Hooks/Opening Lines/Attention-Getters, Introductions Writing Lesson

Writing a catchy hook or crafting an appropriate attention-getter for any mode of writing can be tricky for students. It's, after all, the first piece of the essay that everybody reads, so it's certainly one of the most crucial tools in an author’s toolbox. In this no-prep lesson plan for teaching students to write a successful opening line, students will see examples of some of the best opening lines from the "real world" and how those can be translated into their own writing.

Student Experience: First, students will take notes about the top ten techniques for writing a hook for an essay. Fill-in-the-blank sketch notes are provided. There are examples of each technique included in the lecture.

Next, students will participate in an activity that includes 10 opening lines from popular novels. In a game-like fashion, students will attempt to match the opening lines with the novels from which they have been taken. To follow up and apply the material from the activity, students will unpack those opening lines to examine style, content, and format. Last, students will show their understanding by rewriting the opening lines from a writing sample provided. By the end, your writers will have a concrete list of methods and approaches for crafting their attention-getters with any mode of writing. In no time, you'll see your students writing opening lines that catch their audience - hook, line, and sinker!

Included:

• Teacher's Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
• Editable Lecture PPT
• Opening Lines Mix-Up Activity (PDF and Digital for Google)
• Sketch Notes and Assessment Activity (PDF and Digital for Google)
• Classroom Poster

Classroom success stories from other teachers who have tried this resource:

♥ "This is an awesome way to get your kids out of the question/onomatopoeia rut."

♥ "Kids loved the activity...I glued them on note cards and it worked wonderfully."

♥ "I really enjoyed this easy-to-use resource to help my students practice writing hooks."

♥ "Fantastic! Helps kids move beyond the basic question technique!"

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For more ideas and inspiration:

Faulkner's Fast Five Blog

Julie's Classroom Stories on Instagram

Julie's Classroom Stories on Facebook

Teaching Middle and High School English Facebook Group

Yearbook and Journalism Facebook Group

Email List for English and Yearbook Teachers

Pinterest

Created by Julie Faulkner, 2014 - updated 2024

Terms of Use: Please, one classroom use only. Additional licenses are sold at checkout. This license is nontransferable. Not eligible for online environments unless password protected. Posting openly online is prohibited. No part of this resource can be used for commercial purposes, altered, or resold. This work is my original work, and taking portions of it to create something else for resale is prohibited.