Here are the five requirements of the first paragraph in list form.

1. name the author

2. name the work

3. add a brief summary

4. build a bridge to your thesis (a transition)

5. state your thesis at the end of the paragraph

As a first example, please read the professional essay Don’t Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgments by Robert Heilbroner. Once done, study the two student examples that follow, by locating the requirements mentioned above. Also study how both writers blended Heilbroner’s words with their own and credited Heilbroner for the words that were his.

Student Summary-and-Response Example #1—Heilbroner

Student Summary-and-Response Example #2—Heilbroner