hamburger essay

How to turn the high school “hamburger” essay into a university-level paper

It goes by many names: the 5-paragraph essay, three-tier paper, or 1-3-1 model, to name a few. Many of you know it as the “hamburger” essay – an easy-to-follow model for writing papers that’s often taught in North American high schools.

During my first semester of undergrad, I heard it again and again from my professors and TAs: don't submit a hamburger essay. "Forget everything you learned in high school," they told me, "university writing is different!"

I had always done well on my high school writing assignments. I thought essay writing in university would be a breeze. So, the idea of throwing away all my past knowledge and practice felt confusing and overwhelming. If I wasn’t supposed to write essays in university the same way I wrote them in high school, then how was I supposed to write at all? And where was I supposed to learn these mysterious new writing techniques, anyway?

Now, after many years of honing my academic writing skills and becoming a writing instructor myself, I’m here to say, loud and proud:  I love the hamburger essay.

This is somewhat of a controversial statement in higher education. For years, many professors have condemned the “hamburger” model of essay writing, resenting its rules and restrictions. And while many of these critiques are valid, I believe there are too many valuable aspects of the hamburger essay to throw it away altogether. In fact, many of the  same techniques  that make a hamburger essay great, can also be used to craft a quality academic paper.

So no, you don’t need to “forget everything you learned in high school” when it comes time to write your first university essay! Keep reading to learn how you can use turn your high school hamburger essay into a strong university-level paper.

What is the hamburger essay?

The hamburger essay is well-known and well-loved because of its simple and easy to remember structure. If you're new to the hamburger essay, check out the diagram below to learn more about how it works.

In short, each ingredient of the hamburger represents a different paragraph of the essay. It starts with an introduction paragraph and ends with a conclusion paragraph, represented by the top and bottom buns, respectively. Just like a real burger bun, these paragraphs frame the juicy contents inside – the body paragraphs – which are each represented by a different topping: lettuce, tomato, or patty.

Pay attention to the order of toppings in the hamburger essay. The lettuce comes first; it’s light and flimsy, representing one of the lighter arguments of the paper. The tomato is somewhat more robust (in terms of argument), while the patty at the end is the true “meat” of the essay. Just like the toppings of a hamburger in real-life, the body paragraphs build on one another to fill out the paper, giving it substance and flavour.

How to use the hamburger model in university

If you’re already familiar with the hamburger or 5-paragraph essay model, there are many great aspects of it that you can keep and adapt in your university essay writing . Keep reading to learn how!

1. The top bun (a.k.a the introduction paragraph)

The hamburger essay begins with a strong introduction paragraph (the top bun) that sets up the rest of the paper and presents the essay’s primary  thesis statement  or argument. In high school, students are often taught to begin their introduction paragraph with the broadest or most general information first, and gradually narrow in on the specifics. They’re also taught to begin the introduction with a narrative hook – a catchy phrase or fact to grab the reader’s attention – and to end the introduction with a “road map,” which outlines what each paragraph of the essay will discuss, in the order of information presented.

Although at the university level, introductions may be longer than one paragraph (depending on the length of the essay overall), they should still begin with more general contextual information first, then narrow in on a more focused thesis statement . This structure helps guide the reader by presenting them with the background information they require for the thesis and body paragraphs to make sense.

You can also keep the introductory “hook” and “road map” pieces of the hamburger introduction, but note the differences in what these elements look like at the university level. While high school writers often try to catch the reader’s attention by asserting a universal or historical truth (e.g. “Since the dawn of time…” or “Throughout history…”), a hook at the university level should  remain focused on the specific topic at hand  – a surprising fact or statistic works well here.

Additionally, while a high school-level road map might outline the topic of each and every body paragraph in the essay, a university-level road map should be less detailed. Because university papers are typically longer than high school papers, it makes more sense to only mention the paper’s main overarching arguments  (if at all) in the road map section, rather than summarize every paragraph.

To learn more about how to write a strong university-level introduction,  check out this WCC resource  on introductions.

2. The bottom bun (a.k.a. the conclusion paragraph)

The hamburger essay ends with a satisfying conclusion paragraph (the bottom bun) that summarizes its findings and wraps up the paper’s arguments. High school students are often taught to structure their conclusion paragraph in the reverse order of the introduction,  beginning with the most specific information and broadening out to the most general . Hamburger essay conclusions often restate the thesis at the start of the paragraph, then go on to summarize each point of the essay.

At the university level, you should continue to structure your conclusion by presenting the most specific pieces of information related to your thesis first, followed by the more general ideas. Structuring your conclusion this way helps  transition the reader out of the paper’s arguments and into a broader reflection on the topic .

However,  you don’t have to limit yourself to only one paragraph  for your conclusion (hint: introductions and conclusions typically make up 10-15% of the essay length overall). And while it’s good practice to remind your reader of the essay’s main arguments and findings, too much repetition can be a bore. Try focusing instead on the  significance  of the paper’s claims and discoveries to highlight for the reader why your essay matters – why your thesis is significant in a larger context.

