Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011

SECTION 1 WRITING A GOOD INTRODUCTION

Contents

1. Importance of a Good Introduction (p2) 2. Components of a Good Introduction (p2) 3. Different Ways to Write a Good Introduction (p3) 4. Examples of the different ways to write Good Introductions (pp4-8)

Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011

1. Importance of a Good Introduction

Introductions are like the front doors to a house. When the doors look heavy, dull and boring, visitors do not find them inviting and will not want to enter the house. Your introductory paragraphs must invite the reader to step into the Written Report and slowly browse through the contents in anticipation of learning and discovery. Your introduction must give the reader a clear and well-defined picture of what to expect in the rest of the Written Report so that the reader will want to find out more about your project. Examples of POOR introductions: 2009 Task 1 - Emergency We have chosen the Mumbai Bombing of 2008 as our emergency to study for strategy development because it was a major emergency event. Studying this emergency can give us many ideas of how to prevent a future emergency in an avian flu pandemic in Singapore because they are both major emergencies. 2009 Task 2 Conservation Having chosen the conservation of gorillas in Africa, we believe that this will lead to giving us new ideas on how to devise new methods and ways to conserve the environment in the Taimyr-Central Siberian Tundra because they are both about how to save animals and plants in nature. As nature is part of the environment which is a very popular topic for discussion nowadays, we know that people will be very interested in our proposal.

2.

Components of a Good Introduction

The above examples of poorly-written introductions are missing the following components of a GOOD introduction: o A well-written beginning sentence that catches the readers attention. o A clear explanation of what is gripping about the selected R1/A1 case-study. o A lucid and rational sentence(s) on the choice of the proposed R2/A2 project. o A logical and coherent sentence(s) on the relationship/theme between the selected and future projects. o Positive and well-structured. o Some facts or statistics to indicate that research has been carried out. o Suitable graphics (photos, cartoons, drawings, etc.) with articulate explanations.

Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011 The language used should be plain and simple, and avoid long confusing sentences with pompous phrases. Relevance and context are important as the reader will not find the Written Report worth reading if he does not know or understand the purpose of the writing. An interesting and riveting introduction catches the readers eye and holds his attention long enough to pique his curiosity.

3.

Different Ways to Write a Good Introduction

A. Start with a suitable quotation/song lyric/poem about the relationship/theme, followed by a clear and lively explanation containing relevant facts and statistics. B. Begin with interesting facts (and/or statistics) from a reliable source(s). C. Start with a sentence about a commonly-held belief/a piece of conventional wisdom/a major misconception/a blatant reasoning error. D. Begin with a question about the basis/fundamentals. E. Start with a bold claim. F. Begin with a picture/graphic/cartoon and discuss its relevance. G. Start with a one-sentence description about the relationship/theme followed by a discussion containing relevant facts and/or statistics.

There are many ways to write an interesting introduction:

Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011

Examples of the different ways to write Good Introductions A. A suitable quotation/song lyric/poem about the relationship/theme, followed by a clear and lively explanation containing relevant facts and statistics.

A1 2009 Task 2 Conservation of Yan Kit Swimming Complex The built heritage represents our history, captured in brick, plaster, wood, and stoneto lose these architectural assets would be to erase a living chapter in our history.
Belinda Yuan

As Singapore progresses, buildings come and go. Many of them are made obsolete by the countrys increasingly rapid growth and are hence either abandoned and forgotten or demolished to make way for more utilitarian buildings (Fung, 2003). In deciding on the fate of many of Singapores historic buildings, heritage preservation is often subservient to functionality and practicality (Fung, 2003). As such, many potential monuments are lost and we may face the problem often plaguing fast-growing city-states the lack of a common identity (Yuan, 2005). One of the victims of this neglect is the Yan Kit Swimming Complex (YKSC). This site, rich in history and significance to the majority of the people living in the vicinity and worthy of remembrance, has been left dilapidated and forsaken (Lin & Raj, 2008). A2 2009 Task 1 H5N1 Flu Pandemic in Singapore The Internet is not just one thing, it's a collection of things - of numerous communications networks that all speak the same digital language.
Jim Clark

