Introductions and Conclusions Lets look at the way

Introductions and Conclusions Let’s look at the way some students have done it!

Quick Write What makes a good introduction? Turn to your partner and discuss what you wrote. Share with the class. What makes a good introduction? Why is it important?

Purposes for Introductions The introduction: grabs the reader’s attention. clearly implies an organizational structure of the paper includes support that is specific and relevant, and provides a clear, connected lead-in to paper’s main idea or thesis. includes a thesis that is stated or implied

Quote by William Zinsser The most important sentence in any article is the first one. If it doesn’t induce the reader to proceed to the second sentence, your article, your story, YOUR ESSAY IS DEAD. Of such a progression of sentence, each tugging the reader forward until he is hooked. . .

INEFFECTIVE Introductions You are going to learn about… This essay/letter is about… I am going to tell you about… There are three reasons… My opinion is that. . The point I wish to make is. . . The fact of the matter is that…

Strategies for Introductions A writer may begin with: an anecdote or A vivid description scenario a current event a quotation or series Citizen of the World of quotations opening a brief Contrast two history/background opposing aspects of information the topic a startling statement (could be a fact, statistic, or opinion. ) The best thing to do is to combine two or three of the above strategies.

An anecdote or scenario I lead a stressful life. I try to escape from my daily homework by taking a ten-minute walk, but often that does not work. After about two hours straight, I look for a different kind of relief – my television set. Forms of entertainment, ranging from the soothing sounds of Beethoven to the bloody spectacles of the Roman Coliseum, have had a huge impact on both the individual and society’s culture as a whole. However my case and the case of many of my friends, these forms of entertainment have shown us ways to build bombs, protest against our parents, and resist the relentless aim of education. Many fear that these forms of entertainment have the ability to destroy the values of society. These fears are well placed, as modern entertainment’s never-ending search for the next “sensation” can lead to the subversion of society’s values and traditions.

A quotation or dialogue “Think: all men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil: The only crime is pride. ” says Teiresias in Antigone. In this play and many of the other Greek plays, the protagonist often has excessive pride or hubris. Because of pride the hapless main character makes a tragic mistake that causes his ruin. This pride and consequences have been the downfall of literary characters throughout the ages, from Hamlet to Sethe of Toni Morrison's Beloved.

A brief history or background information Lyndon B. Johnson, as President, came up with a plan to get rid of poverty across the United States. He called it an "unconditional War on Poverty. " Many organizations resulted from the plan and then many world organizations resulted from those, like UNICEF and Oxfam America. People have always tried to come up with ways to avoid and even abolish poverty, including a man named Peter Singer came up with "The Singer Solution to World Poverty. "

A startling fact/statistic China now produces as much as 70% of the merchandise sold by Wal-Mart. For many years, America’s economy was so dominant on the world stage, so out front in so many key areas, that we fell into the habit of thinking we were competing largely against ourselves. However, in recent years, with the leveling of the global playing field, it should be apparent that we are not just competing against ourselves. The opening up of countries like India, China, and Russia means that their young people can compete more easily and cheaply than ever before. And they are. This situation poses a large problem for the United States in the long run and we are coasting along as if we have all the time in the world. In fact, a solution must soon be found to reverse this outward flow of jobs.

A vivid description Imagine walking into a bathroom that has no doors on the stalls, a massive scrapped piece of wall where a mirror used to hang, and age-old graffiti, shouting “Mary Ellen is a slut” covering the stall walls. Picture no toilet paper, the sanitary disposals overflowing, and the urinals stained with a dark brown substance. If a student tries to wash his or her hands, there is no soap, and if a student tries to dry his or her hands, there are no paper towels. Welcome to rest rooms in most suburban high schools. These and other conditions need to be examined. High schools in this country are not equal.