For deeper insight into how to write a university-level conclusion,  view our conclusions resource  here.

3. The toppings (a.k.a. the body paragraphs)

The body paragraphs of a hamburger essay are its meatiest parts (pun intended). In high school, students are often taught to explain, and provide evidence for, their main thesis by presenting three distinct points in three separate body paragraphs, ordered roughly from the weakest point to the strongest. In this model, each body paragraph supports the essay’s thesis by providing a new piece of information to back-up the author’s primary claim. Also, each paragraph articulates its main point in a single topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

For university essays, there’s a lot to like about the hamburger essay paragraph model. For example, it’s important that each paragraph of your university-level paper works to substantiate the paper's overarching thesis statement . This will prevent your essay from going off on tangents – that is, presenting ideas or research that are not directly related to the essay's focused goal. You should also pay attention to the order of ideas presented; while ordering your points from weakest to strongest (as in the hamburger model) isn’t necessary, there should be a  logical flow to your ideas . Ask yourself: what does my reader need to understand first in order to understand what’s coming next?

Topic sentences are also super useful in academic papers : they help alert the reader to the paragraph’s main idea and provide context for the evidence presented within the paragraph itself. In a traditional academic essay, readers should be able to read the first sentence (or two) of each paragraph only, and still have a strong idea of the paper’s main arguments and points.

However,  university-level essays can – and should – have more than three body paragraphs . This is perhaps the biggest complaint against the hamburger essay structure: that it tricks students into thinking they can only provide three pieces of evidence to back-up their thesis statements. Academic essays, especially research essays, should present the reader with a great breadth of evidence and information to prove their claims. It’s up to you – the writer – to decide how much evidence is needed, and how it can be organized logically into body paragraphs for the reader to follow.

On a similar note,  some points in your academic paper will require more than one body paragraph to develop,  and that’s ok! Let’s say, for example, that you’re writing an essay on the benefits of free community programming for reducing loneliness amongst senior citizens. It may take only one paragraph to present your research on loneliness amongst seniors, but maybe three or four paragraphs to show why publicly-funded programs are attractive to senior citizens in particular.

While some students believe, based on the hamburger model, that each new paragraph requires a brand new topic or point, in reality, there is more flexibility to the “rules” of academic writing. As long as each of your paragraphs is tackling one coherent idea at a time,  you may choose to develop a single point over numerous body paragraphs . This is especially true if you have a lot of evidence to discuss!

To learn more about how to write strong body paragraphs at the university level,   check out this WCC resource   on body paragraphs.

Final thoughts…

Keep in mind that  every writing assignment in university is different  and not all papers follow the traditional essay format. In fact, most essay assignments come with specific guidelines from the professor, which you should always follow with care, and ask questions about if you’re unsure.

If you’re transitioning from high school and looking for help with your writing projects, why not check out our new program for first-years, Waterloo Ready to Write ! Or book an appointment with one of our friendly and helpful writing instructors at the WCC. We would love to help you out.

Writing essays in university can be intimidating, especially if you’re new at it. But remember, you’re here for a reason, and you’ve already got a great foundation to start from! Try to think about writing in university as an extension and adaptation of what you already know. If you have an open mind, take your professors’ feedback to heart, and push yourself to try new things, you’ll be setting yourself up for success.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• English Grammar
• Writing Paragraphs

How to Write a Hamburger Paragraph

Last Updated: December 30, 2022 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 90,868 times. Learn more...

Writing a thorough but effective paragraph can be hard, especially if you're still learning some techniques for structuring your writing. The hamburger paragraph technique is easy to remember and easy to use; it offers a "recipe" for writing full and "meaty" paragraphs. Get started a step number one.

Community Q&A

• If you are having problems remembering how to write a hamburger paragraph, draw a picture of the hamburger and on each part either write "Topic Sentence", "Detail," or "Closing Sentence". Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.siue.edu/~tkohler/Writing%2520a%2520Paragraph.html
• ↑ https://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/paragraph_hamburger
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeCv0ifsURA

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Did this article help you?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

Hamburger Paragraph Template for Essay Writing

3-minute read

• 3rd November 2023

It almost sounds like something you might see on a menu at a fast-food restaurant, but a “hamburger paragraph” is a method of essay writing often taught in schools to help students structure their paragraphs effectively. Just as a burger consists of various layers that come together to create a satisfying whole, an essay is built up of paragraphs that follow a specific structure.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of a hamburger paragraph and how it can serve as a handy template for essay writing.

Hamburger Paragraph Template

The template below lists the “ingredients” of a hamburger paragraph:

Top Bun (Topic Sentence):

Introduce the main idea of the paragraph .

Filling (Supporting Detail #1):

Introduce your first supporting detail or example that backs up your main idea.

Filling (Supporting Detail #2):

Introduce your second supporting detail or example.

Filling (Supporting Detail #3):

Introduce your third supporting detail or example. Note: Depending on the depth required, you may have more or fewer supporting details.

Bottom Bun (Concluding Sentence):

Wrap up the paragraph by restating or summarizing the main idea – or transition to the next paragraph . Ensure that every main point or idea presented in the paragraph is well-supported and rounded off with a conclusion or transition.

Example of a Hamburger Paragraph Using the Template

Here’s a paragraph about dogs written following the hamburger paragraph method:

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Dogs have a reputation for being loyal companions.

Filling #1:

Historically, dogs have been known to travel vast distances to reunite with their owners.

Filling #2:

Many breeds have been specifically bred for their loyalty traits, such as Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds.

Filling #3:

Pet owners’ personal experiences further support the claim, with countless stories of dogs displaying unwavering loyalty in various situations.

Bottom Bun:

With their history, breeding, and the personal anecdotes of many, it’s clear why dogs are cherished for their loyalty.

The  hamburger template assists writers, especially those new to essay writing, in assembling a well-structured essay, helping them organize their thoughts and research into a logical format that readers can easily follow. Students can use this structure to ensure they’re fleshing out their ideas adequately and maintaining a logical flow throughout their essays.

So next time you’re writing an essay, think of your paragraphs as a delicious stack of hamburger paragraphs, with each one adding a unique flavor to your overall composition. If you’d like a professional proofreader to review your essay and its structure once you’ve completed your first draft, we’d be happy to help. Check out our essay proofreading services , or try us out by submitting a free sample !

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

4-minute read

The Benefits of Using an Online Proofreading Service

Proofreading is important to ensure your writing is clear and concise for your readers. Whether...

2-minute read

6 Online AI Presentation Maker Tools

Creating presentations can be time-consuming and frustrating. Trying to construct a visually appealing and informative...

What Is Market Research?

No matter your industry, conducting market research helps you keep up to date with shifting...

8 Press Release Distribution Services for Your Business

In a world where you need to stand out, press releases are key to being...

How to Get a Patent

In the United States, the US Patent and Trademarks Office issues patents. In the United...

The 5 Best Ecommerce Website Design Tools 

A visually appealing and user-friendly website is essential for success in today’s competitive ecommerce landscape....

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

How to write a perfect 5 Paragraph Essay

  How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay : A Complete Guide

Essay writing can be the bane of many a student’s life.

Gone are the days when many students tried writing in big letters to fill the allotted number of pages with minimal effort quickly.

Now, it’s all constant word count checks and taking a dozen words to say what could be said in three.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be like this. When students have a clear, set structure to follow, essay writing can be a much less painful experience. Indeed, it can even be enjoyable!

In this article, we’ll outline a clear template our students can follow to produce a well-organised essay on practically any topic effectively.

Let’s get started!

THE HAMBURGER ESSAY – THE STUDENT’S FRIEND

The common 5 paragraph essay structure is often referred to as the hamburger essay . And this is a memorable way to communicate the concept to your students.

The hamburger essay structure consists of five paragraphs or layers as follows:

Layer 1 – The Top Bun: The Introduction

The uppermost layer is the introductory paragraph which communicates to the reader the purpose of the essay.

Layers 2,3, & 4 – The Meat Patties: The Body Paragraphs

These are the meat patties of the essay and each paragraph makes an argument in support of the essay’s central contention as expressed in the introduction.

Layer 5 – The Conclusion: The Bottom Bun

The bottommost layer is the conclusion, where the arguments are summed up and the central contention of the essay is restated forcefully one last time. We have a complete guide to writing a conclusion here .

Soon, we’ll take a closer look at each of these parts in turn. But, there is more to an essay than just the writing of it. There are also the prewriting and post writing stages to consider. We will look at all these aspects in this article, but first, let’s examine what our students need to be doing before they even begin to write their essays.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING PARAGRAPH WRITING

This complete PARAGRAPH WRITING UNIT takes students from zero to hero over FIVE STRATEGIC LESSONS to improve PARAGRAPH WRITING SKILLS through PROVEN TEACHING STRATEGIES.

THE PREWRITING STAGE – DEFINING THE THESIS STATEMENT, RESEARCH & PLANNING

The thesis statement.

Every essay needs a clear focus. This focus is usually defined in a thesis statement that presents the topic of the essay in a sentence or two. The thesis statement should also include the writer’s stance on that topic.

As this will help guide the direction of the essay, it is essential that our students define their thesis statement before they begin the writing process.

Sometimes during the process of writing, we find out what we think about a given topic. The writing process can act as a kind of reflection on the merits of the various arguments, before finally revealing to us our own opinion. This is writing as a method of discovery.

Usually, though, it is more efficient for students to decide on their opinions prior to beginning to write.

Defining their thesis statement early on not only helps guide the students writing, but helps ensure their research is focused and efficient at the crucial prewriting stage.

