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Think of and record 6 impossible ideas before lunch 

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Think of and record 6 impossible ideas before lunch 

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With a partner, try to answer the Ws & an H questions (who, what where, when, how) about a character from Alice in Wonderland. Include the name of the character in your post.

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With a partner, try to answer the Ws & an H questions (who, what where, when, how) about a character from Alice in Wonderland. Include the name of the character in your post.

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Access the slides above and complete the graphic organizer with your group.

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Presentation with ideas to support writing instruction: anchor charts, editing, revising, publishing, grammar immersion

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Exciting hooks to grab the readers' attention

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Academic Writing Success - Master the academic writing skills you need to succeed in school

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The secret is to get them interested in reading your essay by making the first part of your introduction intriguing. The best way to do that is by using attention-grabbing essay hooks.

So, what is a hook? It's a piece of writing at the beginning of your essay that engages your reading audience. Usually, a hook is a sentence or group of sentences that draw people into reading your essay or research paper. A hook sparks a person's curiosity. You want whoever reads your essay to wonder what happens next. Hooks also make an introduction stand out (which raises your chance of getting a high grade on your essay).

If you want to see all the elements of great introductions for research papers check my post, How to Write a Strong Introduction to a Research Paper at https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/how-to-write-a-strong-introduction-to-a-research-paper/.

When you write essay hooks that make your rea ders curious, you've taken the first step toward making them fall in love with your writing. Let's dive in and look at essay hooks that will elevate your writing style!

7 Types of Essay Hooks

Here are 7 writing hooks that make readers want to find out what you will say in the rest of your essay.

1. The Interesting Question Hook

An interesting question hook is when you ask a question that relates to your essay or paper. And the only way a person can know the answer to that question is by reading your writing.

People are inquisitive. When we hear or read a question we want to know the answer. If we don't have an answer then we need to find out.

So, when you start your essay with a question hook, this signals to your readers that if they keep reading you'll give them the answer.

Here's an example of an interesting question hook on the topic of succeeding in college:

The goal of this essay hook is to make you want to learn what students who succeed in college do, and what college students who don't succeed in college do wrong.

2. The Strong Statement/Declaration Hook

A strong statement hook is a sentence that makes an assertive claim about your topic. It connects to the thesis statement and shows the importance of your essay or paper.

A strong statement is a great technique because it doesn't matter if your reader agrees or disagrees with your statement. They will want to see how you support your statement.

This is an example of a strong statement on the topic of the vegan diet.

This statement either supports your point of view about the vegan diet, or it makes you want to argue against it (especially if you love meat). Either way, you are curious about what the writer says.

3. The Fact/ Statistic Hook

Facts and statistics hook your reader because they give real information about a topic. You can impress your reader with your knowledge and evidence from the very beginning of your essay. But, you need to include facts that are accurate, interesting, and reliable. Evaluate your information and make sure it comes from a credible source. Some places to visit for statistics are The Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/, and The CIA World Fact Book, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/.

Here's an example of a factual hook about an essay on gun ownership in the United States.

The Pew Research Center, "America's Relationship With Guns: An In-Depth Look at the Attitudes and Experiences of US Adults" http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/06/22/americas-complex-relationship-with-guns/

4. The Metaphor / Simile Hook

The metaphor/simile hook engages your readers because it makes them think about a topic in a different way. Your audience wonders what you mean and how you compare a topic to something that seems unconnected.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares one thing to another, but these two things seem unrelated. An example of a metaphor is: Her boyfriend is a rat. The boyfriend is not really a rat, but he behaves like one.

If your essay topic is on business blogging you could write the metaphor hook:

A simile is like a metaphor. Both compare two unrelated things to each other, but a simile uses the words: like or Writing a research paper is like running a marathon when it's 95 degrees Fahrenheit. as to connect them. A simile is less strong than a comparison in a metaphor. An example of a simile is

A simile hook for the essay about business blogging could be:

5. The Story Hook

This is a hook where you begin with a short story or episode that relates to your topic. Readers love stories, especially a well-written story that is memorable. The key to a great story hook is making sure the story directly connects to your essay or paper topic. Your story can be personal or someone else's story.

