2. Hook
Map
Thesis

3. Hook:
Purpose is to grab the
reader’s attention.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Facts
Scene
Description
Problem
Contrast
Background
Dramatic Event

4. MAP:
Purpose is to lead
the reader to your point by
giving the background to the
issue or back conversation that
compels the topic to be
discussed.

5. THESIS:
Purpose is to state
your claim or point to be proven.
What’s your point?

6. Introduction
The United States should
remain an island of plenty in a sea of
hunger. The future of mankind is at stake.
We are not responsible for the rest of
humanity. We should not accept
responsibility for all humanity. We owe
more to the hundreds of billions of homo
futurans than we do to the hungry millions
—soon to be billions—of our own
generations.

7. Considered Mark Twain’s masterpiece and also
one of the foremost pieces in American Literature,
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is narrated by
Huck Finn who fakes his own demise to get away
from his appalling drunken father. Together with a
runaway slave called Jim, Huck makes his way down
the Mississippi on a raft. On the aimless journey,
Huck and Jim become involved with a series of
contrasting characters such as the fraudulent “Duke”
and “Dauphin.” Like Tom Sawyer, it is an adventure
novel, but together its disparate elements become a
complex moral commentary on the “American
Experience” as seen through the eyes of an innocent
boy. In Huckleberry Finn, Twain uses dialect and
symbolism as he leads his readers to see the need for
a more human society and for better understanding
of human relationships.

8. Facts and plot
scene to hook
readers’
interest in the
story
Tells the reader
why it is a worthy
discussion and
literary techniques
and patterns of
writing.
Main claim you
are going to
prove.
Considered Mark Twain’s masterpiece and
also one of the foremost pieces in American
Literature, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
is narrated by Huck Finn who fakes his own
demise to get away from his appalling drunken
father. Together with a runaway slave called
Jim, Huck makes his way down the Mississippi
on a raft. On the aimless journey, Huck and Jim
become involved with a series of contrasting
characters such as the fraudulent “Duke” and
“Dauphin.” Like Tom Sawyer, it is an adventure
novel, but together its disparate elements
become a complex moral commentary on the
“American Experience” as seen through the
eyes of an innocent boy. In Huckleberry Finn,
Twain uses dialect and symbolism as he leads
his readers to see the need for a more human
society and for better understanding of human
relationships.

9. You can engage your readers’ interest with
some background information. This
approach works well when you know the
audience is already interested in your
topic and there is no reason not to come
directly to the point. It is especially useful
on exams where there is no need or time
for subtlety.

10. With infla tio n ta king its to ll, m a ny
c o m p a nie s ha ve und e rs ta nd a bly be e n
fo rc e d to ra is e p ric e s , a nd the o il ind us try
s ho uld be no e x c e p tio n. But we llinte ntio ne d ind ivid ua ls be g in wo nd e ring
whe the r hig h p ric e s a re jus tifie d whe n
inc re a s e s o c c ur a s fre q ue ntly a s the y d o .
I is a t this p o int tha t we s ho uld s ta rt
t
e x a m ining the p ric ing p o lic ie s o f the m a jo r
A e ric a n o il c o m p a nie s .
m

11. You can introduce using a definition
(Keep in mind the lead “According to
the dictionary…” is OVERUSED).
This technique is useful for research
papers or examinations where the
meaning of a specific term is crucial.

12. De m o c ra c y is a fo rm o f g o ve rnm e nt in
whic h the ultim a te a utho rity is ve s te d in a n
e x e rc is e d by the p e o p le . This m a y be s o
in the o ry , but re c e nt e le c tio ns in o ur c ity
ha ve c a us e d m uc h c o nc e rn fo r the future
o f d e m o c ra c y he re . Ex te ns ive vo ting m a c hine irre g ula ritie s a nd g ho s t vo ting
ha ve s e rio us ly je o p a rd iz e d the p e o p le ’s
fa ith in the d e m o c ra tic p ro c e s s .

13. Begin with a story or
anecdote that leads into
or prepares for your
claim.

14. Up o n m e e ting the fa m o us a utho r
Ja m e s Jo y c e , a y o ung s tud e nt
s ta m m e re d , “M y Ikis s the ha nd tha t
a
wro te Uly s s e s ? ” “N !” s a id Jo y c e . “I d id
o
t
a lo t o f o the r thing s , to o . ” A this
s
e x c ha ng e s ho ws , Jo y c e wa s a n
ind ivid ua l who va lue d hum o r. This
te nd e nc y is a ls o p re s e nt in his fina l wo rk,
Finne g a ns Wa ke , whe re c o m e d y is us e d
to c o m m e nt o n the hum a n c o nd itio n.

15. Wha t wa s it like to live thro ug h
the ho lo c a us t? Elie Wie s e l, in O ne
G e ne ra tio n A r, a ns we rs this
fte
q ue s tio n by p re s e nting a s e rie s o f
a c c o unts a bo ut ind ivid ua ls who
fo und the m s e lve s thrus t into N z i
a
d e a th c a m p s . A he d o e s s o , he
s
c ha lle ng e s s o m e o f the a s s um p tio ns
we ho ld in o ur s o m e wha t s m ug a nd

16. I is thre e tim e s the num be r o f p e o p le
t
who be lo ng to the So uthe rn Ba p tis t
Co nve ntio n, nine tim e s the num be r who
s e rve in the U. S. a rm e d fo rc e s , a nd m o re
tha n twic e the num be r who vo te d fo r
Ba rry G o ld wa te r fo r Pre s id e nt in 1 9 6 4.
Wha t is it? I the num be r o f p e o p le in
t’s
the U. S. who a d m it to ha ving s m o ke d
m a rijua na : a m a s s ive 6 2 m illio n.

