the five paragraph essay flocabulary read and respond answers

The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay

PeopleImages / Getty Images

• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

A five-paragraph essay is a prose composition that follows a prescribed format of an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph, and is typically taught during primary English education and applied on standardized testing throughout schooling.

Learning to write a high-quality five-paragraph essay is an essential skill for students in early English classes as it allows them to express certain ideas, claims, or concepts in an organized manner, complete with evidence that supports each of these notions. Later, though, students may decide to stray from the standard five-paragraph format and venture into writing an  exploratory essay  instead.

Still, teaching students to organize essays into the five-paragraph format is an easy way to introduce them to writing literary criticism, which will be tested time and again throughout their primary, secondary, and further education.

Writing a Good Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph in your essay, and it should accomplish a few specific goals: capture the reader's interest, introduce the topic, and make a claim or express an opinion in a thesis statement.

It's a good idea to start your essay with a hook (fascinating statement) to pique the reader's interest, though this can also be accomplished by using descriptive words, an anecdote, an intriguing question, or an interesting fact. Students can practice with creative writing prompts to get some ideas for interesting ways to start an essay.

The next few sentences should explain your first statement, and prepare the reader for your thesis statement, which is typically the last sentence in the introduction. Your  thesis sentence  should provide your specific assertion and convey a clear point of view, which is typically divided into three distinct arguments that support this assertation, which will each serve as central themes for the body paragraphs.

Writing Body Paragraphs

The body of the essay will include three body paragraphs in a five-paragraph essay format, each limited to one main idea that supports your thesis.

To correctly write each of these three body paragraphs, you should state your supporting idea, your topic sentence, then back it up with two or three sentences of evidence. Use examples that validate the claim before concluding the paragraph and using transition words to lead to the paragraph that follows — meaning that all of your body paragraphs should follow the pattern of "statement, supporting ideas, transition statement."

Words to use as you transition from one paragraph to another include: moreover, in fact, on the whole, furthermore, as a result, simply put, for this reason, similarly, likewise, it follows that, naturally, by comparison, surely, and yet.

Writing a Conclusion

The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim (from your thesis sentence). It should point out your main points, but should not repeat specific examples, and should, as always, leave a lasting impression on the reader.

The first sentence of the conclusion, therefore, should be used to restate the supporting claims argued in the body paragraphs as they relate to the thesis statement, then the next few sentences should be used to explain how the essay's main points can lead outward, perhaps to further thought on the topic. Ending the conclusion with a question, anecdote, or final pondering is a great way to leave a lasting impact.

Once you complete the first draft of your essay, it's a good idea to re-visit the thesis statement in your first paragraph. Read your essay to see if it flows well, and you might find that the supporting paragraphs are strong, but they don't address the exact focus of your thesis. Simply re-write your thesis sentence to fit your body and summary more exactly, and adjust the conclusion to wrap it all up nicely.

Practice Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay

Students can use the following steps to write a standard essay on any given topic. First, choose a topic, or ask your students to choose their topic, then allow them to form a basic five-paragraph by following these steps:

• Decide on your  basic thesis , your idea of a topic to discuss.
• Decide on three pieces of supporting evidence you will use to prove your thesis.
• Write an introductory paragraph, including your thesis and evidence (in order of strength).
• Write your first body paragraph, starting with restating your thesis and focusing on your first piece of supporting evidence.
• End your first paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads to the next body paragraph.
• Write paragraph two of the body focussing on your second piece of evidence. Once again make the connection between your thesis and this piece of evidence.
• End your second paragraph with a transitional sentence that leads to paragraph number three.
• Repeat step 6 using your third piece of evidence.
• Begin your concluding paragraph by restating your thesis. Include the three points you've used to prove your thesis.
• End with a punch, a question, an anecdote, or an entertaining thought that will stay with the reader.

