week 3 discussion

Read Norton Field Guide Chapter 35
Due Date: You are encouraged to post by Thursday of Week 3 for full credit.
All good writing begins with a strong introduction. In fact, most of decide within the first couple sentences whether we will continue reading a passage. In this week’s discussion, you will draft your introduction.
There are many ways to begin an essay:

Define a key term
Start with an anecdote
Use a shocking statistic

Perhaps the easiest way, however, is to summarize the rhetorical situation. Using a brief summary allows you to provide the details your reader will need to understand what you say after.
Example :
In his essay entitled “The Reason College Costs More Than You Think,” Jon Marcus (2014) explores some of the reasons why college is more expensive than many people first anticipate. Some of the reasons Marcus identifies including students having to take more credits than expected, higher room and board costs due to longer stays at college, and continued cuts in assistance to students. However, Marcus does more than just explain reasons why college is more expensive than people think. He seeks to convince those considering college degrees to demand more transparency in the progress for attaining degrees. In making this argument, Marcus (2014) is effective in convincing readers because he writes in a reader-friendly style, uses evidence from a variety of sources, and uses one students example as a continuing thread throughout his piece.
Let’s break this down for a moment. Good introductions follow this basic format:

Hook: A hook ‘catches’ the readers’ interest. The hook in this example introduces the reading and topic. Could it be stronger? Sure! Perhaps a statistic or powerful anecdote could strengthen the first few sentences.
Bridge: The bridge has a basic function: Get the introduction to the point. It connects the opening lines to the thesis.
Thesis: What are you saying about the topic? What assertion are you making? This should be revised from Week 2.

Look at our introduction broken into these three parts.
In his essay entitled “The Reason College Costs More Than You Think,” Jon Marcus (2014) explores some of the reasons why college is more expensive than many people first anticipate. Some of the reasons Marcus identifies including students having to take more credits than expected, higher room and board costs due to longer stays at college, and continued cuts in assistance to students. However, Marcus does more than just explain reasons why college is more expensive than people think. He seeks to convince those considering college degrees to demand more transparency in the progress for attaining degrees. In making this argument, Marcus (2014) is effective in convincing readers because he writes in a reader-friendly style, uses evidence from a variety of sources, and uses one students example as a continuing thread throughout his piece. 

This week, you are tasked with providing an introduction to your paper. This will be the first paragraph of your work this week. This introduction should contain

A clear identification of the author and text under evaluation
3-5 sentences of summary
A revised thesis from the Week 2 Milestone
Your introduction should be 100-150 words

You should write a second paragraph where you evaluate the introduction you wrote. What are its strenghs and weaknesses. How can you revise it for the draft due this week? (100-150 words)