Lesson Details

Introductions with PUNCH

2014-2015

Principles of English 1, fall 2014

Date

Sept. 23, 2014

Additional Info
Learning Target: Students will compose an introductory paragraph that contains a hook, background material, and a thesis statement.

Grammar: Although it is Tuesday, please complete the grammar you usually do on Mondays. Your sentence is as follows:

the four men worked hard to finish the job  their boss gave them a large bonus

Note: Your weekly vocabulary quizzes will now have grammar questions that are specific to the sentence you worked with and will correspond to each day's exercises.

Another note: Your weekly vocabulary exercises will be done differently from now on. You will now do the "Completing the Sentence" as homework on Mondays, "Synonyms" and "Antonyms" on Tuesdays, and "Choosing the Right Word" on Wednesdays. Each Thursday we will trade papers and grade the exercises in class. This will begin starting today. (You will still have a quiz this Friday, despite going to the library yesterday.) So your homework for tonight is to do the "Completing the Sentence" exercise on pages 61-62 of your vocabulary book. (Just write the word only.)

Today, you will begin writing the introductory paragraph(s) for your argument essay. Let's start by taking a look at a sample I wrote. 
What's good about it? 
What still needs some work?

sample argument essay

Please take out a sheet of paper and start drafting the introduction for your own argument topic. Keep the following in mind as you write:

  • We will workshop your introductions as a full class. Yes, you will have to read your introduction out loud.
  • Think about your hook. How can you shock your reader or otherwise compel your reader to want to keep reading? A crazy fact? An anecdote? An emotional appeal? A rhetorical question? (use that last one sparingly)
  • Your introduction is NOT necessarily one paragraph. Take as much space as you feel you need. (Refer to the Cat Bill.)
  • Your introduction should have "introductory material," that is, any material that you think is necessary to set the stage for your formal argument and warm up your audience to your topic and your point of view.
  • Your introduction must have your claim. (Refer to your notes from last week to refresh your memory on writing a claim.)