Five Paragraph Essays

Every school district has different requirements for writing. Some districts outline requirements within course curriculum, whereas others rely upon the individual teacher to determine what type of writing is appropriate for the students and appropriate for the demands of the course.  One constant throughout districts is the need for students to master the “five paragraph essay.”  Here are some activities that I have used that have gotten positive results.

I first tried this activity with a group of seventh grade English students. They had very little experience with the writing process, so it was a great introductory project. You break students into groups and assign each group a specific step such as “brainstorming,” or “editing.” The goal of each group is to research the step, provide examples, and design a visual aid. The visual aid should be large enough to attach to the wall. I give each group a poster, markers/crayons, pipe cleaners and foam balls, but you can include any art supplies you wish. It is up to the group to design an effective project using the materials given. As the groups work, I monitor progress as well as the accuracy of information. I also give the students a rubric and show some previous student examples. Once the groups are done, they essentially “teach” the rest of the class. 

You should make your directions simple and clear. I suggest creating a packet that includes definitions of every step as well as student examples both good and bad. For students that are visual learners, try compiling a PowerPoint. It’s an easy way to incorporate technology! I also include some basic grammar, punctuation, and reference material.

The introductory and concluding paragraphs are generally the most difficult for students to understand and master. Before they write, we go through a variety of examples together, beginning with impressions of the whole paragraph to analysis of each sentence.  I always use the “funnel” method—move from general to specific. Once the group can identify key elements such as a topic sentence and thesis statement, I give them worksheets as reinforcement to do on their own. The next step is to give them a sample topic and create an introduction. Finally, once students feel comfortable, you can have them work on introductory paragraphs from scratch. It usually takes about three class periods to review and practice each paragraph, but it is well worth the time.   

As part of my essay writing requirements, I include a “peer review” element. If done correctly, it is a very useful activity.  At the beginning of the unit, I explain that the peer review will be part of the final grade.  Each student is responsible for having their paper reviewed by two peers. I give them worksheets with specific questions/evaluations such as “What is the thesis statement?”, “Does the body paragraphs reflect the topic of the paper?” and “What changes can you suggest to make the paper better?”  During the peer review, each student is held accountable. In other words, if a student does not provide accurate criticism, his/her grade will be affected.  In addition to student evaluations, I also conference one-on-one with each student and give my feedback. The students are required to turn in all copies of the essay as well as the peer review sheets. I highly recommend spending a class period on how to complete the peer review worksheets. It will save you a lot of time and future headaches.

Here are some more tips:

1. Have students experiment with brainstorming and using graphic organizers

2. Utilize your librarian and media specialist They have lots of great ideas and experience.

3. If possible, bring laptops into the classroom.

Here are some other writing lessons to try.

Writing Lesson Plans:

Essay Elements Review

Easy to adapt and a great introductory lesson to have students learn about the elements of writing an essay..

Writing for a Purpose for Senior College English

This lesson prepares students for higher level English courses. It has students to formulate more complicated ideas and group them accordingly. Brainstorming and graphic organizers are used as well. 

Effective Literary Analysis

This lesson incorporates literary analysis with essay writing. I like this lesson because it outlines the procedures step-by-step.  It can also be adapted to fit your topic, but is designed for advanced writers.  Individual and cooperative group work is incorporated.

Rule of 3 of Web

This is a very simple, but effective lesson that can be adapted for any grade level. I think it would work best for those students who have never tried graphic organizers. It would be interesting to try it with higher level students and make it a requirement for the final project.  It's always good to explore other ways of organizing ideas!

Lead Critical Reading

This lesson is based on a science lesson. However, the process explained can work with any content area. Since students do not often practice non-fiction analysis, this essay project would be very helpful. I suggest doing this in the class first, in cooperative groups. Once students master not just the writing process, but analysis as well, you can move on to an individual essay. It is the perfect preparation for the new wave of essays -- the synthesis essay.