1. PERSUASIVE ESSAY STATE YOUR POSITION! How to write an effective Introductory paragraph

2. 1 st Paragraph – Introduce your topic. The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round schooling. It has no positive effects on education, it adds to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation. Paragraph source: http://www.slideshare.net/lgatzke/explore-exposition-presentation

3. Start your INTRODUCTION topic sentence that gets the reader’s attention. Who is your audience? Who are you trying to convince? 1.Connect with the reader. The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! 2.Dramatize the controversy. Nine months out of the year students trudge home to face homework, chores, and countless demands on their time looking forward to the joy of summer’s pace. 3.Ask a question. Who wants to give up the freedom to explore their own ideas and interests? 4.Be creative. When school systems look at our summers, they see empty classrooms and fear their lessons are being forgotten.

4. Take your topic sentence and expand your ideas and reasoning. The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. Declare your position on the topic -> That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round schooling.

5. End with your POSITION STATEMENT (Your thesis) 1.Review your REASONS for why you support the POSITION you’ve taken on your subject. 2. On your graphic organizer, list your reasons in note format for the three supporting paragraphs. 3. Create your POSITION statement -> SUBJECT + Your POSITION + 3 reasons. Ex: It has no positive effects on education, it adds to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

6. 1 st Paragraph – Introduce your topic. The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round schooling. Position Statement: It has (1) no positive effects on education, (2) it adds to costs, and (3) it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

7. Introductory Paragraph Structure Here is a recipe or pattern for your introduction: 1.Opening Topic Sentence - CONNECT, DRAMATIZE, ASK A ?, Be CREATIVE Introduce your subject 2.Talk about the subject and your position for 2 or 3 sentences. Use details, elaboration (explain the idea), give examples, tell a short story (anecdotal) etc… 3.End with a STRONG POSITION (Thesis) Statement: SUBJECT + Your POSITION + 3 reasons.