What an AGD Actually Does
The attention-getting device, or AGD, is the opening story, quote, or scenario that hooks a judge and sets up your thesis. You will be able to write an AGD that connects logically to your question rather than sitting as decoration.
Choosing a Strong AGD
A good AGD is usually a brief anecdote, a historical parallel, a literary or pop-culture reference, or a vivid hypothetical that illustrates the tension in your question. It should be specific enough to be memorable — naming a person, place, or moment — rather than a vague generalization like 'throughout history, people have debated policy.'
The Link Sentence
After the AGD, you need a 'link' — one or two sentences that explicitly connect the story back to the question you drew. Without an explicit link, judges are left to guess why you told that story, so strong competitors state the connection plainly: 'Just as that town rebuilt after disaster, Congress now faces its own rebuilding task with infrastructure policy.'
Recyclable AGD Banks
Experienced competitors keep a small mental or written bank of five or six flexible AGDs — a historical parallel, a literary reference, a personal anecdote — that can be adapted to many different questions within a topic area, because building a brand-new AGD from scratch in the first ninety seconds of prep wastes valuable research time.
Question drawn: "Should the United States raise the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour?"
AGD: "In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, setting the first federal minimum wage at twenty-five cents an hour, a figure he called necessary so that no business could 'endanger national health' by underpaying its workers." Link: "Nearly ninety years later, Congress is asking the same question Roosevelt asked — what wage floor keeps American workers healthy without breaking American businesses." Thesis: "Today, I argue that the United States should raise the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour, but phase it in regionally to protect small businesses in lower-cost states."
1. What is the primary job of the link sentence after an AGD?
2. True or False?
"A strong AGD can be a vague statement like 'throughout history, nations have faced hard choices.'"
3. Which of these is the best example of a specific AGD opening?
Answer all 3 to check.
An AGD only works if it is specific and explicitly linked to the question, not just an entertaining story on its own.