What is a good structure for the introduction paragraph to an essay?

[JennyXu]

What is a structure for an introduction that generally works well with every type of essay for school? This particular essay that I'm working on is an argument of whether John D. Rockefeller was a robber baron or not. Where do I put the thesis statement in the introduction pargarph, the beginning or the end? Should I include details?

 

[Cheiri]

The thing to remember about introductions is that it is basically an outline of the entire paper. Generally, it will be about 4-5 sentences. The first sentence should state what your topic is and why it is important. The next 2-3 sentences should describe the most important things about your topic, and mention the major claims you will make in the body of your paper. The next sentence should be your thesis, sometimes followed by one sentence that closes the introduction.