdote) 4)(famous person) *Remember* The introductory paragraph must grab the interest of the reader (hook/lead) as well as state the topic of the essay (thesis statement).

Choose two of these techniques and bwrite two introductory paragraphs for an essay called “Summer Vacation.” 1)(question) 2)(surprising statement) 3)(anecdote) 4)(famous person) *Remember* The introductory paragraph must grab the interest of the reader (hook/lead) as well as state the topic of the essay (thesis statement). MORE PRACTICE