Research & Planning

As students begin their research and gather their evidence to support their thesis statement, they should also be encouraged to pay particular attention to the counterarguments they come across.

A well-written essay does not ignore opposing viewpoints, students should be taught to preempt counterarguments where possible so as to strengthen the power of their own arguments. Good research is essential for this.

Not so long ago, research meant hours in dusty libraries being constantly shushed, but with the advent of the internet, there is now a wealth of knowledge right at our fingertips (and the end of a good Wifi connection).

While this has made research a much more convenient process, students need to be reminded of the importance of seeking out reliable sources to support their opinions. In an era of ‘fake news’, this is more important now than ever.

As students gather the information and supporting evidence for their essay, they’ll need to organize it carefully. Graphic organizers are an effective way of doing this, either on a paper printout or by using a premade template on the computer.

It can also be helpful for students to sort their collected information according to where they intend to use it in the five-paragraph outline or layers mentioned above.

Finally, while good research, organization, and planning are essential for producing a well-written essay, it’s important that students are reminded that essay writing is also a creative act.

Students should maintain an open mind when it comes to the writing process. They should allow their thoughts and opinions the room to develop over the course of writing their essay. They should leave the door open for including new thoughts and ideas as the writing progresses.

The Writing Stage: Introduction, Body Paragraphs, & Conclusion 

The introduction.

A good introduction paragraph serves a number of important functions. It:

• Grabs the reader’s attention and interest, known as the hook
• Orientates the reader to the essays central argument, the thesis statement
• Outlines briefly the arguments that will be explored in support of the thesis statement.

To become an effective writer, it is important that our students learn the importance of grabbing the reader’s attention, as well as keeping it. Opening with a ‘hook’ or a ‘grabber’ is a great way to achieve this.

There are a number of techniques students can use here. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones.

• The Surprising Fact – this can intrigue the reader to want to find out more, especially if it challenges some of their existing assumptions on a topic.
• The Quotation – a carefully selected quotation can be a great way to secure the reader’s attention and there are many curated quotation collections freely available online to help get students started.
• The Joke – this opening should be used judiciously as for some topics it may not be an appropriate way to open. In the right context however, humor can be a great way to engage the reader from the outset.
• The Anecdote – anecdotes are a great way to personally connect with the essay’s topic. They are a helpful way of climbing down the ladder of abstraction when exploring more theoretical arguments. They assist the reader in relating universal themes to their own lives.

Practice Activity 1:

To encourage students to develop strong opening paragraphs in their essays, it can be helpful to isolate writing opening paragraphs.

In this activity, provide your students with a list of essay topics and challenge them to write four different opening paragraphs for their essay, one each for The Surprising Fact , The Quotation , The Joke , and The Anecdote as listed above.

When students have completed their four paragraphs, they can then share with each other in groups and discuss which worked best and why.

This activity will help students to remember the different types of opening and how they work. It will also give them a feel for which openings work best for different types of essays.

We’ve already discussed what a thesis statement is and what it is intended to achieve, but where does it fit into the overall shape of the introductory paragraph exactly?

While there are no hard and fast rules here, thesis statements work well towards the end of the introductory paragraph – especially as the paragraph’s final sentence.

Readers are often hardwired to look for the thesis statement there. It connects the arguments that follow in the body paragraphs to the preceding sentences and contextualizes the essay for the reader.

THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

Now we get to the ‘meat’ of our essay. Each of the body paragraphs will explore one of the arguments supporting the thesis statement as laid out in the introduction.

While we are focused on the 5 paragraph essay here, longer essays will usually be constructed in exactly the same manner, they’ll just include more body paragraphs to cover the extra level of detail.

Generally, each body paragraph will open by stating the argument, with subsequent sentences supporting that argument by providing evidence along with some further explanation. Finally, a statement or phrase will help transition to the next paragraph.

The PEEL Paragraph Writing Process

The acronym PEEL can be a very useful tool to help students to understand how to organize each of their body paragraphs.

P oint : start the paragraph by expressing the central argument

E vidence : support the central argument of the paragraph by providing evidence or reasons. Evidence may come in many forms including facts and statistics, quotations from a text or other authority, reference to historical events etc.

E xplanation : explain how the evidence provided supports the paragraph’s central argument.

L ink : provide a transition into the next paragraph by linking this argument and the central thesis to the next point to be made.

Practice Activity 2:

Just as students isolated the opening to their introductory paragraph for practice purposes, in this activity they’ll isolate a single argument on a chosen essay topic.

When they have chosen a topic and selected a single argument related to that topic, they can begin to write one body paragraph using the PEEL structure outlined above.

This activity works well when several students write on the same argument. When each has completed their paragraphs, they can then compare the results with each other.

It can be a fascinating experiment that allows the students to see just how diverse different treatments of the same argument using the same PEEL formula can be – there is freedom within the discipline of the structure!

THE CONCLUSION

The purpose of the conclusion is to close the circle of the essay. It is a chance for the writer to restate the thesis statement, summarize the main arguments, and tie up any loose ends as the writer drives home their point one last time.

