During a storm, a teacher is knocked out, a student is blown out the door, and another student must take action. The document provides examples of engaging ways to begin a story, including with a question, dialogue, or single evocative word. It then models using these techniques to set up a hypothetical classroom emergency scenario.

1. Making a Good
Impression
“Hooking” a Reader

2. How NOT to make a good
impression.
• The Limp Handshake/Zero Eye Contact
• The Never-Ending Small Talk Intro
• The Stick-to-the-Facts Intro
• The Cliche Intro
• The TELL-ALL-ABOUT-ME Intro

3. The Limp Handshake
Zero Eye Contact Intro
• It was a nice day to do something
outside. I wondered what I could do,
but couldn’t think of anything around
the house that seemed fun. I was
feeling bored and asked my mother
what I should do. She didn’t have any
ideas either.

4. The Never-Ending
Small Talk Intro
• One bright sunny July day I woke up. I
got dressed and went down for
breakfast. Dad had made me waffles
with syrup and bacon on the side. It
was delicious. I thought it was a fun
day to go to the beach, so I asked
mom. She said fine, so I called Susan,
but Susan had to go the dentist. So I
called Kate, and she couldn’t either.

5. The Stick-to-the-Facts
Introduction
•This story is about the day that
I went to the beach and met a
mermaid. I saw the mermaid
and went up to her. We
talked, etc. etc.

6. The Cliche Introduction
•Once upon a time my mother
brought me to the beach. We
parked over near the hot dog
stand and got out. I walked
along until I saw something
weird by the rocks. It was a
mermaid!

7. The Tell-All-About-Me
Introduction
• Hi, my name is Tiffany. I am eight
years old and I live in Stratford. I have
brown hair and green eyes. I have a
dog an two cats who I love a lot. I am
in third grade. I love the beach, which
is why I am going to tell you about my
adventure there last summer.

8. Six Great Ways to Start

9. Six Great Ways

10. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION

11. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION
• With DIALOGUE

12. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION
• With DIALOGUE
• With an INTERESTING FACT

13. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION
• With DIALOGUE
• With an INTERESTING FACT
• With a STRONG OPINION/FEELING

14. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION
• With DIALOGUE
• With an INTERESTING FACT
• With a STRONG OPINION/FEELING
• With a SINGLE WORD or SENTENCE FRAGMENT

15. Six Great Ways
• With a QUESTION
• With DIALOGUE
• With an INTERESTING FACT
• With a STRONG OPINION/FEELING
• With a SINGLE WORD or SENTENCE FRAGMENT
• With something that leaves the reader WONDERING

16. The Situation

17. The Situation
• During a storm and very windy

18. The Situation
• During a storm and very windy
• The door always blows open

19. The Situation
• During a storm and very windy
• The door always blows open
• Mr. Alfonso is knocking on the door

20. The Situation
• During a storm and very windy
• The door always blows open
• Mr. Alfonso is knocking on the door
• Melissa, a very petite student, opens
the door

21. The Six...

22. The Six...
• QUESTION - What would you do if your
teacher was knocked out and your classmate
was blown out the door?

23. The Six...
• QUESTION - What would you do if your
teacher was knocked out and your classmate
was blown out the door?
• DIALOGUE - “Arghhhh, somebody help
meeeee!” screamed Melissa.

24. The Six...
• QUESTION - What would you do if your
teacher was knocked out and your classmate
was blown out the door?
• DIALOGUE - “Arghhhh, somebody help
meeeee!” screamed Melissa.
• INTERESTING FACT -

25. The Six...

26. The Six...
• STONG OPINION/FEELING - Seeing my
teacher lying on the floor and Melissa being blown
out the door like a kite was the most terrifying thing
I’ve ever seen.

27. The Six...
• STONG OPINION/FEELING - Seeing my
teacher lying on the floor and Melissa being blown
out the door like a kite was the most terrifying thing
I’ve ever seen.
• SINGLE WORD - Click, whoosh, bang, thud.

28. The Six...
• STONG OPINION/FEELING - Seeing my
teacher lying on the floor and Melissa being blown
out the door like a kite was the most terrifying thing
I’ve ever seen.
• SINGLE WORD - Click, whoosh, bang, thud.
• WONDERING - The click of the door, a loud
bang, a girl screaming; our classroom had a crisis in
its hands.