Once a student can master these 10 simple steps, writing a basic five-paragraph essay will be a piece of cake, so long as the student does so correctly and includes enough supporting information in each paragraph that all relate to the same centralized main idea, the thesis of the essay.

Limitations of the Five-Paragraph Essay

The five-paragraph essay is merely a starting point for students hoping to express their ideas in academic writing; there are some other forms and styles of writing that students should use to express their vocabulary in the written form.

According to Tory Young's "Studying English Literature: A Practical Guide":

"Although school students in the U.S. are examined on their ability to write a  five-paragraph essay , its  raison d'être  is purportedly to give practice in basic writing skills that will lead to future success in more varied forms. Detractors feel, however, that writing to rule in this way is more likely to discourage imaginative writing and thinking than enable it. . . . The five-paragraph essay is less aware of its  audience  and sets out only to present information, an account or a kind of story rather than explicitly to persuade the reader."

Students should instead be asked to write other forms, such as journal entries, blog posts, reviews of goods or services, multi-paragraph research papers, and freeform expository writing around a central theme. Although five-paragraph essays are the golden rule when writing for standardized tests, experimentation with expression should be encouraged throughout primary schooling to bolster students' abilities to utilize the English language fully.

• How To Write an Essay
• How to Write a Great Essay for the TOEFL or TOEIC
• Write an Attention-Grabbing Opening Sentence for an Essay
• How to Write and Format an MBA Essay
• How to Structure an Essay
• How to Help Your 4th Grader Write a Biography
• Definition and Examples of Body Paragraphs in Composition
• What Is Expository Writing?
• What an Essay Is and How to Write One
• Paragraph Writing
• 3 Changes That Will Take Your Essay From Good To Great
• An Introduction to Academic Writing
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• The Five Steps of Writing an Essay
• How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
• The Introductory Paragraph: Start Your Paper Off Right

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons
• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

5: The Five Paragraph Essay (5¶E)

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 87023
• 5.1: 5¶E – What is the 5 Paragraph Essay?
• 5.2: 5 Paragraph Essay Discussion
• 5.3: The 5¶E in College – Will You Use It or Not?

Five Ways to Teach Literacy Across Content Areas with Flocabulary

• April 3, 2017

Karie Frauenhoffer

• Education Tips & Tricks , Flocabulary Community , Lessons and Ideas , Teacher Idea Exchange

This Flocabulary community post comes from Karie Frauenhoffer, a middle school ELA teacher and Flocabulary MC Educator from North Carolina. 

When it comes to talking with school colleagues across content areas about literacy, I can’t even count the number of times I have heard, “Oh, I don’t have to worry about that, my ELA teammate has it covered!” I personally believe it is such a common misconception that literacy instruction is just an ELA skill. Has no one else ever heard the expression “ It takes a village!” ? Well, that village just got some reinforcements in the form of Flocabulary. Literacy can and should be incorporated across all content areas, and Flocabulary can help.

You might be asking yourself, “ How can Flocabulary help literacy? Isn’t it just raps?” Well, sit back, get comfy and get your popcorn ready, because this feature film on literacy starts NOW! Here are five ways you can use Flocabulary to support literacy instruction, no matter the subject.

1. Use Printable Lyrics as an Anticipation Guide

We are always on the hunt for a fun way to get our students interested in our content. Let’s be honest, it’s not all fun and games! I have helped increase student engagement and participation by printing out the complete lyrics of a Flocabulary rap I am going to utilize in class, like the the Author’s Purpose rap . I print off the lyrics and cut them into sections. Each section goes to  a group. As a group, the students read over their lyrics section and synthesize their thoughts on their section. Then, we come together whole group and listen to the rap and see if they were right or wrong in their inferences! You could use this strategy for any Flocabulary unit across subject areas. 

2. Train Students to Annotate as They Listen

An important literacy skill for students to acquire is the ability to talk to a text. Annotations are a great way to get students jotting down those thought bubbles that pop up as they read. You can print out the lyrics  to have students jot down those thoughts as they come to mind. For example, I have used this strategy for the Five Elements of a Story rap . You can also use this method to pose questions to your students OR utilizing Flocabulary’s Discuss Mode  feature and have your students answer those questions on the printed lyrics. 