At this stage of the game, no new arguments should be introduced. However, students should revisit the previous arguments made in the body paragraphs and it is acceptable to offer up a new insight or two on these.

The student should take care here to make sure they leave no doubt in the reader’s mind that the essay question is fully answered. One useful way of doing this is by incorporating words and phrases from the essay question into the conclusion itself.

To help students grasp the underlying structure of a concluding paragraph, the following sequential structure is useful to keep in mind:

• Starts with a closing phrase such as In conclusion , There is no doubt , Finally etc
• Restates the main thesis statement
• Summarizes the main point of each of the body paragraphs
• Leaves the reader with something to think about.

Practice Activity 3:

Again, here we will isolate the concluding paragraph for focused practice.

Students select a topic they know well, decide what they think about that topic, write down a few key arguments, and then begin writing a concluding paragraph to an essay on that topic.

Students should use the template above to structure that material.

You could also include an element of peer assessment here by having students swap their paragraphs with each other, before offering each other feedback.

The Post Writing Stage: Editing & Proofreading YOUR 5 paragraph ESSAY

The final stage of writing a five-paragraph essay is perhaps the least glamorous of an unglamorous process, but no less essential for it – the editing and proofreading.

Often, our students overlook this stage. After completing the process of research, planning, and writing their five-paragraph essay, they let themselves down at this final, crucial stage.

Frequently, students fail to adequately edit and proofread their work not just because of laziness, but because they are unsure of exactly what this process entails.

To avoid this, ensure students understand that editing and proofreading involve reading through and correcting mistakes in the following areas one after the other:

• Text Organisation: title, headings, layout etc
• Sentence Structure: coherence, grammar , sentence variety etc
• Word Choice: suitable word choices, avoid repetition etc
• Spelling and Punctuation: accuracy in both areas.

Practice Activity 4:

Once students have completed their essays, appoint each a partner to work with and each then edits and proofreads the other person’s work.

Sometimes students struggle to gain the necessary distance from their own work to adequately edit and proofread it, this exercise overcomes that issue while giving them an opportunity to gain some valuable editing and proofreading experience that will benefit them in future.

CLOSING THE CIRCLE

So, there you have it – how to write a five-paragraph essay from start to finish. As with anything, the more practice students get, the quicker they will improve.

But, bear in mind too that writing essays is hard work and you don’t want to put students off.

The best way to provide opportunities for students to develop the various skills related to essay writing is to isolate them in the manner apparent in the activities described above.

This way, students can soon sharpen up their skills, without learning to dread the word ‘essay’ itself!

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

Five Paragraph Essay exampleS (Student Writing Samples)

Below are a collection of student writing samples of 5 paragraph essays.  Click on the image to enlarge and explore them in greater detail.  Please take a moment to both read the 5 paragraph essay in detail but also the teacher and student guides which highlight some of the key elements of this structured model of essay writing here.

Please understand these student writing samples are not intended to be perfect examples for each age or grade level but a piece of writing for students and teachers to explore together to critically analyze to improve student writing skills and deepen their understanding of 5 paragraph essay writing.

We would recommend reading the example either a year above and below, as well as the grade you are currently working with to gain a broader appreciation of this text type.

5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY VIDEO TUTORIALS

Using the "Hamburger Method" to Write an Essay: Planning the Essay

• Planning the Essay
• Writing Paragraphs

Use the video and downloadable documents on the left to help you follow the instruction in the right-hand column.

The Top Bun: The Introduction Paragraph

• Begin with a "hook" to catch your reader's attention and then broad general information to introduce your topic.
• Narrow down your information and end your introduction with your thesis statement. See video  How to Write a Thesis for Beginners for more help.
• The premises of your thesis statement provide the road map for your body paragraph.

The Good Stuff: The Body Paragraphs

• Each body paragraph supports a premise from your thesis.
• See the next tab "Planning the Paragraph" for tips on writing your body paragraphs.
• Begin with your weakest point and build to your strongest.
• Your ideas should have a logical flow
• Some premises will take more than one paragraph to fully develop or defend a single premise.
• As your writing skills advance, your university-level papers should have more than three body paragraphs.
• Ultimately the instructor's assignment guidelines and you, as the author of the paper, decide how many paragraphs are needed to provide the proper evidence to support your premises.
• When moving beyond the three paragraph model, pay close attention to the logical arrangement of your paragraphs to ensure your reader can follow your thought processes.

The Bottom Bun: The Conclusion Paragraph

• Restate your thesis statement using different words.
• Summarize each paragraph or premise of your essay.
• Impact : a compelling fact, quote, or statistic that hightlights the impact of your topic or argument
• Synthesis: how the paper's most important arguments connect and why the connections are significant
• Applications: how your findings can be used in other contexts
• Implications : broad efffects or consequences of your thesis
• Proposal: a course of action or resolution to a problem presented in the paper

Adapted from Dunn, Emma, "How to Turn the High School "Hamburger" Essay into a University-level Paper." Writing and Communication Centre: September 14, 2020. University of Waterloo. Accessed November 24, 2023. https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/blog/how-turn-high-school-hamburger-essay-university-level-paper. 

• << Previous: Overview
• Next: Writing Paragraphs >>
• Last Updated: Nov 25, 2023 12:41 AM
• URL: https://library.cdu.edu/hamburger-method

Lorem ipsum, dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Minima voluptatum, soluta doloribus obcaecati eius ex, iure quas mollitia quaerat autem fugiat dolores animi. Optio fugiat quos, iusto id aperiam ut. Placeat similique natus fugit sequi saepe eius nisi ipsam? Saepe architecto id ducimus quaerat, quo ut autem aliquid ipsum vitae quibusdam, labore illo veniam cumque necessitatibus cupiditate dignissimos sunt illum?

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

ESL Essay Writing: 7 Important Tips to Teach Students Plus Resources for Writing Lessons

“Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end.”

This is true for a good essay, too.

An essay needs a coherent structure to successfully articulate its arguments. Strong preparation and planning is crucial to providing that structure.

Of course, essay writing can be challenging for ESL students. They must order their thoughts and construct their arguments—all in their second language.

So, here are seven ESL essay writing tips that will allow your students to weave together a coherent and persuasive essay, plus teacher resources for writing activities, prompts and lessons!

1. Build the Essay Around a Central Question

2. use the traditional 5-paragraph essay structure, 3. plan the essay carefully before writing, 4. encourage research and rewriting, 5. practice utilizing repetition, 6. aim to write a “full circle” essay, 7. edit the essay to the end, esl essay writing resources.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Encourage your students to build all their writing around one central question.

That central question is the engine of the writing—it should drive everything!

If a word or sentence is not assisting that forward motion toward the explication of that question and its possible answers, then it needs to be reworded, rephrased or just plain cut out and discarded.

Lean writing is merciless. Focusing on a central question throughout the prewriting, writing and rewriting stages helps develop the critical faculties required to discern what to keep and what to throw away.

Providing a clear structure for the student to approach essay writing can do a lot to build their confidence. The 5-paragraph essay, or “hamburger” essay, provides that clear structure for ESL writers.

Generally, this structure employs five separate paragraphs for the entire essay. Each paragraph serves a specific purpose, melding together to form a coherent whole:

• Paragraph 1: The introductory paragraph. This includes the thesis statement, orientating the reader to the purpose of the essay.
• Paragraphs 2 to 4: The body paragraphs. These make individual points that are further backed up by various forms of evidence.
• Paragraph 5:  The conclusion paragraph. This provides a summation of the arguments and a final statement of the thesis.

While students do not need to rigidly follow this format forever, the simple structure outlined above can serve as excellent training wheels for your writers.

Using the 5-paragraph structure as outlined above makes planning clear cut.

Once they have their theses and are planning their paragraphs, share with the students the ridiculously useful acronym P.E.E. This stands for Point, Explanation and Evidence.

Each body paragraph should make a point or argument in favor of the central thesis, followed by an explanation of this point and relevant evidence to back it up.

Students can make note of all their points, explanations and evidence before they start writing them in essay form. This helps take away some of the pressure ESL writers feel when faced with a blank page.

Extol the necessity for students to constantly refer to their planning. The mind-mapping techniques popularized by Tony Buzan can be useful at the planning stage and make for easy reference points to ensure focus is maintained throughout the essay.

Having a visual reference such as this can help ensure that your student-writers see each piece of the whole as well as that elusive “bigger picture,” so it becomes a case of seeing the forest and the trees!

Just as planning is crucial, so too is research.

Often ideas or connections do not occur until the writing process has begun. This is a good thing! Essay writing is a creative act, so students can have more ideas along the way and work them in as they go.

The key is to always be able to back up these ideas. Students who have done their research on their subject will be much more confident and articulate in expressing their arguments in their writing.

One way you can help students with context and research is to show relevant video content via FluentU . This language learning program uses authentic videos made by and for native speakers to help students learn English.

You can watch videos as a class or assign them directly to students for individual viewing. Videos come equipped with interactive bilingual subtitles and other learning tools such as multimedia flashcards and personalized quizzes so you can see how each student is doing.

No matter how your students do their research, the important thing is that they explore and understand their topic area before beginning the big task of writing their essay.

Even with thorough planning and research, writing oneself into a linguistic cul-de-sac is a common error. Especially with higher-level students, unforeseen currents can pull the student-writer off course.

Sometimes abandoning such a sentence helps. Going back to the drawing board and rewriting it is often best.

Students can be creative with their sentence structures   when expressing simpler ideas and arguments. However, when it comes to more complex concepts, help them learn to use shorter sentences to break their arguments into smaller, more digestible chunks.

