Colin Ward
As I write the introduction to this article, I think of my students, who so often struggle with that beginning paragraph of the essay – that mysterious chunk of ideas that is supposed to accomplish so many important tasks at the same time, from getting the reader interested, to providing essential background information, to stating the main idea in the thesis statement.
The struggle many of us writing teachers have is being able to give enough attention to the introduction. As we introduce new rhetorical modes — narrative, persuasive, compare-contrast, and the like — we have to spend so much time focusing on the “meat” of the essay — the body paragraphs — that the introduction can often get the short end of the stick. (And don’t even get me started on the conclusion!)
The reality is that an introduction can make or break an essay. If our students don’t lead their audience in the right direction, readers can be confused from the very beginning. If they’re introductions don’t feel meaningful, the essay can lose credibility.
Most of my students know how to write a hook (even if it is the proverbial question hook). The trouble is that many of them don’t understand what we mean by background information. We tell them it is the essential information readers must know right away to understand the topic, but the term background information is so vague and in reality can come in so many different forms.
To tackle this, I have been spending a lot more time on introductions in class, showing my students that they aren’t just “fluff” attached to a thesis statement, but instead, play a key role in the essay as a whole. Devoting more time to useful and relevant background information has resulted in some the best introductions I’ve read since I started teaching ten years ago, and is a key element in Focus on Writing.
Before students even begin the essay in Focus on Writing 3, they are introduced to background information within the context of a single, descriptive paragraph. In a unit on branding, students write about a favorite company logo or business. Instead of telling students they need to include “background information about the topic,” they are given specific points to consider, including what the company does, where the business is located, when the business started. This takes the mystery out of what background information can mean.
As a follow up to the instruction, students then label sentences to determine whether they are giving background information or descriptive details. Making these decisions helps students make comparisons about the different kinds of functions information can perform and helps them to begin to develop an understanding of the concept of “background information.”
Targeted practice and scaffolding are key elements in the units in Focus on Writing. When students are first introduced to the persuasive essay in Level 3, they are told that background information often presents opposing views about the topic, which sets the stage for their thesis statement giving their own opinion on the topic. In a unit on the problem-solution essay, they learn that the introduction “usually gives background information about the problem, for example, why it happens, who it affects, and when or where it occurs.” Students thus begin to see that background information is not in fact “fluff” attached to a thesis statement, but instead a very relevant and essential part of the introduction.
In addition to these specific strategies, students also see examples of introductions where the background information is highlighted, which serve as reference tools for their own writing. A follow-up practice activity then has students choose the sentences that give appropriate background information for a model thesis statement. Students later read a full introductory paragraph with some of these sentences and must discuss why the author decided to include some background points and not others. In doing so, they see that writing is a process of decision-making. Finally, students begin to draft introductions for their own essays. Consequently, students can begin to see the connection between model writing and their own writing. It is introduced just when they need it as they draft their own introductions.
All the units in Focus on Writing build on the elements of paragraphs and essays in this way. Rather than asking students to remember all they have learned throughout the unit and apply it all at the end when they write their papers, each major element is handled separately. Taking this step-by-step approach allows for a more comprehensive and targeted treatment of each element and is less taxing on students. As a result, elements like background information can be transformed from a mystery to an actual writing strategy.
Colin Ward is Professor of ESOL, Lone Star College – North Harris. He is author of Focus on Writing 3 and From Reading to Writing 4.
