Transcript Informative Essay - Introduction Paragraph

SWBAT Introduce the topic of
their essay using a "hook" and
creating a thesis statement.
PA @ 71
Do Now
• Answer the following in
your writing notebook:
Who will be reading this
essay? What does that
reader care about?
• Turn-and-talk, sharing your
answers.
Why is the first paragraph
important?
• The first paragraph of an
essay is meant to introduce
the topic and to "hook" the
reader-get the reader
interested in continuing to
read.
First step – the “hook”
• Who will read this essay?
• What does the reader care
about?
Hook
• Reader – the teacher
• Cares about – that you
understood both stories and the
ideas and strategies used in
both.
• Firoozeh Dumas and Mawi
Asgedom both write about their
experiences as American
immigrants.
Group activity
• How would the hook
change if your readers
were your classmates
instead of your teacher?
• Rewrite the hook with your
classmates as the reader.
Background information
• The background
information gives some
quick basic information
about the topic before
introducing the thesis
statement.
• What does the reader
need to know about both
texts before reading the
essay?
Background information
• In “Funny in Farsi”, Dumas
details her funny experiences
dealing with Americans who
don’t know much about her
country, Iran.
• In “Of Beetles and Angels”,
Asgedom reflects on his
struggles in America as he
came from Ethiopia through his
graduation from Harvard
University.
Thesis statement
• The thesis statement in an
informative essay is what
you will be discussing.
• Here, you will mention how
the two memoirs are alike,
and also how they are
different.
• This is called a
Compare/Contrast
statement.
Thesis statement – How are
they similar?
• Both authors explore
immigrant experiences.
• Both authors discuss
interacting with American
culture.
• Both authors detail
personal experiences as
immigrants to America.
Thesis statement – How are
they different?
• Dumas and Asgedom
have different perspectives
on America.
• Both authors use different
strategies to convey their
different perspectives.
Sample thesis statement:
• Although both Dumas and
Asgedom detail personal
experiences as immigrants
to America, these authors
use different strategies to
convey their perspectives
on their new home.
Signal words for
compare/contrast:
Similar
Different
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Both
Also
In addition
Likewise
Similarly
Too
As well as
Similar to
Much like
each
Although
But
however
In contrast
Otherwise
Even though
Instead
On the contrary
while
Completed first paragraph:
Firoozeh Dumas and Mawi Asgedom both
write about their experiences as American
immigrants. In “Funny in Farsi”, Dumas details her
funny experiences dealing with Americans who
don’t know much about her country, Iran. In “Of
Beetles and Angels”, Asgedom reflects on his
struggles in America as he came from Ethiopia
through his graduation from Harvard University.
Although both Dumas and Asgedom detail
personal experiences as immigrants to America,
these authors use different strategies to convey
their perspectives on their new home.
Activity
• Create an introduction
paragraph using a “hook”,
background information
and a thesis statement.
• Use the examples on
pages 176-177 to help
create a thesis statement.
• I will be helping you as
needed.