A. The Painted Essay®: Sort and Color-Code the Parts of an Introduction – W.7.2a (15 minutes)

• Move students into predetermined pairs, and invite them to label themselves A and B.
• Distribute Organize the Model: Introduction strips. Tell students that each pair has been given only one part of the introduction and that later they will find the other parts to create a complete introduction. Explain that there are four parts to this introduction. Each pair needs to find pairs with the other three parts of the introduction. Then the whole group should work together to arrange all four parts of the introduction in an order that makes sense.
• Tell students that when they have finished, they can check their work against the Model Informative Essay: “Computer Programs and Animal Behavior” and color-code their strips.
• Invite students to begin, and circulate to support students in reading and sorting the strips of the introduction. When they have assembled the introduction, invite groups to use the Painted Essay® template and colored pencils to underline each part of the introduction in the correct color: red for the hook and context, yellow for Point 1, blue for Point 2, and green for the focus of the piece.
• Support students with the Organize the Model: Introduction strips (for teacher reference) as necessary.
• Refocus whole group. Ask students to Think-Pair-Share:

“How does the author begin the introduction of the essay? What are the first two parts of the introduction?” (The introduction begins with some context and a hook—an example from daily life on how animals move and a hook in the form of a question.) 

“What is the next part of the introduction? What is the purpose of these next two sentences, the ones just before the last sentence of the introduction?” (They preview the two main points of the essay.)

“What is the last part of the introduction? What is the purpose of the last sentence of the introduction?” (It is the focus statement and states the central idea of the piece.)

• Ask if there were any groups that arranged their introductions differently from the model. Invite these groups to explain their thinking, noting that there isn’t only one correct way to assemble or write an introduction. Ask students to Turn and Talk:

“How is the introduction in the model similar to and different from the introduction to the last essay you wrote?” (The points are still there, but in this model, they come before the green part of the focus statement.) 

“Would it be all right to put the points after or as part of the focus statement instead?” (yes) 

“Why might the author have chosen to end the paragraph with the focus statement this time?” (Answers will vary, but may include: It’s a simple, clear statement of the main idea, and the writer wants the reader to remember it. The writer wants to avoid sounding too repetitive. The points help you understand what the focus statement means.)

• Invite students to choral read the introduction in the model together as a class, stopping after each sentence to review its function in the paragraph. Invite students to help record or check the parts of an introduction on the Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart. Refer to Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (example for teacher reference) as necessary.