1. Comparison Essay Introductory Paragraph

2. Start Your Essay • The beginning of your essay should capture the reader’s interest, introduce your two subjects, and state your thesis

3. Getting the Reader’s Attention • Ask a question • Who is the greatest American athlete of all time? • Start with a quotation • “Be the change you want to see in the world.” • Use a surprising statistic • During one Big Ten meet, Jesse Owens tied one world record and set three more- all with an injured back! • Connect with the reader • Imagine being a high school athlete who could beat world records

4. Practice • Think of an interesting introductory sentence for your essay • How can you introduce your theme in an interesting way? • How can you introduce The Book Thief and “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas “in an interesting way • Can you grab your reader with historical information?

5. Share • Read your attention-getter to your elbow partner • Did it grab their attention? Why or why not? • What revisions should you make?

6. Introduce Two Subjects • Pretend your audience has not read or seen The Book Thief or “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” • Provide background information about each subject- make sure the information connects to your thesis statement • One approach might be to introduce your entire essay by focusing on points about your chosen theme- go from general statements about your theme and progress into statements connected to The Book Thief and “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”

7. Practice • Write 5-6 sentences introducing your two subjects • Remember your essay needs to be focused on The Book Thief and “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” • Remember you can only focus on one chosen theme- depth or breadth

8. Share • Read your attention-getter and your first 5-6 sentences to your elbow partner • Is it interesting? • Does it provide enough background information about the two subjects? • What would you add and/or take away?

9. Thesis • Your thesis statement should be towards the end of your introductory paragraph • It will provide the focus points of your paper • When you write your introductory paragraph, underline your thesis statement • Remember the rules!

10. Revision • Now your thesis statement is in place, read your introductory paragraph aloud to your elbow partner • Does it flow well? • Does the thesis statement have at least three main points? • Does the background information about the two subjects lead you to the thesis?