Middle / High School Instructional Support Materials for Writing:

Introductions and Conclusions

Strategies for Introductions

A writer may begin with:

•an anecdote or scenario – a short description of a situation or story illustrating the point

•a quotation or dialogue – using exact words of a person or character relevant to the point

•a brief history/overview – giving the background information needed to understand a situation

•5 W’s of situation or issue – the who, what, where, when and why of a situation or issue

•an interesting fact – giving a piece of information to stimulate reader interest

•a description – giving specific details to help a reader visualize

•a question – asking the reader a question to engage interest and stimulate schema for your writing

•taking a stand – revealing the writer’s point of view or position

•a contrasting situation – presenting opposing sides or opinions of the situation

•a combination of the above list – Great writers frequently combine strategies to increase impact.