a fun explanation

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a fun explanation
By Julianne

A teacher I had in high school explained a 5 paragraph essay to us. While you probably aren't working at that level, the explanation works for shorter works and has the advantage of being funny, so the kids may remember it. So here it is:

First you tell them what you're going to tell them. Then you tell them what you're telling them. Finally, you tell them what you told them.

You can have your students start with the "meat" of their work. Gather the information they will present and write it without worrying about an introduction or a conclusion. Now have them apply the "tell them what you're going to tell them" to make an introduction. And the "tell them what you told them" to create a conclusion.