Essay writing falls firmly in the camp of non-fiction. However, that doesn’t mean that essay writers can’t use some of the techniques more traditionally associated with fiction, poetry and drama .

One technique that’s particularly useful in essay writing is repetition. Just as poetry relies heavily on rhythm, so too does argument. Repetition can provide that sense of rhythm.

This is because written language has its origins in oral language. Think of the great orators and demagogues and their use of repetition. Speechwriters, too, are well aware of the power of repetition.

The writing principle of the “rule of 3” states that ideas expressed in these terms are more convincing and memorable. This is true of both spoken and written words and the ideas they express. Teach your students to use this method in their essay writing.

The very structure of the 5-paragraph essay lends itself to planning for this repetition, in fact. Each idea that is explored in a body paragraph should be outlined first in the introductory paragraph.

Then, the single body paragraph devoted to the idea will explore it at greater length, supported by evidence. And the third rap of the hammer occurs in the summation of the concluding paragraph, driving the point securely and convincingly home.

As mentioned at the start of this post, every good essay has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Each point made, explained and supported by evidence is a step toward what the writing teacher Roy Peter Clark calls “closing the circle of meaning.”

In planning for the conclusion of the essay, the students should take the opportunity to reaffirm their position. By referring to the points outlined in the introduction and driving them home one last time, the student-writer is bringing the essay to a satisfying full circle.

This may be accomplished by employing various strategies: an apt quotation, referring to future consequences or attempting to inspire and mobilize the reader.

Ending with a succinct quotation has the double benefit of lending some authoritative weight to the argument while also allowing the student to select a well-written, distilled expression of their central thesis. This can make for a strong ending, particularly for ESL students.

Often the essay thesis will suggest its own ending. If the essay is structured around a problem, it’s frequently appropriate to end the essay by offering solutions to the problem and outlining potential consequences if those solutions are not followed.

In the more polemical type of essay, the student may end with a call to arms, a plea for action on the part of the reader.

The strategy chosen by the student will depend largely on what fits the central thesis of their essay best.

For the ESL student, the final edit is especially important.

It offers a final chance to check form and meaning. For all writers, this process can be daunting, but more so for language students.

Often, ESL students will use the same words over and over again due to a limited vocabulary. Encourage your students to employ a thesaurus in the final draft before submission. This will freshen up their work, making it more readable, and will also increase their active vocabulary in the long run!

Another useful strategy at this stage is to encourage students to read their work aloud before handing it in.

This can be good pronunciation practice , but it also provides an opportunity to listen for grammatical errors. Further, it helps students hear where punctuation is required in the text, helping the overall rhythm and readability of the writing.

To really help your students become master essay writers, you’ll want to provide them with plenty of opportunities to test and flex their skills.

Writing prompts and exercises are a good place to start:

Descriptive writing activities encourage students to get creative and use their five senses, literary devices and diverse vocabulary. Read on for eight descriptive writing…

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-writing-projects/ https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-picture-description/

Giving good ESL writing prompts is important because inspiring prompts inspire students to write more and writing more is how they improve. Read this post to learn 50…

You’ll likely also want to teach them more about the mechanics of writing :

Are you looking for ESL writing skills to share with your ESL students? In this guide, you’ll find different ESL writing techniques, such as helping students understand…

Would you like to introduce journal writing into your ESL classes? Fantastic idea! Here are 9 essential tips to make it creative, engaging and fun.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-writing-lessons/

Essays are a great way not only for students to learn how the language works, but also to learn about themselves.

Formulating thoughts and arguments about various subjects is good exercise for not only the students’ linguistic faculties, but also for understanding who they are and how they see the world.

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

Free Editable Hamburger Paragraph Examples

Frequently writing reports and paragraphs is common for students and professionals. In writing paragraphs, the thing that matters the most is your original writing. Even if you use helping content and websites, your writing skills will demonstrate your understanding of the topic. Hamburger paragraph is the most suitable graphic organizer for writing essays, paragraphs and reports.

1. What is a Hamburger Paragraph?

A hamburger paragraph is a graphic organizers that illustrates the key parts of paragraphs or other writings. It outlines the main points of various writings such as reports and essays to ensure that the writer follows the correct format and information hierarchy. Educators use hamburger graphic organizers to help students understand how to convert their ideas into organized text. With its help, most students learn to share their concepts with cohesive paragraphs and better understand paragraph writing structure.

2. Hamburger Paragraph Examples

Here are some of the most commonly used hamburger paragraph templates from EdrawMax's templates community. The purpose of these templates is to help students understand the concept of writing structures and idea organization. A hamburger graphic organizer makes it easier to visually represent the relationship between information in any paragraph or report. Our paragraph hamburger templates examples will help you better understand hamburger format writing. Check out these examples and pick a suitable template for your writing assignment.

