Crafting Introductions

“Introductions and conclusions are important because they are the places where the readers are paying the most attention”

“If readers don’t like your introduction, chances are they wont like the rest of you paper”

Try to put yourself in your readers position; if you had to read a paper you might ask yourself:

“What is this?” “Why am I reading this?” “What is the writer trying to persuade me

of?” “Why is this important?” Why should I care?”

Five Introductory MovesYour introduction should answer some of your readers’ questions immediately by making some or all of the following moves:

Five Moves (continued) Move 1: Identify your topic. Move 2: State your purpose. Move 3: State your main point, thesis

statement, or a question you will answer.

Move 4: Offer background to your topic. Move 5: Stress the importance of the

topic to your readers.

There is no set order in which these moves can be done.

“The first three are the most important, because these moves tell readers (a) what you are writing about (b)why you are writing (c) what you want to explain or prove. The other two moves will help your readers familiarize themselves with your topic.”

Generally, your paper’s main point, or thesis statement, should arrive somewhere near the end of the introduction.

Using a Grabber “To catch a reader’s attention, some

writers like to use a grabber or hook at the beginning of their introduction”

Ask an Interesting Question “A question draws readers into the text

by prompting them for the answer”

“Have you ever thought about becoming a professional chef? The training is rigorous and the work can be difficult, but the rewards are worth it.”

State a Startling Statistic An interesting statistic can immediately

highlight the importance of the topic

“A recent survey conducted by ‘us news’ showed that nearly one in three graduating high school students are not prepared for introductory college courses.”

Make a Compelling Statement “Make a statement that challenges

readers at the beginning of the text.”

“ Unless we take action now on global warming, we are likely to see massive storms and rising ocean levels that will drown costal cities.”

Begin with a Quotation “A quote is a good way to pique your

readers' curiosity.”

“The great American, Ben Franklin, once said, ‘They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security deserve neither liberty nor security.’ Today, it seems like our fellow citizens are more willing than ever to make this trade.”

Using a Lead to Draw in Readers “A lead is the first one or two

paragraphs of a news story in a magazine, newspaper, or Web site. Like a grabber, the aim of a lead is to capture the readers’ attention while giving them good reasons to continue reading.”

Scene Setter “A scene setter describes the place in

which something important or interesting happened.”

Anecdote “An anecdote starts out with the

introduction with an interesting true story that happened to the author or someone else.”

Case Histories “A case history tells two to three very

short stories about different people who have had similar experiences or problems.”

“ The ‘lead’ comes before your main point (i.e. your thesis) in the introduction. Its job is to draw your readers into your paper and encourage them to keep reading.”

Thesis Statement tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of

the subject matter under discussion. is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the

reader what to expect from the rest of the paper directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an

interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself.

makes a claim that others might dispute. is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader.

The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation

Example 1 In early December 1971, the first Chicano Studies director Felipe Ortego walked into the administration building at University of Texas of El Paso in support of MEChA students overtaking the building and taking, then President Joe Smiley hostage. Ortego recalls, “Then silently, as the clock moved toward noon, the MEChA students ushered the secretaries out of the office and locked the doors. Phones were disabled. Joe Smiley grew nervous. The room crackled with the electricity of uncertainty” (Parnassus). Though Ortego did not help plan this “blow out,” he supported his students in this decision. Ortego, his fellow Chicano faculty, and MEChA students had grown frustrated with the lack of attention their request for higher cultural representation within the university received. They had come to the conclusion that the only way to be taken seriously was to take a radical stance, and force the administration to hear them.

 

This event represented the frustration of Mexican Americans from years of repeated attempts to have access to equal opportunities in education. These earlier attempts were not far reaching enough to bring about the demands they wanted. Thus, the “Chicano Movement” emerged with a new radical stance to force the decisions they wanted through militant action. Though much discussion has been given to the Chicano Movement’s K-12 involvement through high school “blow outs,” this paper seeks to investigate the Chicano Movement’s lasting impact in higher education. More than this, it seeks to investigate the more radical approaches taken by the Chicano Movement, and investigate the success of these methods in higher education (university level). To investigate this on a more localized, and thus more specific level, this paper will investigate the implications of the MECHA’s (the Chicano student organization) takeover of the University of Texas at El Paso’s administration building in December 1971 in an effort to have more cultural representation at the state level, as well as in their teachers. To create an in-depth analysis of this “blowout,” I will first investigate the development of radicalism as a tool for the Chicano Movement. This paper will then shift to investigate the goals of MECHA in the blow out and immediate effects it had on higher education for these students. Finally, the lasting implications of this blowout for students and educators at the University of Texas at El Paso will be discussed.

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it is clear that the text offers commentary on the state of education as being less than satisfactory, specifically through the character “Scout.” (1) In chapter four of the text, expounding on ideas articulated earlier in the novel, Scout clearly challenges the education that she receives in her day school. She specifically finds it unfathomable that the education system she is in represents the ideal of those who created it. (2) This is clearly seen when Scout says, “as I inched sluggishly along the treadmill of the Maycomb County school system, I could not help receiving the impression that I was being cheated out of something” (Lee, p.37). She elaborates on this idea by offering, “I did not believe that twelve years of unrelieved boredom was exactly what the state had in mind for me” (Lee, p.37).

(3) As a result, it seems clear that the school in the text is in fact providing very few educational opportunities for the students. Though this is Scout’s first year of formal education, she already feels “cheated,” and furthermore envisions nothing but “boredom” in her future. (4) Furthermore, this formal education is juxtaposed against the “real education” that her brother Jem performs on his own: “Jem was a poor example: no tutorial system devised by man could have stopped him from getting at books “ (Lee, p.36). (3) Jem’s own self directed education (going to books for answers of his own volition) is clearly shown to be the “real” education. (4) Thus, in chapter four of this text, Scout clearly shows the lack of education and learning that occurs at her school, and furthermore, shows the benefits of a self directed education. (5)

Example 2 The validity of a public education system, and moreover, the

benefits of a public education for students has been a hotly debated subject throughout American educational history. In addition, what a real education looks like is difficult to categorize (4). Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, offers an interesting perspective into what a real education is through multiple vantage points she offers throughout her novel. She demonstrates the consequences of a harsh, inflexible education through Boo Bradley, the public education system in Maycomb, as well as, the education the Finch’s receive at home (1). Moreover, the reader becomes subject to the dichotomy of a inferior, ignorant public school education versus a self directed, exploratory education that one is able to carry out on their own (2 & possibly 5). This paper asserts that Lee illustrates the self-directed education as being the “true education,” specifically through her use of satire in chapter four of the text; the reader is able to see Scout’s commentary reflects that Jem’s self directed education clearly trumps that of the Maycomb County school system (3).

Revised Homework Assignment The homework assignment for this week is

revised from the one that appears in your syllabus. You are to write 250 word literature reflection, as well as a 100-125 word minimum introduction for this reflection. You will be expected to use the tools from this power point, and demonstrate understanding of the concepts we have covered today. Thus, for next class you will be expected to complete at least 350-375 words.