Here's an example of a story hook for an essay about the differences between British and American English. I used my own story about a trip to England.

I got off the train and pulled my luggage behind me. A cab pulled up to the curb, and the driver got out. He lifted my luggage and said, "Miss, I'm just going to put your stuff in the boot." I didn't know what he meant until I saw him open the car's trunk. Then I realized the boot means car trunk. I got in the cab, wondering how many other words would be different in England.

You'll see this sto ry hook is longer than other types of essay hooks. That's okay. Your hook can be longer, but it shouldn't be a large part of your essay or paper. Compare the length of your hook to the length of the essay.

Also, consider your audience (especially an academic audience). Ask yourself, "Will a story hook be acceptable in this course?" If you're unsure you can ask your teacher or professor or you could select a different type of hook.

6. The Description Hook

This is a hook where a vivid description of a scene draws your readers into your writing. A good description hook will make your reader want to know what comes next in your writing. It's most popular in narrative essays, but you can use a description hook with any type of writing (yes even academic papers). But, like the story hook ask yourself, "Will this description hook be acceptable in this course?"

Here's an example of a description hook for a personal narrative essay about saving a dog:

Doesn't this scene make you curious about what will happen to the dog?

7. The Quotation Hook

This is a hook where you begin your essay with a quotation. The quotation could be from a famous person, but it doesn't have to be. You can quote anyone if it connects to what you're writing about.

If you write an essay on the topic of education you could start

If you want to use a quotation for a hook, make sure you quote the words exactly. Choose quotations where the words are striking, powerful, and/ or memorable.

Writing Challenge: Write 2 Essay Hooks

Essay hooks are a great way to intrigue all your readers. Select your favorite 2 types of essay hooks. Then write a hook for each kind you choose. Comment below and share your favorite one!

Have fun and be creative.

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7 Sensational Essay Hooks That Grab Readers' Attention - Academic Writing Success

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Do you want people to feel excited when they read your essay? The secret is to get them interested in reading your essay by making the first part of your introduction intriguing. The best way to do that is by using attention-grabbing essay hooks. So, what is a hook?

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Assessing Writing with Rubrics

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It will rain cheeseburgers from the sky with a chocolate milkshake.

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It will rain cheeseburgers from the sky with a chocolate milkshake.

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A blizzard will form over the water and all of Mobile will be the town from the movie Frozen.

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I will be able to transport myself to the islands

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I will be able to transport myself to the islands

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Someone pays my car off while I’m here today 

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Someone pays my car off while I’m here today 

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I will be on an Island tomorrow!

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How would the world be different today if we had never begun mass producing genetically modified foods?

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What if mosquitoes didn’t exist?

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We will see talking animals

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Flying cars

Butterflies walking

Trains on roads

Food walking to me

Dogs driving

Animals on vacation

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Getting my car fixed

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Stop my students from wearing hoodies in 100 degree weather

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1. I gain 5 inches in height!

2. I lose 50 pounds tomorrow!

3. Perfect weather forever!

4. Every experience is free!

5. Instant travel (in a flash)

6. Knowledge of all the secrets of the universe.

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1. Fly around the moon without a helmet

2. Understand what dolphins are thinking

3. Swim to the deepest part of the ocean

4. Fight a bear

5. Give a Ted Talk

6. Fly a plane

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Being a mind reader

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Who? The Queen of hearts

What? Very mean and unhappy

Where? A tea party In the garden

When? 1800s

How?

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what- she was a distraction along the way

Who- Queen of hearts

Where- she was in the forest

When- she was mentioned in the middle of the story

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Cheshire Cat, his entrances and exits, throughout the tale, especially when he initially met Alice, He was the most vibrant character to me because he was so flamboyant.

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The Red Queen

@the castle

Why….she petty

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What - main antagonist, bad-tempered

When-

Where - Wonderland

How-