Introduction and Attention Grabbing Leads

1. Introduction and Attention Grabbing Leads • Purpose: • Immediately hook your reader and get your reader’s attention. • Give your reader some background information on your topic • Frames your thesis.

2. ABT: Pieces to a Knockout Introduction Paragraph • 1) Attention Grabbing lead: • 2) Bridge • Bridge between the attention grabbing lead to the thesis. (Links/transitions the lead to the thesis statement.) • 3) Thesis Statement: • Main argument of your essay: 3 specific reasons, 1 sentence

3. A: Attention Grabbing Leads • Paint the Picture – Set up a scene or story in just a few sentences to connect with the reader, explain your point, and add interest. • Statistic or Shocking Fact – Add facts and statistics to surprise and invoke curiosity, confusion, frustration, or any other feelings which make the audience want to read more.

4. Paint the Picture: • Paint a picture– vivid details create a vision for the reader to imagine. Give a brief example to create situations of empathy/sympathy. • Relevant - (relates to the topic). • Specific details - (the more specific details are, the more engaging the hook).

5. Paint the Picture Examples Top quality example: The internet is an easy and accessible place for bullying among teens, with aggressive messaging and a lack of consequences for negative communication. One nasty posting can quickly be shared with hundreds of others, creating a ripple/domino effect. The underlying negative message gets magnified, often with damaging results. Poor quality example: Facebook bullying is bad and gets out of control.

6. Paint the Picture HONOR Examples • Top quality example: The internet realm is a fertile breeding ground for bullying among teens, with aggressive messaging and a lack of consequences for hostile communication. One nasty posting can quickly be shared with hundreds of others, creating a ripple effect which magnifies the underlying negative message, often with damaging effects. • Poor quality example: Facebook bullying is bad and gets out of control.

7. Statistic or Shocking Fact: • Shocking facts and statistics are used to surprise and invoke curiosity, frustration, or any other feelings which make the audience want to read more. • The fact/ statistic is true (believable). • The source of the fact is given or credibility is established. This is done by providing credentials.

8. Examples of Statistics or Shocking Facts: • Top Quality Example: • According to National Geographic, “Over 1.5 billion people do not have access to clean, safe water.” • Poor Quality Example: • 85% of the families who have dirty drinking water in New Haven say they don’t like it.

9. B: Build the Bridge! • Sentence which smoothes the way between your attention-grabbing lead and the thesis. • (= transition sentence!!!) • AG Lead + + Thesis= INTRO

10. Standard Intro Example A: The internet is an easy and accessible place for bullying among teens, with aggressive messaging and a lack of consequences for negative communication. One nasty posting can quickly be shared with hundreds of others, creating a ripple effect which magnifies the underlying negative message, often with damaging effects. B: Across America, much attention is being focused on how to solve the problem of online bullying. T: Schools should create a formal discipline plan for online bullying because it would clearly define unacceptable behavior, ensure students’ safety online, and build a stronger sense of student community.

11. A: The internet realm is a fertile breeding ground for bullying among teens, with aggressive messaging and a lack of consequences for hostile communication. One nasty posting can quickly be shared with hundreds of others, creating a ripple effect which magnifies the underlying negative message, often with damaging effects. B: Across America, much attention is being focused on how to solve the problem of online bullying. T: Schools should create a formal discipline plan for online bullying because it would clearly define unacceptable behavior, ensure students’ safety online, and build a stronger sense of student community. (honors)

12. A: According to National Geographic, “Over 1.5 billion people do not have access to clean, safe water.” B: Many people suffer from illnesses associated with dirty drinking water, and so it is important that corrective steps be taken to provide relief. T: America should invest in helping provide clean drinking water to developing nations because technological advances have lessened cost, it brings political stability, and prevents avoidable death and suffering for millions.