essay introductions

Not because it’s long or complicated, but because it feels like the moment where they’re supposed to magically “get started.”

And when they don’t know how to begin, the predictable patterns appear:

The introduction is definitely the paragraph students dread writing the most...

Background information with no relevance or urgency.

Well there's a trick behind the essay 'hook'...
And it's *exactly* what our 'Start Smart' Intro Strategy targets...

But here's where the writing *really* breaks down...

A strong introduction has a number of key elements, but the 'hook' is the one that makes everything else fall into place.

Real talk, though?
The strategies students are taught as 'best practice'— start with a quote, a question, a shocking stat, a dictionary definition — rarely create real engagement.

Students think their job is to start the essay. But what they really need to do is situate the essay.

Hooks that feel like gimmicks: random quotes, dictionary definitions, surprise statistics — disconnected from the argument entirely.

Statements so broad they say nothing at all.

By the end of this lesson...

Understand that effective introductions establish why an issue matters before presenting a claim

Identify the circumstances surrounding the issue which are most relevant to their specific argument

Create a visual representation of their 'hook'

Translate their visual 'hook' into written introduction paragraphs

Your students will: