Transcript Introductions PowerPoint

WRITING
INTRODUCTIONS
Companion to the Prentice Hall Reference Guide
What is the goal of an introduction?
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Alert the reader to
the topic of the
paper
Grab the readers’
interest to make
them want to read
more
In a deductively
organized paper,
lead into the main
idea or thesis
How might your readers respond if you
fail to provide a strong introduction?


Your readers may
become confused
about your main
point.
Your readers may
decide not to read
the rest of your
article.
How might your readers respond if you
fail to provide a strong introduction?


Your readers may
conclude that you
are not a credible,
authoritative source
of information.
Your readers may
fail to be persuaded
by your argument.
Weak introductions

Avoid the following:
 Being
too direct about your
writing purpose
 “In
this paper, I will . . .”
 Being
 “In
vague or pompous
today’s society . . .”
 Being
obvious
 “Computers
are important in
modern society.”
 Being
 “As
pushy
any reader will agree…”
Introductory strategies
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Strong title
Vivid description
Surprising statistics
Personal narrative
(informal)
Someone else’s story
Future possibility
Relevant quotation
Thoughtful question
(often informal)
Strong title

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Greet your reader with
a thought-provoking
opening.
Make compelling,
interesting, and
informative word
choices.
When suitable, use a
title and subtitle.
Pick a title

What would be the
best title for a
paper on selecting
and using compact
fluorescent light
bulbs, which save
energy and help
curb the effects of
global warming?
“Global Warming”
 “Save Energy”
 “An Ounce of
Prevention Is
Worth a Pound of
Cure”
 “Bright Ideas:
Lighting a Home
with Less Energy”

Pick a title

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This title is too
general and doesn’t
grab the readers’
attention.
The paper is not
really about global
warming. It is about
one step that can be
taken to conserve
energy.
“Global Warming”
 “Save Energy”
 “An Ounce of
Prevention Is
Worth a Pound of
Cure”
 “Bright Ideas:
Lighting a Home
with Less Energy”

Strong title
“Global Warming”
 “Save Energy”
 “An Ounce of
Prevention Is
Worth a Pound of
Cure”
 “Bright Ideas:
Lighting a Home
with Less Energy”

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This title is too
direct in making a
command to the
reader.
It is also not very
exciting.
Pick a title
“Global Warming”
 “Save Energy”
 “An Ounce of
Prevention Is
Worth a Pound of
Cure”
 “Bright Ideas:
Lighting a Home
with Less Energy”
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This title is a
cliché—a common
phrase that is worn
out from years of
use.
Clichés do not make
effective titles.
Pick a title

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This is a good title
that grabs the
readers’ attention.
“Bright Ideas” makes
a clever reference to
light bulbs.
The information after
the colon is written as
a descriptive phrase
that explains the main
idea of the paper.
“Global Warming”
 “Save Energy”
 “An Ounce of
Prevention Is
Worth a Pound of
Cure”
 “Bright Ideas:
Lighting a Home
with Less Energy”

Vivid description
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Helps your readers to
visualize the problem
or issue raised in the
paper
Grabs your readers’
attention
Can help to build an
emotional appeal
early in the paper