17. If it is well chosen, it
can interest your
audience in reading
further.

18. “The ric h a re d iffe re nt, ” s a id F.
Sc o tt Fitz g e ra ld m o re tha n fifty y e a rs
a g o . A p a re ntly , the y re m a in s o
p
to d a y . A a ny e x a m ina tio n o f the
s
ta x la ws s ho ws , the we a lthy re c e ive
m o re be ne fits tha n d o the m id d le
c la s s o r the p o o r.

19. “The ric h a re d iffe re nt, ” s a id F.
Sc o tt Fitz g e ra ld m o re tha n fifty y e a rs
a g o . A p a re ntly , the y re m a in s o
p
to d a y . A a ny e x a m ina tio n o f the
s
ta x la ws s ho ws , the we a lthy re c e ive
m o re be ne fits tha n d o the m id d le
c la s s o r the p o o r.

20. “Ea t two c ho c o la te ba rs a nd c a ll
m e in the m o rning , ” s a y s the
p s y c hia tris t to his p a tie nt. Suc h
a d vic e s o und s like a s ug a r fa na tic ’ s
d re a m , but re c e nt s tud ie s ha ve
ind e e d c o nfirm e d tha t c ho c o la te
p o s itive ly a ffe c ts d e p re s s io n a nd
a nx ie ty .

21. O ne o f e ve ry s e ve n wo m e n living
in Sm ith Co unty will be ra p e d this
y e a r, a c c o rd ing to a re c e nt re p o rt
p re p a re d by the Co untry Ra p e
I rm a tio n a nd Co uns e ling
nfo
Se rvic e s .

22. “Ithink o ns ta g e nud ity is
d is g us ting , s ha m e ful, a nd d a m a g ing
to a ll thing s A e ric a n, ” s a y s a c tre s s
m
She lle y Winte rs . “But if Iwe re
twe nty -two with a g re a t bo d y , it
wo uld be a rtis tic , ta s te ful, p a trio tic ,
a nd p ro g re s s ive re lig io us
e x p e rie nc e . ”

23. Ag ro up o f y o ung wo m e n we re
q ue s tio ning Sa turd a y a fte rno o n s ho p p e rs
a bo ut the ir vie ws o n the 1 9 8 2 d e fe a t o f
the e q ua l Rig hts A e nd m e nt. O ne o ld
m
m a n in o ve ra lls a ns we re d , “ERA We ll, I
?
like it jus t fine . But y o u kno w, Ic a n’t p ic k
it up o n m y d a rne d o ld ra d io a fte r d a rk. ”
Tha t wa s the p ro ble m — to o fe w p e o p le
kne w wha t the ERAre a lly s to o d fo r.

24. With o ne e y e bla c ke ne d , o ne a rm in a c a s t,
a nd third -d e g re e burns o n bo th he r le g s , the
p re tty , blo nd two -y e a r-o ld s e e ks c o rne rs o f
ro o m s , re fus e s to s p e a k, a nd s ha ke s vio le ntly a t
the s o und o f lo ud no is e s . Ta m m y is no t the
vic tim o f a wa r o r a na tura l d is a s te r; ra the r, s he
is the he lp le s s vic tim o f he r p a re nt, o ne o f the
tho us a nd s o f c hild re n who s uffe r d a ily fro m
A e ric a ’s hid d e n c rim e , c hild a bus e .
m

25. Te x a s ’s firs t e x e c utio n o f a wo m a n
in 2 2 y e a rs is s c he d ule d fo r
Se p te m be r 1 7 a t Hunts ville Unit o f the
Sta te ’s De p a rtm e nt o f Co rre c tio n,
d e s p ite the p ro te s ts o f va rio us hum a n
rig hts g ro up s a ro und the c o untry .

26. The Ro m a ns ke p t g e e s e o n the ir
Ca p ito l Hill to c a c kle a la rm in the
e ve nt o f a tta c k by nig ht. M d e rn
o
A e ric a ns , d e s p ite the ir te c hno lo g y ,
m
ha s ha rd ly im p ro ve d o n tha t o ld
s y s te m o f p ro te c tio n. A c o rd ing to
c
the Sa fe ty Co unc il re p o rt, a lm o s t a ny
d o o r with s ta nd a rd lo c ks c a n be
o p e ne d e a s ily with a c re d it c a rd .

27. Atwo -hund re d p o und te e na g e r q uit
s c ho o l be c a us e no d e s k wo uld ho ld he r.
Athre e -hund re d p o und c he f who c o uld no
lo ng e r s ta nd o n his fe e t wa s fire d . A
thre e -hund re d p o und truc k d rive r bro ke
furniture in his frie nd s ’ ho us e s . A the s e
ll
p e o p le a re no w living be tte r, ha p p ie r,
thinne r live s , tha nks to the re m a rka ble
inte s tina l by p a s s s urg e ry firs t d e ve lo p e d in
1 967.

28. Ire a liz e d tim e s we re c ha ng ing fo r
wo m e n whe n Io ve rhe a rd m y s ix y e a r-o ld ne p he w s p e a king to m y
s is te r, a p ro m ine nt N w Yo rk la wy e r.
e
A we le ft he r e la bo ra te , lux urio us
s
o ffic e o ne e ve ning , To m m y lo o ke d up
a t his m o the r a nd q ue rie d , “M m m y ,
o
c a n little bo y s g ro w up to be la wy e rs ,
to o ? ”

29. So m e p e o p le be lie ve tha t p o e try is
writte n o nly by a g ing be a tniks o r
s o le m n, m o urnful m e n a nd wo m e n
with s uic id a l te nd e nc ie s . The Po e try
in the Sc ho o ls Pro g ra m is wo rking
ha rd to c o rre c t tha t e rro ne o us p o int o f
vie w.