Before students begin their informative essay writing journey, they must learn the necessary skills. One such skill is the art of writing hooks, which captivates readers and makes their writing stand out.
This blog post will explore four activities to help your upper elementary students master the art of writing hooks. With some practice, their essays will shine brighter than ever. So, let’s dive in and discover the power of captivating hooks!
Be sure to get the handout. It includes the printables you need to complete some of the activities.
Writing Informative Hook Activities
Activity #1: Recognizing Hooks in Informative Writing
First, guide your students to analyze exemplary texts and investigate how essays begin. Encourage them to ask questions and identify how writers engage readers through hooks.
Provide students with effective hook techniques, including unusual details, quotes, similes or metaphors, questions, problems, and statistics.
An anchor chart can be handy as students begin their writing journey.
Unusual Detail – List a fact that is strange. This can be a common misconception.
Quote – Use a quote or saying from a well-known source that supports your ideas. You may also write a quote from a famous person or expert.
Simile or Metaphor – Using a commonly used simile or metaphor can help readers relate to your paper.
Question – Begin with who, what, when, where, why, is, how, or are. Ask something that will make the reader wonder about the topic. This makes readers want to continue to read to find the answer.
Problem – State a problem that can be fixed under your proposed situations.
Statistic – Write a surprising statistic involving your topic.
Activity #2 – Practice writing Hooks in Informative Writing
Once students grasp the concept of hooks, it’s time for practice! Supply the fascinating facts about Earth’s moon in the handout, and challenge them to write example hooks using each technique. This hands-on exercise will strengthen their understanding of captivating readers from the start.
Here is a particle list of moon facts and an example hook for unusual detail from the handout. The activity contains 19 moon facts and 11 example hooks.
Moon Facts
- only permanent natural satellite of Earth
- diameter of about 2,159 miles
- takes 27.3 days to orbit Earth
- created when a rock named Theai hit Earth
- the fifth largest moon in the solar system
Unusual Detail – The Moon was created when a rock named Theia hit Earth, breaking off a piece.
Did you know Earth has only one permanent natural satellite, the moon? It’s the only celestial body humans have ever set foot on and the fifth-largest moon in our solar system.
Activity #3 – Task Cards
Engage your students’ creativity with task cards that prompt them to rewrite hooks using different techniques. Each card presents a question hook that students must transform into another hook type. This activity encourages them to think imaginatively and expand their repertoire of hook-writing skills.
Activity #4 – Visual Display
Inspire your students to showcase their knowledge of hooks through visually appealing displays. They can create posters, infographics, or PowerPoint/Google slides that feature examples of hooks accompanied by explanations and visuals.
Encourage them to unleash their creativity while maintaining clarity and organization. From eye-catching colors to relevant illustrations, let their visual displays shine!
The handout includes step-by-step instructions for this activity and example text.
By teaching your students the art of writing hooks, you empower them to captivate readers from the beginning of their informative essays. These four activities include everything from recognizing hooks to creating visual displays. These activities will aid their understanding and retention of this essential skill.
With practice and creativity, your students will quickly unleash their writing potential and hook their readers. So, please encourage them to dive into the world of hooks and watch their essays soar to new heights of engagement and impact. Good luck, and happy writing!