Motivates your readers
from the beginning of
the paper to be
persuaded by your
argument
Vivid description
Teetering on a tiny block of ice, fatigued from its 60-mile
swim through frigid water, the tired polar bear again dives into
the endless ocean, desperately searching for the food needed to
maintain its life. After swimming for miles in rough ocean
currents, the exhausted polar bear still cannot find food, much
less an ice chunk large enough to climb upon and rest. Suffering
from hypothermia and unable to maintain the energy needed to
stay above water, the polar bear sinks beneath the ocean’s waves,
a victim of its changing habitat.
Sadly, scientists have discovered evidence of numerous polar
bear drownings in recent months. The size of the Arctic ice shelf,
where polar bears live and raise their young, has receded
dramatically within the last twenty years due to climate change,
forcing polar bears to make long-distance swims to find food
(Iredale). The decline in the polar bear population is just one of
the many adverse effects caused by global warming.
Surprising statistics
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Must be from credible,
documented sources
Can highlight the urgency
of the problem addressed
in the paper
Provide a factual basis for
your argument
Offer the reader a context
for understanding the
need for a solution
Surprising statistics
From 2006 to 2007, the size of the Arctic ice shelf decreased
386,000 square miles, reducing Arctic sea ice to its lowest levels since
satellite records have been tracking the region (Than). In 2007, NASA
scientists confirmed that the annual ice melt on Greenland occurred at
150% above the average rate of melt documented over the last twenty
years (“Parts”). Such reports are spurring concerns among climate
change experts, who are discovering that earlier predictions about the
rate of Arctic ice melt may have been too conservative (Than). Julianne
Stroeve, a scientist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the
University of Colorado at Boulder, reports that ice melt patterns are
“about 30 years ahead of where the climate models say we should be”
(qtd. in Thompson). Over time, the increased ocean levels caused by
the melting ice could affect or potentially displace the 673 million
people who live on the world’s coastlines (“Rising”). In response to such
data, national governments need to take immediate action to curb the
carbon emissions that contribute to global warming as well as prepare
coastal communities for rising ocean levels.
Personal narrative
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Start with a short
story about
something that has
happened to you.
This technique can
establish your
credibility and
your authoritative
knowledge about
the subject.
In formal papers,
get permission for
a first-person
introduction.
Personal narrative
Beautiful rolling hills, majestic forests, and stately rivers
adorn Germany’s landscape. On my recent trip through this
country, however, my eyes were drawn not to these famed
geographical features, but rather to the giant, stately wind
turbines that punctuate the German countryside. Along many
highways, wind farms stand on hillsides and tower above forests,
blades gently turning in unison to gather the wind’s natural energy
and convert it into the electricity needed to power the country.
As I traveled along the Autobahn, I found myself searching out
these wind turbines in the distance and appreciating a new kind of
beauty—the beauty in a unified national effort to reduce
dependence on fossil fuels and fight climate change. By 2020,
Germany expects 27% of its electricity to be powered by
alternative energy sources (“Germany”). The United States should
follow Germany’s example and invest more heavily in wind farms
to produce energy and reduce carbon emissions.
Someone else’s story
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A short narrative example
about a situation or event
that has actually happened.
This technique can help to
establish an emotional or
ethical appeal for your
audience—it puts a face on a
problem.
Real examples can be drawn
from interviews with people
you know or from researched
material.
Someone else’s story
The citizens of Tuvalu are losing their country. Some
scientists predict that Tuvalu, a narrow nine-island nation
located in the South Pacific, may completely submerge into
the ocean within 30 to 50 years. The accelerated melting of
polar icecaps, linked to the effects of global warming, are
predicted to cause ocean levels to rise over the country’s land
mass; Tuvalu’s highest point is only fifteen feet above sea
level (Berzon). About 2,000 of its citizens have already
migrated to New Zealand (“Pacific”), counted among the
world’s first refugees in the battle against global warming. To
prevent further catastrophic effects of global warming, the
United States government should join other nations in the
global community and pledge to reduce carbon emissions.
Future possibility
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Hypothetical examples
describe situations that
have not actually
happened but could
potentially occur.
Such examples highlight
the potential damage of
failing to resolve a
problem by following your
solution.
Future possibility
The year is 2060, and a schoolchild is studying a map of the
United States. For some reason, the U.S. looks smaller on this
map than it did in 2010. In fact, due to climate change and the
