Week 6 Objectives - The Introduction

1. Read the introduction to the classical argument blog post.
2. Check out the new "Hidden text" thing I'm doing.
3. Read the following information about the introduction of your classical argument.
4. Write the introduction for your first draft with the label "first draft introduction" and explain the three parts.

The introduction in a classical argument is similar to the introduction in the 5 paragraph essays we practiced last semester. It has three  main objectives.

The introduction:

1. Attracts the audience. 
2. Explains the topic.
3. Declares the thesis of your argument.

1. Attract the audience.

How do you get people to listen to you? There are so many voices in the world. Some are very loud, some are quiet but important and some aren't worth paying much attention to. How do you convince your audience early in your essay that your voice and essay are worth listening to?

Brainstorm some ideas for what attracts you to people and comment on this blog post with your ideas. Is it a friendly personality? What about confidence? Humor? There are no right or wrong answers. Consider these two "attention grabbers". 

1. Everyone has a brain, and a lot of people have computers. Which one do you think is more powerful?
2. Everyday we perform complex calculations that we don't even recognize. You have inhaled enough oxygen to nourish your blood, but not so much that you feel sick and lightheaded because of over-oxygenization. Every time you take a step you perform a feat unique in the animal kingdom - balancing your whole body on one leg, then the other, to move forward. I won't even consider the higher function brain operations like social interaction or emotional problem solving. And then there are computers, routinely praised for their "incredible processing power." Amazing! A computer can anticipate weather patterns, beat humans in chess and play the stock market - but are these calculations really so amazing?

Which one is more compelling? (After thinking about your answer, highlight the following text to see my answer).

They both compare the human brain and the computer. One of them does it very simply and quickly, very directly and clearly. The other is a more complex and extended attention grabber. It might be more difficult to understand, but the reader is left with more questions and curiosity about the topic then the first one. The second attention grabber is more appealing and appropriate. 

*Did you notice?* In class I always said, "Don't use rhetorical questions!" but in both these attention grabbers I used rhetorical questions. I am lifting the ban on questions - You can use them (If you want to - You don't have to), but you must use them wisely. "Wisely" means don't ask easy or obvious questions, or questions that have answers that do not matter like, "What do you think about computers?"

You can tell funny stories to get your readers attention, you can startle them with a surprising fact or observation. There are as many ways to get the readers attention as there are students in our class, but make sure you spend the necessary time to make an effective attention grabber.

2. Explain the topic

Explaining the topic and attracting the audience will probably overlap. You want to tell the reader what your topic is BEFORE you present your argument. So, for example, if your argument is, "The human brain is more powerful than computers," you can't start your essay with a funny story about computers and then declare your argument. Consider this (poorly formed) introduction.

My grandma is really bad with computers. One time she was trying to check her email, but she got tricked by spam email and downloaded a bunch of malicious software. She broke the computer! Humans are smarter than computers. 

Why is this a bad introduction? (After thinking about your answer, highlight the following text to see my answer).

We need to see all elements of the topic before you introduce your argument. So here, we need to know that the topic is intelligence, and that we are comparing humans and computers. This would be an ineffective story or attention grabber for this topic, also, because it demonstrates human stupidity, and the argument will focus on human superiority. Let's modify it a little bit -  

Senior citizens are notoriously bad with computers. Many grandchildren are familiar with helping their elders check their email or navigate the world wide web. Even though technology might be difficult for the older generation, their brains are still infinitely more powerful than the most powerful computer. 

Why is this a good introduction? (After thinking about your answer, highlight the following text to see my answer).

Now we have a story that a lot of people can recognize and agree with - a good attention grabber because it makes the reader more willing to listen to the author - and a mention of all the important elements of this essay, human brains versus computer intelligence.  

Make sure your topic is clear BEFORE you introduce your argument on the topic.


3. Declare your thesis

The thesis would be part 16,
everything else is the rest of your essay

A thesis is an idea or argument that your entire essay is based on, and it is the single most important part of your essay. It is the central hub that all parts of the essay connect to, like the axle of a wheel.

It is very similar to the topic sentences we wrote last semester.

Your thesis sentence should be direct, clear and an argument that you can use for the rest of your essay. Consider these thesis statements. Which ones are good? Which are bad? Why? (After you think about your answers highlight them to see my thoughts.)

1. Human brains are smarter than computers. - This is a good thesis because it is direct, clear and a reasonable argument.

2. Human brains and computers share many similarities.  - This thesis is direct and clear, but it is not a very good argument. Nobody would disagree with it, so we can't really argue about it. It is true, computers and brains share similarities - where's the argument?

3. Human brains are the best. - Compared to what? This is ambiguous and not clear.

4. Computers can't do as much as the human brain. - This is too broad. Computers can do many things the human brain can't do. A good thesis will specify WHAT a computer cannot do. 

5. Human brains, our most powerful survival tool, evolved by out-thinking our competitors, and logically since computers are just one tool made by humans they are inferior in computational power. - This is not direct or clear. It sounds pretty, but there is too much information and it is too easy to misunderstand. Remember KISS (Keep It Simple, Sir!)