Transcript Strategies for Opening and Concluding Paragraphs

Opening and Concluding
Paragraphs
First Impressions
and
Final Thoughts
WS 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
First Paragraphs
Response to Literature
ATTENTION GRABBER
Next two (at least) sentences
must be background about
the novel or author
Two arguable
prongs
Attention Grabber
Strategies
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1. The Outside Connection
2. The Global Statement
3. Using a Quote
4. An Anecdote
5. The Straw Man
6. The Dramatic Fact.
Wait? Isn’t there one missing?
What about using a Question?
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DON’T DO THIS - EVER!
Usually the question is not answered
Sometimes it even includes second person:
Ex: Have you ever wondered what it would
be like to be lonely? In Of Mice and Men…
• Also, do not use a command:
Imagine, being the only one left on earth.
Strategy #1:
The Outside Connection
• Starts with broad statement about a theme
that relates to your thesis
• Give example from literature, author’s life,
or other history that relates to this theme.
• Don’t connect to pop culture or anything
that seems out of character
• Transition into your thesis clearly to avoid
confusing the reader.
The Outside Connection
Example:
Broad Theme
Transition
Thesis
The mentor archetype spans from
Greek epics to modern novels. In To
Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,
Scout matures into a well-rounded
young woman due to the influence
of several guiding figures. In This
Other Novel, Mentor teaches
Protagonist that…
Strategy #2:
Global Statement
• Start with a broad statement and then
narrow toward your thesis.
• Similar setup to Outside Connection.
• Very versatile – works in a variety of
situations.
• Don’t be too broad or vague.
Global Statement
Example:
Broad
Narrowing
More
Narrowing
Thesis
•
For generations, parents, religion, and
schools have had a monopoly on morality.
From these three sources, children traditionally
acquired their ideas about what is right and wrong,
which goals are important in life, and how other
should be treated. Today, the media has become
another powerful force influencing young people.
Television is implanting in children negative
values about sex, work, and family life.
Strategy #3:
Using a Quote
• Always include a lead (TLQ) into the quote
as well as a citation.
• Avoid quoting the literature that the essay
will be about – quote a famous speaker or
another novel.
Using a Quote
Example:
Noted philosopher Aristotle once said, “Man,
when perfected, is the best of animals, but when
separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all.”
Without societal controls that regulate behavior, there
is nothing in this world more dangerous than human
beings. In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies,
Transition the schoolboys on the island have been released from
the tether of civilization and are about to discover their
own propensity for evil. The worst of them is Jack,
Thesis
the head choir boy, who changes from…
Lead
into
Quote
Strategy #4:
Anecdote
• A brief story that relates to your thesis, no
more than a few sentences.
• Unless it’s a personal essay, no first person.
Using an Anecdote
Example:
•
At a Michigan high school, the student body
Anecdote nominated Whitney Kropp, an awkward
sophomore, for Homecoming Court. Without
considering the humiliation that she might feel or
how the town would react, Whitney’s classmates
congratulated themselves not only on their sense of
humor but their ability to pull off a coordinated
prank. The students’ actions illustrate the cruelty
Transition that a large group can inflict on a single,
vulnerable individual. In William Golding’s Lord
of the Flies, the schoolboys, stranded on a
deserted island, prey upon Piggy, who has been
made a scapegoat for many of the same reasons.
Thesis
Piggy discovers that…
Strategy #5:
Straw Man
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Begin with an idea that is the
opposite of your true position.
Then prove it wrong.
• Be sure to clearly transition from the false idea
to your true position!
Using Straw Man
Example:
False •
False
To
True
People hear a great deal about divorce’s
disastrous impact on children. They are bombarded
with advice on how to make divorce as painless as
possible for their offspring, and numerous
heartbreaking stories about the confused, grieving
children of divorced parents abound. Little
attention has been paid, however, to a different
effect that divorce may have on young people, for
children of divorced parents may become skilled
manipulators, playing off one parent against the
other, worsening an already painful situation. In
Making Them Pay, a novel by…
Strategy #6:
Dramatic Fact or Statistic
• Works best on research papers, persuasive
essays, etc.
• Not very useful for response to literature.
• Be sure to have a reputable source and cite it.
Using Dramatic Fact
Example:
In a poll conducted by columnist Ann
Landers, seventy percent of the respondents stated
that, if they could live their lives over, they would
choose not to have children. This startling statistic
makes one wonder what kind of experience these
people thought parenthood would be. Though
parents want their children to share their values,
follow their paths, and succeed where they failed,
most parents also have unrealistic expectations for
their children. In My Daughter, the Rocket
Scientist, the autobiography of…
Finish your Thesis Statement
before you attempt your
Attention Grabber.
Then, think backward.
Does your thesis remind you of
something, spark an idea?
Which strategy will work best?
RESPONSE TO LITERATURE
• Lead the reader from your attention grabber to
your THESIS STATEMENT.
• For an essay about a piece of literature, write 2
sentences about the literature and/or the
author.
• End your Essay Introduction with your
THESIS STATEMENT.
• That’s a total of at least 4 sentences.
Concluding Paragraphs
Final Thoughts
Concluding Paragraph
• Restate thesis in different words.
• Reflect upon or extend what was already stated in the
body of the essay or the hook.
• Make predictions about the topic.
Then…
Concluding Paragraph
• Restate thesis in different words.
• Reflect upon or extend what was already stated in the
body of the essay or the hook.
• Make predictions about the topic.
• Include a universal statement, like a reverse global
statement.
• Last sentence should be insightful.
Concluding Paragraph
Last Sentence
The last sentence is largely dependent
on the hook in the opening paragraph.
Imagine this is your VEHICLE. Try to
exit the same car in which you started
your journey.
Final Thoughts
THINK about what you WRITE!
• That means if it sounds lame, don’t write it!
• Does what you wrote add value?
• Does it relate directly back to the thesis?
• Does it relate to the topic sentence?
• Is the topic sentence arguable?
Final Thoughts:
• Too much of ANYTHING gets BORING.
• That means the same word, phrasing,
sentence beginning, hook, TLQ, or anything
else for that matter.
• Variety is the key.
THE MOST IMPORTANT
WRITING RULE!
REWRITE
For More Writing Info…
• Check out The Elements of Style by Strunk
and White. It is a 90 page book that
provides a great foundation for college-level
writing expectations.
CLASS ASSIGNMENT
1. In groups of four, you will be creating an
opening paragraph using one of the six
strategies.
2. Working as a group, you will be given a
thesis statement and you will do the rest.
3. Each group will recite their paragraph to
the class. The class will “vote” and
changes will be made.
4. Each group will write their finished
paragraph in their journal.
Attention Grabbers
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1. The Outside Connection
2. The Global Statement
3. Using a Quote
4. An Anecdote
5. The Straw Man
6. The Dramatic Fact.
Remember to include
the author, the book,
and detail about the
book in the transition
sentences!
THESIS STATEMENT
As chief of the tribe, Ralph is responsible for
Jack’s violent behavior because of his
indecisiveness and his fear of losing control.