melting of glaciers, the ocean has risen one meter (39 inches)
over the last fifty years. Places school groups used to visit, like
Miami’s South Beach, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, historic
Virginia landmarks, and parts of lower Manhattan, are now under
water.
Unfortunately, this scenario is likely to become a reality.
According to scientists at the University of Arizona, within the
next fifty to one-hundred years, 25,000 square miles of American
soil will be lost to the expanding ocean, flooding many heavily
populated areas along America’s shores (Borenstein). Given these
dire predictions, Americans should take immediate steps to
prepare coastal communities and reduce carbon emissions to
prevent an even more severe loss of land and life.
Relevant quotation
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A verbatim (word for
word) statement by a
figure of authority related
to the problem at hand
DO NOT
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Select a quote from a
non-authoritative source
Select a cliché
Select a quote unrelated
to the issue
Relevant quotation
“We’re going to get a meter and there is nothing we can do
about it,” states climatologist Andrew Weaver, a researcher with
the Nobel prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, regarding the predicted one-meter increase in the
world’s ocean levels over the next 50 to 100 years (qtd. in
Borenstein). S. Jeffress Williams, a coastal geologist with the
United States Geological Survey, warns, "Sea level rise is going to
have more general impact to the population and the
infrastructure than almost anything else that I can think of" (qtd.
in Borenstein). Americans need to make long-term plans to
address the effects of increased ocean levels, and the United
States government needs to take the lead in helping coastal
communities plan for this geographical change.
Thoughtful question
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A good question may force
your readers to think seriously
about your topic and invest
themselves into the paper.
Do not ask a simple “yes” or
“no” question—address the
complexity of your issue.
Try to answer the question
posed somewhere in the paper.
Do not use questions in the
BODY of your essay—only in
the introduction.
Thoughtful question: Informal
How much carbon are you responsible for releasing into
the atmosphere every time you drive to work or school?
How about when you take an airline flight, run your air
conditioner, or plug in your toaster? How many metric tons
of carbon are you responsible for releasing into the Earth’s
atmosphere this year? If you have not thought much about
your role in releasing carbon emissions into the
atmosphere, you should. Just as each person inevitably
leaves a carbon footprint on this planet, each of us has a
responsibility for clearing our tracks and contributing to a
healthy atmosphere. By taking simple steps to conserve
energy in the places you live, work, and travel, you can
significantly reduce your carbon emissions.
How do you decide which type of
strategy to use for your paper?
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Think about which one would best fit the
purpose of your paper—to inform, to persuade,
to educate, etc.
Consider the strengths, weaknesses, and overall
content of your research material
Contemplate the concerns of your audience
Consider the level of formality: personal stories
and direct second-person questions are not
appropriate in formal essays.
How do you decide which type of
strategy to use for your paper?
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Judge the seriousness of your topic and the way
your audience might respond to your thesis
statement.
At times, using a combination of introductory
approaches can be effective.
Types of introductory strategies
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Strong title
Vivid description
Surprising statistics
Personal narrative
Actual example
Future possibility
Relevant quotation
Thoughtful question
Works Cited
Berzon, Alexandra. “Global Warning: Tuvalu.” California Magazine Sept.-Oct. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007
<http://alumni.berkeley.edu/calmag/200609/tuvalu.asp>.
Borenstein, Seth. “Rising Seas Likely to Flood U.S. History.” ABC News. 23 Sept. 2007. 9 Oct. 2007
<http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/WireStory?id=3638418&page=1>.
“Germany to Add 9,000 MW Wind Power by 2020.” Reuters UK. 8 May 2007. 12 Oct. 2007
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL0831473820070508>.
Iredale, Will. “Polar Bears Drown as Ice Shelf Melts.” Times Online. 18 Dec. 2005. 12 Oct. 2007
<http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article767459.ece>.
“Pacific Islanders on the Move.” New York Times 19 Feb. 2003. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://query.nytimes.com>.
Path: “Oceania: Pacific Islanders on the Move.”
“Parts of Greenland Ice Melting at a Faster Rate.” MSNBC. 25 Sept. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20976034>.
“Rising Seas Threaten 21 Mega-Cities.” Guardian Unlimited. 20 Oct. 2007. 20 Oct. 2007
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7011686,00.html>.
Than, Ker. “Arctic Meltdown Opens Fabled Northwest Passage.” LiveScience. 14 Sept. 2007. 11 Oct. 2007
<http://www.livescience.com/environment/070914_northwest_passage.html>.
Thompson, Andrea. “Two More Signals from Arctic Sea Ice.” MSNBC. 24 Sept. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20959884>.