When the Deccan Mujahideen Islamic terrorists, through a combination of gun fire, explosives and grenade blasts, attacked a number of public places in Mumbai in November 2008,1 the resulting emergency showed that even a government as prepared as the Indian government could not prevent terrorists from carrying out the destruction. The swift action of the Mumbai Police and the National Security Guards, with the help of civilian information culled from the new media, prevented the emergency from escalating into a greater disaster. Hostage and victim usage of new media (the messages, the videoclips and digital photos sent through mobile phones to external parties in India and overseas, the telephone conversations and interviews conducted through those mobile phones) was crucial in providing additional updated security information to support the National Security Guards and the Mumbai Police in their planning and execution of the successful tactical counterattacks on the terrorists.3 This is the focus of our groups emergency preparation programme for Singapore in the event of a possible H5N1 avian flu pandemic. H5N1 Avian flu has claimed at least 200 victims in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Romania, China, Turkey and Russia.4 It is entrenched in the Southeast Asian region, and Singapore, like Malaysia and Thailand, has to

Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011 prepare for a pandemic should the H5N1 virus resurface again in the region. We intend to draw on lessons learned from the Mumbai attacks of 2008 to develop strategies on communication and education programmes to prepare for a future possible H5N1 flu pandemic.

B.

Begin with interesting facts (and/or statistics) from a reliable source(s).

2008 Task 1 Modernisation of Food Production Methods Skyrocketing food prices have led to a global food crisis. The high costs had sparked off protests and unrest in many countries, including Philippines and Indonesia. In addition, World Bank head, Robert Zoellick, warned that 100 million people in poor countries could be pushed deeper into poverty by spiralling prices.1 The significance of the problem is further highlighted, as reflected in the United Nations millennium goals to reduce half of the world population suffering from hunger.2 Therefore, there is a pressing need to conduct intense research to increase food production exponentially with limited space. We intend to look into the Modernisation of Agriculture from traditional to high technology farming methods like Hydroponics. We are focusing on the Japanese community because they experienced a significant impact on their society brought by the Modernisation of Agriculture. For example, Japan is one of the main countries in the world that practices hydroponics farming and this had brought about a change in food supply, allowing selfsufficiency.

C.

Start with a sentence about a commonly-held belief/a piece of conventional wisdom/a major misconception/a blatant reasoning error.

2009 Task 1 Conservation of Chinese Culture in Singapore As the world delves deeper into the discovering of more technological secrets, we are slowly losing sight of our roots. In every modern society, it is evident that youths are rarely interested in engaging in cultural practices, choosing instead to indulge in the recreational wonders of the new age. By drawing lessons learnt from attempts to conserve traditions through games by the Red Indian tribes in Montana, our group intends to conserve aspects of Chinese culture among youths in Singapore, primarily through a fun and interactive board game, the Chinese Cultulator.

D.

Begin with a question about the basis/fundamentals.

2009 Task 1 Hijack of SIA aircraft by terrorists What would you do if you hear someone yell hijack? Start screaming in panic, or attack the terrorists to protect your loved ones? We believe that prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, our group aims to deal with the issue of aeroplane hijacking through our project.

Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011 To better deal with the issue of hijacking, we drew lessons from the management of the Islamabad Marriott Hotel attack. The attack, which was carried out by terrorists, is relevant to this project, given that terrorist groups also hijack planes to cause mass casualties. Both will result in affected people suffering post-trauma stress (Iqbal, 2008; National Hijack Prevention Academy, 2006). Furthermore, both the Islamabad Hotel attack and plane hijacks can be well managed if the relevant organisations ensure that their response teams undergo attackl simulations in preparedness training (Gunaratna, 2008; Herbeck, 2009). Keeping in mind the lessons learnt from the Islamabad Marriot attack, we devised Hijack, Bye-Jack! which aims to tackle the threat through four ways: international collaboration, simulations, online games in e-cards1 and post-trauma care.

E.

Start with a bold claim.

2009 Task 2 Conservation of Energy in Singapore Every day, the sun pours more potential power upon our land areas than all mankinds muscle, fuel and working waterfalls have generated since the beginning of time. The enormous output of solar energy is almost impossible to conceive, Frank Tinsley wrote in Why Dont We Have SUN POWER, Mechanix Illustrated magazine, September 1953. Solar Power is not new; with early attempts to harness the suns massive power dating back to the 1930s. In 2001, worldwide net electricity consumption was estimated to be 13.9 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh)2 and this is enough to keep a 40W light bulb on for about 347 trillion hours. Consumption in Singapore alone is estimated to be 37.42 billion kWh.3 Although Singapore is the 188th country in terms of size, it is 55th worldwide in terms of electricity consumption.4 Presently, non-renewable energy conservation is important in reducing the effects of Global Warming on the environment. Emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases from electricity generation account for a significant portion of world greenhouse gas emissions; the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity accounts for more than 40% of the carbon dioxide emitted each year5, and in the USA, electricity generation accounts for nearly 22.7 percent of emissions, the largest of any source.6 As a result of the Enhanced Greenhouse C effect7, global surface temperature increased 0.8 in th e last century.8 Thus, it is vital that