A citizen of the world opening In an era when all the frontiers of civilization's expansion seems to have vanished, when the settling and industrialization of all the Earth's land resources seem to have reached a limit, we, as innate pioneers, look towards space as our next domain of conquest. Despite a hostile, belligerent beginning to the Space Age, in the midst of global tension and a treaty of total cataclysm, mankind has since returned to space as a medium of peace and progress. But space is not free, space is not safe, and space is not easy. With millions of dollars of the Federal budget tied up with NASA and related institutions, with unforeseeable dangers plaguing every launch reentry and landing, and with public interest and support dwindling, should the United States, or any space-capable country for that matter, continue to invest in exploring the frontier in the oncoming century?

Contrasting Two Points Of View Rodriguez contrasts Mexico and California not as two different places but two polar states of mind; these cultural philosophies are indicative of his divided mind and conflicting feelings. He associates California with a youthful "wild child" outlook and Mexico with a more developed Epicurean pessimism. In the simplistic sense, he has endured from the youthful California to the older Mexican, but--looking back--he does not truly sympathize with the totality of this transformation or agree to discard wither world view in decisive favor of the other.

Practice Task – 11 th Graders Directions: Look at our current prompt. How can we “hook” the reader using a standard hook method? Each table will be assigned a method. Together, using the examples, write a hook for our current prompt. Then, type it up and post it to your assigned padlet: http: //padlet. com/redheadlarkin/hook 2 Table 1 – An anecdote or scenario Table 2 – A quotation or dialogue Table 3 – Brief history or background Table 4 – Begin with a startling statement Table 5 – Vivid Description Table 6 – Current Event-Citizen of the World Table 8 – Contrast 2 opposing views

What do you want to remember? Turn to your partner and list 3 things you want to remember.

Which one of these is the best conclusion? Ads are intended to do essentially one thing: make a consumer desire a product. The scientific precision with which this is attempted these days makes ads potent influences on the brains of consumers. It is important for the public to recognize that advertisers are overtly trying to manipulate them, and every last ad should be viewed with skepticism. Advertising has many goals and the consumer needs to be aware of each and every one. This will effect how you shop and how you manage your money.

Discussion Turn to your partner and discuss. Which conclusion did you pick and why? What makes a good conclusion? What is the purpose for a conclusion? What should it accomplish? Share with the class. What makes a good conclusion? Why is it important?

The Purpose of Conclusions The purpose of the conclusion is to satisfy the reader by not only wrapping up the essay, but also giving him or her something to think about. This is your last chance to affect the reader.

INEFFECTIVE Conclusions I hope you enjoyed reading my… In this essay/letter you have learned… In conclusion, … As you can see/tell… I just told you about (exact thesis)…

IN CONCLUSION should be banned from essays! “It is regurgitating and not sophisticated. To use "in conclusion" is to insult your reader's intelligence” -Lucile Payne “Make sure your last sentence or paragraph is a joy in itself. It gives the reader a lift, and it lingers when the article is over. ” -William Zinsser

Conclusion Strategies Ways to Achieve Your Purpose A writer may end with an “echo” from the beginning of piece a quotation with analysis an anecdote A connection to a universal issue or American Tenet a generalization from information given, causeeffect call to action a dire prediction a response to a “so what? ” question A wish, hope, self-reflection An ironic twist Offer a solution The best thing to do is use a combination of this list.

An Echo From The Beginning of the Piece Introduction – In an era when all the frontiers of civilization's expansion seems to have vanished, when the settling and industrialization of all the Earth's land resources seem to have reached a limit, we, as innate pioneers, look towards space as our next domain of conquest. Conclusion- Land has always been vanishing and yet we always seek and find more. We have always been explorers, consider Columbus going to the Americas, or Marco Polo for China, or American families for the Turner frontier. But if we, from hindsight, see how our civilization has changed as a result, we can say, with some confidence, that moving to space will also push mankind in the right direction. In our culture when a door has been opened, we

A Quotation “The end justifies the means, " argued Machiavelli. Why not apply this to charity? Taxes are basically funds going to causes like building up our schools, repaving roads, and building a better community for our children--if they are compulsory, it doesn't make much difference; some good is happening. So, when incentives are tied to charitable acts (gratuities to the church) more good occurs than when selfless charity acts alone. Even if the case is somewhat skewed, ethics are ultimately about doing what is good and right by humanity.

