Authors need to catch readers' attentions from the get-go, and nothing works better then a dynamite first line. A good way to open students' eyes to the power of a strong line is to expose them to great stories.  

1. Gather a set of books-such as the 16 books from a LitART theme.

2. Invite each student or pair of students to choose a book.

3. Say, "find the first line and practice reading it."

4. To the readers: "When it is your turn, tell the group the book title, the author's name, and read the first line."

5. To the listeners: "While you listen, decide whether the first line includes the setting, character, both, or neither." 

As an extension, you can assign these books to students or pairs secretly, have them present the first line to the class, and then let the listeners guess which book it came from!