Electronic cards, or postcards which are created and sent via the Internet Clean-energy.us- facts about electricity, "About electricity", <http://www.cleanenergy.us/facts/electricity.htm#world_demand> (7 August 2009) 3 CIA the world factbook, East & Southeast Asia :: Singapore, <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/sn.html> (6 July 2009)
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CIA the world factbook, Country Comparison :: Electricity consumption, <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2042rank.html> (6 June 2009)
Michael Richardson, CO2 emissions: burying the problem, The Straits Times (2009, September 21), p. 18 Consumption >Electricity statistics countries compared, Energy statistics > Electricity > Consumption (most recent) by country, <http://www.nationmaster.com/red/pie/ene_ele_con-energy-electricity-consumption> (25 May 2009) 7 Enhanced Greenhouse effect causes Global Warming USATODAY.com, Enhanced Greenhouse effect causes Global Warming, <http://www.usatoday.com/weather/graphics/2008-04-14-global-warming-graphic_N.htm> (7 May 2009)
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Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011 we reduce our non-renewable energy consumption rate in order to conserve non renewable energy and to protect the environment from harm. Furthermore, conservation would ensure cost savings for individuals or organizations as electricity expenditure will be reduced.9 In Singapore, a number of HDB dwellers are in the lower income bracket and face difficulty in paying for their utilities bill. Solar power would aid in reducing electricity bills. W We studied a project from New Delhi, India, where rickshaws have been fitted with batteries charged by solar panels. Termed Soleckshaws, it is a model example of how the transport industry could be made less harmful to the environment by using solar power. More than 80% of electricity in Singapore is generated from natural gases10 giving rise to the emission of Greenhouse gases which causes Global Warming. As such, we explore whether solar energy is a viable means of generating electricity for homes in Singapore. We believe that solar energy is a promising alternative source of energy as it is a clean method of generating electricity.

F.

Begin with a picture/graphic/cartoon and discuss its relevance.

2009 Task 1 Chemical Attacks by Terrorists in Singapore

Figure 1: A cartoonists impression on the threat of chemical attacks (http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/c/chemical_warfare.asp)

Although the cities of New York, Madrid and London have been the target of bombings, chemical attacks by contrast appear to be a more dangerous mode of terrorism in the world
Global Warming effects information, Global warming effects facts, climate change effects Nati Effects of Global Warming, <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects.html> (12 August 2009) 9 Energy and water conservation, The unofficial guide to home energy and water conservation, 2nd edition http://dailyhomerenotips.com/energy-conservation/ http://dailyhomerenotips.com/energy-conservation/ (10 September 2009) 10 Natural Gas | AsiaIsGreen, Update on Tuas powers clean coal plant, <http://www.asiaisgreen.com/tag/natural-gas/> (12 June 2009)
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Catholic Junior College Term 3 Project Work Resource 2011 today as they are able to cause massive destruction with longer-lasting effects on civilian populations. Figure 1 shows the cartoonists view of the rising threat of chemical attacks. An example is the 2001 anthrax attack in the United States of America (USA). In Singapore however, many people remain ignorant of chemical threats, and are thus ill-prepared and under-equipped to deal with such situations. What if a hydrogen cyanide gas attack were to occur in Singapore? The tragedy that could take place is unimaginable if we continue to allow our nations state of readiness to remain status quo. Preventing a possible attack entails having precautionary measures in place and proactive responses from all Singaporeans.

G.

Start with a one-sentence description about the relationship/theme followed by a discussion containing relevant facts and/or statistics.

2009 Task 1 Conservation of the Taimyr-Central Siberian Tundra Cooperation and collaboration between stakeholders with conflicting interests can help to solve seemingly irreconcilable issues within a community. This is the focus of our groups conservation programme for the Taimyr-Central Siberian Tundra. The Taiymr-Central Siberian Tundra is the ecoregion between Siberias two longest rivers, Yenisey and Lena. 110 bird species have been documented as living in the area, with at least 67 species of breeding birds on the Lena delta. This region is under threat from the nickel smelters in Norilsk and the possible opening up of shipping lanes in the Northeast Seas.1 We draw lessons for strategy development from the successful collaborative relationships that the International Gorilla Conservation Programme has managed to cultivate with the local protected area authorities in the mountains of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, for the conservation of wild mountain gorillas in these regions. These collaborative efforts will form the basis of ideas on how to bring international conservationists, local authorities, local communities and Big Business into a symbiotic relationship that conserves as well as unlocks the economic potential in the Taimyr-Central Siberian Tundra.