mini-lesson+opening+paragraph+hero+essay

MINI LESSON FOR OPENING PARAGRAPH FOR OPINION ESSAY ON HEROES BRING PENCIL AND NOTEBOOK TO FLOOR

Connection: Writers always think about how to get the reader’s attention. You know how you often pick up a book and it grabs you and you see if you like right after you read the first few sentences.

Teaching point: Today we are going to learn how to write a powerful first paragraph introduction to our hero essay on Greg Mortensen.

There are 3 parts to the introductions: The Lead, the important info and the thesis and topic sentence where you lay out the big idea.

Teach:

I. LEAD Many ways to try and grab the reader’s attention – we will look at a few strategies today

1. Begin with an ANECDOTE “Greg was drinking 3 cups of tea after he was invited to the home of a village. The villager told him that…..

Another example: Greg had many moments where many people would have given up. TELL ONE EXAMPLE

2. Begin with a QUESTION – ask a question that your essay is going to answer What makes a hero? Is it someone who survives against all odds or is it a or celebrity someone who makes a world record?? Other ideas?????

3. Create an IMAGE (begin with Imagine) Imagine a world where every child gets a good education.

4. I USE TO THINKG BUT NOW I HAVE LEARNED I use to think a hero was someone who hit the most homeruns, but now…

5. Talk DIRECTLY TO YOUR READER You might wonder how a male nurse from California who sleeps in his car and has no money became a hero. I will tell you.

II. Important information – might need to reference something or tell something important

III. Thesis and topic sentence – lay out big ideas (last sentence. He is a hero because…..

DO EXAMPLE AND WRITE OUT A FIRST PARAGRAPH –Create an image Imagine a world where every child gets an education. In this word, every child has a teacher who is educated and qualified to teach. Every child has books and materials to learn. Every child has a building to learn in. This is the type of world that Greg Mortensen is working to achieve. Greg Mortensen (give a little info here that is important about him.) Then conclude with Greg Mortensen is a true hero because he……

Talk and turn: Talk about 2 different leads you will try today.

LINK – restate – need great opening to catch reader’s attention