and fails to connect to the thesis. You may write this kind of introduction when you don't have much to say—which is precisely why it is ineffective. Example: Since the dawn of man, slavery has been a ...

For example, a paper that discusses why standardized ... so defining it relative to your thesis/research question can strengthen your introduction. Since many readers will not know every detail of the ...

The thesis statement (which may be more than one sentence) usually appears at the end of your introduction and presents your specific ... especially the ones you are trying to convince. Example: With ...

To give students the grading rubric and help them understand our criteria for evaluating their work; to have students revise their thesis/introduction with our grading ... (10 minutes) Give students a ...