3. Take Some Time for Discussion Mode

One amazing feature that you can find on Flocabulary is “Discuss Mode. ” This is a fantastic feature to use for Socraticic seminars or whole class discussions. You simply slide the button next to the words “Discuss” at the bottom of the video, and press play! Flocabulary has included periodic stopping points with questions to help facilitate discussion and student collaboration. Make this a multi-literacy skill activity by having students listen and discuss in pairs, then use a writing prompt to bring the activity full circle.

Use Discuss Mode and Lyric Lab To Support Literacy

4. try a bit of app-smashing.

It isn’t a Friday if Flocabulary’s current events program,  The Week in Rap , isn’t on! My students love it.  Try app-smashing this tool with another popular edtech tool like Newsela. View The Week in Rap whole class and then challenge students to hop on Newsela and find corresponding articles to some of the news events discussed in The Week in Rap!  

P.S. Don’t forget tip #2. You can print off The Week in Rap Lyrics  and have students practice those annotation skills! 

5. Have Students Write Raps to Summarize a Major Concept

A student FAVORITE Flocabulary feature is the amazing LYRIC LAB . Lyric Lab is great for the novice rapper AND the seasoned rap lyricist! With hip-hop music being such a popular genre today, you might as well jump on that train. I guarantee you, even your most reluctant participant will love the ease of use with Lyric Lab. Lyric Lab provides your students with key terms they should include, a whole bunch of beats to use and helps them with rhyming too.

Lyric Lab is a great support for literacy instruction as it not only gets students writing, (which, by the way, doesn’t have to be structured like a five-paragraph essay—it can be as simple as a rap) it also gets them speaking! Literacy encompasses several skills, and speaking is an important one. Lyric Lab is a great summative assessment for any lesson, and you can’t top the student engagement.

Karie Frauenhoffer is a middle school ELA teacher and Flocabulary MC Educator from North Carolina.

• Channeling Your Passions To Create an Amazing Classroom Culture: An Interview with Michael Bonner
• What the Research Shows: Social & Emotional Learning and Student Achievement

Have an account?

Suggestions for you See more

Text Structures

Text structure, 7th -  8th  , 2nd -  3rd  , compare and contrast, 23.7k plays, 1st -  3rd  .

Text Structure Flocabulary- Read and Res...

Text Structure Flocabulary- Read and Respond

Introducing new   Paper mode

No student devices needed.   Know more

• 1. Slide Report an issue
• 2. Slide Report an issue

Nonfiction is any text that is based in fact. Biographies, textbooks and cookbooks are all nonfiction. Informational text is a type of nonfiction. Informational text teaches a reader about the natural world or society. It informs, or gives knowledge, about a certain topic. It often contains text features like a table of contents, an index and diagrams. Articles, some essays and textbooks can be considered informational text.

Based on the passage, an informational text might

tell a made-up story about the ocean.

contain funny, made-up characters.

contain facts about oceans.

not contain any facts.

• 4. Slide Report an issue

Text structure is the way an author organizes information in a text. Description is one type of informational text structure. An author describes, or tells about, a topic and its characteristics. Characteristics are the things that make something different from others. A text that has a description structure will include details about a topic. Words and phrases like “for example,” “such as,” “looks like” and “for instance” can signal that description is being used. You may also see the words “many,” “some,” “including” and “most.”

Which of the following passages has a description text structure?

Rhesus monkeys and baboons are part of a group called Old World monkeys. Like rhesus monkeys, baboons have tails. However, baboons usually weigh more than rhesus monkeys. Baboons live in Africa and Arabia, while rhesus monkeys live in Asia.

