1.  I need two volunteers for a little “class experiment.” Any takers? Objective: Fill the empty bottle with as many pennies as possible in 30 seconds. Be careful! 5 pennies will be DEDUCTED from your score for every penny that hits the desk. Also, you MAY NOT pick up the bag of pennies at any point! The winning student will receive a small prize. Now, I need one more volunteer…

2. THOUGHTS BODY OF ESSAY FUNNEL INTRODUCTION

3. The Key to Successful Essays

4. Introductory Statement(s) [General] Transition Sentence “Set Up” Sentence(s) Thesis [Specific] 4-7 Sentences

5.  Purpose: Introduces general essay topic and concepts to the reader! ◦ For example, if your essay is on the mood of a particular poem, you may want to begin by defining what mood is and why it’s important to poetry It’s tricky! You don’t want to be too vague in your statements, but you also don’t want to be too precise (specific). Typically 2-3 sentences total.

6.  Let’s say you got the following prompt on next year’s MCAS: Works of literature often feature characters whose pride creates problems. From a work of literature you have read in or out of school, select a character whose pride creates problems. In a well- developed composition, identify the character, describe how the character’s pride creates problems, and explain how the character’s experience relates to the work as a whole.

7.  Let’s say you got the following prompt on next year’s MCAS: Works of literature often feature characters whose pride creates problems…. “As humans, we can’t help but feel overly confident from time to time. As a wise person once wrote, however, excessively “proud people breed bad sorrows for themselves.”

8.  After you’ve introduced a topic of concept (in the introductory statements), you want to transition your focus to the novel/play/poem you are writing about.  In the transition sentence, you introduce the specific work (and author) being studied.

9.  Once you have introduced key concepts to the reader, you want to transition your focus to the work at hand… “In the Greek myth about Arachne, excessive pride (and how it can get the best of a person) plays a key role in the plot.”

10.  The “set up” sentence is the only optional sentence in an introduction.  If you are not quite ready to present your thesis statement and/or have additional information to add, you can include it in the “set up” sentence.  The purpose of the “set up” sentence is to prepare the reader for your specific thesis statement.

11.  If you have additional information to add to the introduction, the appropriate place is in the “set up” sentence. “Arachne’s experiences with excessive pride ultimately serve as a warning to humans.”

12.  The thesis statement is the most important sentence in your entire essay!  The thesis statement outlines your argument for the essay. It explains what you’ll be trying to prove in the body paragraphs and how you’ll prove it!  A strong thesis statement not only answers the questions of “what,” but it also answers the questions of “why” and/or “how.”

13.  Remember, a thesis statement should be extremely specific and answer the question at hand… “By challenging the goddess Athena to a contest, Arachne learns the hard way that excessive pride can cause hardships in a person’s life. The myth of Arachne shows humans that while confidence can sometimes be beneficial to humans, overconfidence can often cause harm.”

14. As humans, we can’t help but feel overly confident from time to time. As a wise person once wrote, however, excessively “proud people breed bad sorrows for themselves.” In the Greek myth about Arachne, excessive pride (and how it can get the best of a person) plays a key role in the plot. Arachne’s experiences with excessive pride ultimately serve as a warning to humans. By challenging the goddess Athena to a contest, Arachne learns the hard way that excessive pride can cause hardships in a person’s life. The myth of Arachne shows humans that while confidence can sometimes be beneficial to humans, overconfidence can often cause harm. Behold the power of the Funnel Introduction!