LEADS, INTRODUCTION, BODY
PARAGRAPHS, and CONCLUSION
The GLITZ
What is the point of The
Glitz?
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The Glitz, or Lead, should grab and attract your reader. This is your
“first impression.” Make it a good one. One to three sentences will do
the trick.
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Entice your reader with any of the following: Question, Quotation,
Statement, Announcement, Feelings, Experience, or Riddle
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(Q. Q. S. A. F. E. R.)
Example:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Only in the darkness can you see
the stars.” This is indeed true, as sometimes, a struggle is
necessary to see the value in one’s life.
The DANCE
What is the point of The
Dance?
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The Dance is the second part of the Introduction. In this section (2-3
sentences), you will introduce the preview points: the main ideas that
will be found in the 2 or 3 body paragraphs.
Example:
Sir Ernest Shackleton, for example, adventurer and Captain, lived his life
focused on achieving an Arctic goal, but his legacy is more about what he
did in the face of danger than what he accomplished. Similarly, Sailor
Gutzler pulled herself from the wreckage of a plane and fought the odds to
reach her destination safely. Finally, the narrator of Frost’s poem made a
life changing choice and found his way to his own purpose.
Tonight:
• Create a Lead and Dance for your Literary
Analysis essay.
• DO NOT write the Punch or Claim.
• You may write this in your Writer’s Notebook.
• Be NEAT!
The PUNCH or CLAIM
What is the point of The Punch or
Claim?
•
The final part of the Introduction is The Punch or Claim. The Punch or
Claim lays out the paper’s intentions with a big wallop!
•
Remember: The Punch or Claim is a well-developed, organized,
arguable statement. (You are Never stating the obvious.)
•
Your Punch or Claim should leave nothing to the imagination.
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The Punch or Claim is only one sentence long and is the last sentence
of the Introduction.
Punch or Claim
The BEST Example:
When people are presented with a challenge, the way
those individuals respond to that challenge illustrates
their true character.
Sample Introduction:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Only in the darkness can
you see the stars.” This is indeed true, as sometimes, a struggle
is necessary to see the value in one’s life. Sir Ernest
Shackleton, for example, adventurer and Captain, lived his life
focused on achieving an Arctic goal, but his legacy is more about
what he did in the face of danger than what he accomplished.
Similarly, Sailor Gutzler pulled herself from the wreckage of a
plane and fought the odds to reach her destination safely. When
people are presented with a challenge, the way those individuals
respond to that challenge illustrates their true character.
Body Paragraphs:
Follow the Organized, Well-Developed Analytical
Paragraph Structure (High 5!)
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First, begin each Body Paragraph with a focused topic sentence. (You must
use transitions to tie your paragraphs and ideas together. Review the
Transition handout.)
Second, discuss relevant background information that will help your reader
understand what’s going on.
Third, introduce an appropriate quotation. Under NO circumstances do you
write: The book says, Here is a good quotation, I know this because.
Fourth, write out the quotation as it appears in the text. Check and double
check you have it correct.
Fifth, cite the quotation as per MLA guidelines (Author page). (Bunting 9).
Sixth, analyze the quotation. DO NOT restate it. Explain what it means in
relationship to your argument. (You will be writing a few sentences.)
Seventh, end the paragraph with a concluding statement. This statement does
not introduce new ideas nor does it introduce the next paragraph. The
concluding statement wraps up your thoughts in a clever and interesting way.
End strong.
Conclusion
● Restate the punch, thesis, or claim. (DO NOT use the
same words. You must use different language.) This
is tricky business.
● Restate the preview points. Again, you are using new
words, not new, unaddressed ideas.
● End with a strong, clever, interesting, thoughtful
concluding statement. Leave your reader thinking.
(Not, “What the heck did that mean?” Rather, “Wow! I
never considered that idea.”)
Sample Conclusion
All in all, challenges can either break a person or make a
person. Sir Ernest Shackleton, for instance, could have easily
called it quits when his ship was grounded and then ultimately
destroyed, but he didn’t; he persevered against all odds. Likewise,
young Sailor Gutzler found herself in a situation beyond her wildest
dreams, yet she refused to give up. Clearly, life has a way of
putting people in situations that are both uncomfortable and cruel,
and the way they react to those situations can mean living or dying.