Each prompt is written in bold. Below each prompt are some sentence stems that can be used to answer the question posed in the prompt.
1) What is the topic of the chapter?
- In this chapter, you will learn about …
- Chapter X is devoted to/focuses on …
- In Chapter X you will read about …
- Chapter X gives readers an understanding of …
If necessary, define the topic.
2) Why is this topic important?
- (The topic) is important because …
- Understanding (the topic) helps …
- (The topic(s)) is/are used to …
- (The topic) is necessary for … because …
- By understanding (the topic) you will be better able to …
3) How will the readings in this chapter help students understand this topic?
- The readings in this chapter will talk about several aspects of (the topic), and explain …
- After reading the articles in this chapter you will be able to/understand …
4) What are some of the specific ideas/concepts/skills covered in this topic?
- Specific concepts/ideas/skills that are part of (the topic) include …
- (The topic) involves …
- Some of the concepts/ideas/skills you will learn about are …
To give your introductions a bit more style and variety, you can switch the order of questions 3 and 4 every couple of chapters. This will help ensure that the writing is not stiff and formulaic.