An Anecdote It is a typical Saturday night and boredom sweeps over like a blanket. I want an escape from the drudgery of my life and what do I turn to— entertainment. Besides amusement, entertainment functions to promote artistic creativity and excellence. More than a mindless influence on society, entertainment informs, enlightens, and acts as an intellectual forum. The bullets from Tom Hank’s semi-automatic in Saving Private Ryan are not meant to tell someone that killing is all right, but to showcase the danger and ugliness of war, while simultaneously astounding watchers with visual reality.

A Prediction If reason and logic instead of dissent were truly present amidst the many thousands of controversies around the world, perhaps there would be peace in the Middle East, perhaps new thinkers and problem solvers would get the chance to bring hope to a fight that has gone on much too long, perhaps there would be no use for the excuse “he started it” because there would be less fighting in the world. But perhaps now is the time to start, perhaps by next year, we will see peace in the place where religion was born.

A Call To Action But that means it is our job to determine what is true and what is contrived. It is not an easy task. But, as responsible citizens, it is one we must embrace. We must make an effort to stay wellinformed at all times, make rational decisions about what we believe is true, and most importantly, voice our displeasure-via mouth, checkbook, or ballot-when we feel we are being lied to. The public has the ability to determine the course of society in this matter. Together, we just need to point society in the right direction-one of truthfulness and accountability and make it clear that we will not settle for anything less.

A Generalization From Given Information While better education could maybe help to alleviate some of the pressure and burden caused by outsourcing, the real solution lies in having companies realize that, ultimately Maslow's hierarchy of basic needs should be met, but not at the expense of America's future. Therefore, companies need to monitor how much they outsource and limit it. Companies need to look at the entire picture and outsourcing must be maintained at a level to insure security and prosperity for future generations of Americans.

“So What” conclusion All in all, the passage highlights a disturbing trend in American marketing: the contents of The Onion could be real. If not for the inclusion of certain diction, details, and irony, the less intellectual reader would have called The Onion to order Magna. Soles. Imagine his disappointment when he learns they were telling the "semi -truth. ”

A self reflection As I stand here among the mourning crowd, I think about the death of this lovely if maddening princess, and how her death has changed something inside me. Something, as the old song said, had to give, and perhaps this fantastic display of public grief, so vulgar in many ways, so unconvincing in others, has to it some spiritual element after all. Perhaps in their hearts—as well as mine --the British people see Diana as a fellow victim of degraded times, and have instinctively seized upon her death as the moment for a fresh start. **Using I reflections is extremely delicate.

Offer a Solution All of us could make some sacrifices. We do not need a television in every room, but one is nice to have. We do not need a five-car garage, but owning a car is all right. We do not need a summer home in France and a winter home in Jamaica, but having proper heating and airconditioning is not too much to ask. We need to help less fortunate, but giving away what we need is not a good idea. Poverty is truly a large problem in the world, but we need to treat its causes, not its symptoms. We need to work on how to help people find jobs, not throw money at them.

Pass the Paragraph Number off 1 to 4. Each number will copy its assigned topic sentence on a piece of paper. 1. 2. 3. 4. Having a car in college is imperative. A younger brother/sister is a pest. Parents can sometimes be a teen’s worst enemy. Advertising can be deceptive.

Pass the Paragraph, Continued On the teacher's signal, pass the paper to the right. Write one detail that will support the topic you receive. Pass the paper again and layer another item of detail. Repeat until there at least 3 layered details. Write the conclusion using one of the conclusion strategies. Label it. Share with your group and pick the best one to share with the class.

REFLECTION What have your learned about introductions? What have your learned about conclusions? How can you use this information?