Scientists were preparing to send the first humans into outer space. However, they didn’t yet understand the effects that space would have on the human body. They didn’t want to put humans in danger. As a solution, they started by sending rhesus monkeys into space and studying the effects on them.

Rhesus monkeys are primates with brown bodies and red faces. They come from Asian countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. They are very intelligent, and some have even adapted to live near humans. Rhesus monkeys are good climbers and swimmers.

In 1947, scientists first discovered the Zika virus in a rhesus monkey in Uganda. A year later, they learned that Zika was spread by mosquitoes. In 1952, the first cases of Zika in humans were found. The virus did not make people very sick.

• 6. Slide Report an issue

The text structure sequence is also called time order or chronology . In texts that use sequence, authors tell about events in chronological order, the order that they happened. Words that show sequence is being used include “first,” “next,” “then,” “before,” “during” and “after.” You may also see “now,” “last,” “finally,” “at the same time” or “meanwhile.” You’ll often find dates in the text, too.

Which of the following passages has a sequence text structure?

The Olympic Games started in Greece 3,000 years ago. They took place every four years for hundreds of years. The modern form of the Olympic Games started in 1896. The best athletes from countries all over the world compete. In 2016, the Summer Olympics were held in Brazil.

Only men were allowed to compete in the original Olympic Games. These men had to be Greek, and they could not be slaves. Slaves, women and people from other countries were excluded from the games.

It takes a lot of food to feed all of the people who are part of the Olympic Games. It also creates a lot of leftovers. To reduce food waste, some famous chefs came up with a plan. They decided to use the leftover food from the Olympics to help feed the homeless. They cooked meals for the homeless using ingredients that would have been thrown away.

The Olympic Games always begin with an opening ceremony, a big show that often includes music and dancing. All of the countries that are playing in the games participate. Athletes march, wearing their countries’ colors.

• 8. Slide Report an issue

Piping plovers are losing their habitats. This is because humans are taking many of the beaches where they live to construct buildings. Humans have also changed the level of water in the piping plovers’ homes. Sometimes, there is too much water or too little water. As a result of the loss of their habitats, piping plovers have become an endangered species.

In the passage above, the underlined sentence provides

a cause that led to piping plovers losing their habitats.

an effect of humans changing the level of water in piping plovers’ homes.

a cause that led to there being too many piping plovers.

an effect of piping plovers leaving their homes.

• 10. Slide Report an issue

Many people think that Thomas Edison built the first light bulb. He did not, but his inventions greatly changed the effect that electricity had on people’s lives. The light bulbs that existed before Edison were not practical for most people to use inside their homes. They needed too much power and were too bright. So Edison developed a new type of light bulb called an incandescent bulb. It was affordable and reliable. It used less power than existing models and became a success.

Which detail from the passage above best describes a problem ?

“He did not, but his inventions greatly changed the effect electricity had on people’s lives.”

“It used less power than existing models and became a success.”

“So Edison developed a new type of light bulb called an incandescent bulb.”

“The light bulbs that existed before Edison were not practical for most people to use inside their homes.”

• 12. Slide Report an issue

Compare and contrast is another text structure. To compare is to explain how things are similar. To contrast is to explain how they’re different. In a text with a compare and contrast structure, authors explain how something is similar to and different from something else. Words and phrases that show compare and contrast is being used include “similar,” “same,” “alike,” “in contrast,” “unlike” and “both.” You may also see “on the other hand” and “however.”

Which of the following passages has a compare and contrast text structure?

In a rural community, there are not many lights from buildings to block the stars. As a result, you can see many stars when you look up at the night sky.

Urban and suburban communities both have stores, schools, banks, libraries and buildings. However, these things are more spread out in the suburbs than they are in urban communities.

The tallest skyscraper in the world is Burj Khalifa in a city called Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has 163 stories and is 2,723 feet tall.

People may move to the suburbs so that they can have more space but still enjoy the city. Suburbs are usually so close to a city that you can get to the city and back in the same day.

Explore this content with a free account

Continue with email

Continue with phone