Introductory Paragraph
 The beginning of your essay should
capture the reader’s interest, introduce
your two subjects, and state your thesis
 Ask a question
 Who is the greatest American athlete of all time?
 Start with a quotation
 “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
 Use a surprising statistic
 During one Big Ten meet, Jesse Owens tied one world
record and set three more- all with an injured back!
 Connect with the reader
 Imagine being a high school athlete who could beat
world records
 Think of an interesting introductory sentence for your
essay
 How can you introduce your theme in an interesting
way?
 How can you introduce Othello and Huck Finn in an
interesting way?
 Can you grab your reader with historical information?
 Read your attention-getter to your elbow partner
 Did it grab their attention? Why or why not?
 What revisions should you make?
 Pretend your audience has not read Othello or Huck
Finn
 Provide background information about each
text/author- make sure the information connects to
your thesis statement
 One approach might be to introduce your entire essay
by focusing on points about racism
 Write 5-6 sentences introducing your two subjects
 Remember your essay needs to be focused on race in
Othello and Huck Finn
 Read your attention-getter and your first 5-6 sentences
to your elbow partner
 Is it interesting?
 Does it provide enough background information about
the two subjects?
 What would you add and/or take away?
 Your thesis statement should be towards the end of
your introductory paragraph
 It will provide the focus points of your paper
 When you write your introductory paragraph,
underline your thesis statement
 Remember the rules!
 Now your thesis statement is in place, read your
introductory paragraph aloud to your elbow partner
 Does it flow well?
 Does the thesis statement have at least three main
points?
 Does the background information about the two
subjects lead you to the thesis?