Basic 5 Paragraph Essay
Wednesday
Structure of a 5 Paragraph Essay
 Introduction = 1 paragraph
 Body = 3 paragraphs
 Conclusion = 1 paragraph
intro
body
body
 Math in writing!
body
1+3+1=5
conclusion
Sometimes this is called the
hamburger model.
Intro
Meat of your essay
3 BIG IDEAS
Lots of juicy details
Conclusion
The Power of the Power Outline
• Last week we learned how to use a power outline for a
single paragraph.
• We did this to get warmed up to using a power outline.
• Now, we’re in the big leagues. We need to think bigger!
• We’re going to expand our power outline to include all 3
body paragraphs of our 5 paragraph essay.
Watch!
TOPIC = Favorite Fruit
1 Apples
2 Easy to eat
2 Sweet
1 Oranges
2 Juicy
2 Vitamin C
1 Strawberries
2 Summer
2 With honey
intro
body
body
body
conclusion
What’s changed?
 SINGLE PARAGRAPH
 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
2 Tell me more
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
2 Tell me more
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
3 Tell me even more
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
2 Tell me more
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
2 Tell me more
1 BIG idea
2 Tell me more
3 Tell me even more
paragraph
body
body
body
I’m going to give you 3 very simple body paragraphs and you’re
going to help me make the power outline.
Although I like many sports, basketball is
my all time favorite. It’s super fastmoving and exciting. It’s also
challenging, because you have to
develop your hand-eye coordination.
In addition to basketball, I also enjoy
volleyball. Like basketball, volleyball is
also very fast-moving. The players are
incredible athletes who can jump high
and react quickly.
The sport of running also interests me.
Now that I’m an adult, and have fewer
opportunities to participate in team
sports, I find that running is something
I can easily do alone. Running is also
super challenging because it’s just me.
I’m competing against myself.
 POWER OUTLINE
Topic = _________________
1 __________________
2 _____________
2 _____________
1 __________________
2 _____________
2 _____________
1 __________________
2 _____________
2 _____________
Your turn…
Of all the chores that I must do, I hate
shaking out the rugs the most. First
of all, all the dust and dirt that you
shake out of the rugs gets you all
dirty and gross. Second, I always get
dirt in my eyes.
In addition, to shaking out the rugs, I
also hate taking out the garbage.
Garbage tends to have a nasty stench
that often makes me sick. Equally
disgusting is the fact that garbage
bags often leak, which can make an
even bigger mess to clean up.
 POWER OUTLINE
Topic = _______________
1 __________________
2 _____________
2 _____________
1 __________________
2 _____________
2 _____________
List of topics
 Why education is important
 Rights that 6th graders should have
 Ways to create peace in the world
 Reasons why kids should have an allowance
 Reasons why schools shouldn’t have uniforms
 Why video games are unhealthy
 Dreams that all kids have
Or
 Choose your own topic and have Ms. Dimler/Ms.
Aboukier approve it.
Thesis Statement
Thursday
Thesis Statement
 The Thesis Statement expresses the main
idea of the essay.
 If you don’t have a thesis statement, then
you don’t have anything to write about.
 No Thesis = No Good
 Thesis statement = a topic sentence for
the entire essay
How to write a thesis
 You write a thesis statement exactly like a topic sentence.
 Your thesis should include your BIG IDEAS (1’s).
 Don’t forget there are 4 types of topic sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Number Statement
Declarative Statement
Question
Situation/Stance
Example
TOPIC = Favorite Fruit
1 Apples
2 Easy to eat
2 Sweet
1 Oranges
2 Juicy
2 Vitamin C
1 Strawberries
2 Summer
2 With honey
1.
Number Statement
“There are three varieties of fruit
that I consider to be my favorites.”
2. Declarative Statement
“Apples, oranges, and strawberries are
among my most favorite types of fruit.”
3. Question
“If you had to choose, what would be
your most favorite kinds of fruit?”
4. Situation/Stance
“If I absolutely had to choose, I
would say that apples, oranges,
and strawberries are my favorite
types of fruit.”
Guided Practice
TOPIC = why MN is cool
1 Lakes
1. Number Statement
2.
Declarative Statement
3.
Question
2 Over 10,000
2 Boating
1 Seasons
2 Winter
2 Fall
1 University of MN
2 Golden Gophers Sports
2 Ms. Dimler’s college!
4. Situation/Stance
Your turn…
STEP 1: Make a short power outline
List of Topics
 Why Spiderman is the Man!
 Why Batman can kick Spiderman’s bottom!
 Favorite singers
 Favorite characters from the movie Shrek
 Greatest Disney movies of all time
 Why you need a vacation
 Why Ms. Dimler or Ms. Aboukier need a vacation
 Favorite Thanksgiving foods
Your Turn…
 STEP 2: Trade your power outlines with a partner
 STEP 3: Write 4 possible thesis statements for
that power outline.
1 thesis statement for each type of topic
sentence.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Number statement
Declarative statement
Question
Situation/Stance
Topic Sentence/Thesis Graphic Organizer
Number
Declarative
Topic
Question
Situation Stance