Example 1: Hamburger Paragraph

This is a hamburger paragraph template. There are three parts of a paragraph hamburger. The first part is the top bun, which is the topic sentence of your writing. In this part, you explain your paragraph and your main idea. Under the topic sentence, you add the burger filling, which contains supporting information regarding your topic sentence. The third part is the bottom bun of the hamburger. You conclude your paragraph in this section by writing a few sentences about your main idea and making a reference to your topic sentence.

Example 2: Hamburger Graphic Organizer

This is an example of a hamburger graphic organizer. Students use these templates to make assignments and improve their writing skills and idea organization. The hamburger in this template contains five parts. The top bun where students add their topic sentence and give the main idea. The second part contains supporting sentences to provide more information about the topic. The third part connects to the second part and gives more supporting information about the subject. With such a template, you can keep adding supportive details till you prove your point and reach a conclusion.

Example 3: Hamburger Writing

Hamburger writing outlines come in various formats, but the key structure of each hamburger graphic organizer is similar. The template in this example resembles a hamburger from the inside and outside. The topic, supporting, and conclusion are part of the hamburger. Paragraph hamburger template helps you understand an ideal way to depict the relationship between pieces of information. The paragraph starts with the topic sentence and the main idea. In the filling section, you add two or three supporting paragraphs and conclude your writing in the last area.

Example 4: Hamburger Paragraph Writing Template

A hamburger paragraph writing template is mainly used for teaching purposes, and it helps students understand various writing structures and graphic organizers. There is a hamburger on the left side and a writing area on the right side in this example. The colors and lines represent which part of the hamburger represents which part of the paragraph. The top bun is the topic sentence, the filling is the supporting sentence, the bottom bun is the conclusion sentence. Students have to write the main idea, details and conclusion of the paragraph in an organized order.

Example 5: Hamburger Paragraph Examples

This is one of the most commonly used hamburger paragraph examples. There are three parts to this sandwich template. The topic sentence is the first part where students write the main idea of the target paragraph to explain the purpose of their writing. The second part is the body of the sandwich, which is further divided into two or three sections. Each of these sections contains details and supporting sentences regarding the topic sentence. All arguments and related information are mostly written in the body. In the last part, students conclude their writing and give their final thoughts.

Example 6: Hamburger Paragraph Template

The hamburger paragraph templates use a hamburger as a metaphor to describe the writing structure of any paragraph or report. The first section of the paragraph is the topic sentence that resembles any hamburger's top bun, and it provides the main idea and direction of the paragraph in question. The second section is the details and support statements that resemble the filling in a hamburger. The third section is the paragraph's conclusion that mirrors the bottom bun of a hamburger.

Click on the image to edit. Source: EdrawMax Online

3. Online Hamburger Graphic Organizer Maker

A graphic organizer maker is a helping tool for educators and students to create hamburger graphic organizers for assignments and other teaching purposes. EdrawMax Online is the best hamburger graphic organizer maker out there. Most educators use paragraph hamburgers to teach their students, but they don't usually have spare time to make a graphic designer from scratch because it takes some time and effort.

With EdrawMax, teachers can use professional templates and customization tools to create any graphic organizer in minutes. Having pre-made templates makes all the difference because there is zero possibility of making any mistake or using the wrong format.

4. Key Takeaways

Hamburger paragraph helps students understand how to organize ideas and share their concepts. It is a creative method to showcase the ideal paragraph writing structure. The hamburger graphic organizer contains the key parts of a paragraph, and it takes a hamburger as a metaphor to organize information. It helps increase students' creativity while learning how to relate information in paragraphs.

As a result, it is important to find a stauible tool for making hamburger paragraph examples. EdrawMax Online is an ideal graphic organizer maker, because it only takes a few clicks for you to select a template and create a hamburger graphic organizer . You also find many shapes and icons in its symbol library. Find more graphic organizer template in the template community.

Best Ideas on Designing a Father's Day Cards

NBA Playoffs 2024 | A Quick Guide for Beginners

Best Ideas on Mother's Day Cards Printable

A Detailed Guide on Easter Flyers Designs

Basics of Easter Printables

10+ free card templates.

Writing an Essay is Like Making a Hamburger

• Share article

What does a hamburger have to do with persuasive writing? Plenty if you’re a student in the rural Jackson County, W.V., school system. The district last year launched a comprehensive literacy strategy to help its 4,700 students put their thoughts down on paper in an organized manner. The strategy--a popular approach across the country that employs the hamburger image as a graphic organizer-- is used in grades K-12 and throughout the curriculum. The top bun is the thesis, the bottom bun the conclusion, and the meat of the essay is sandwiched in between. Rhonda Jelich, the district’s director of elementary education and staff development, told Education Week that the literacy lessons are age-appropriate, but the concept is to give all students a writing structure - a visual way to construct an essay. Fourth grader Briana Sotomayor put this strategy to good use by penning a winning essay for the district’s drug-and-alcohol-prevention competition. We asked her to explain how she writes using the hamburger model.

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Hamburger Model: What Are Its Elements?

Hamburger essay format: why is it effective, hamburger essay outline: is it advisable to use it, hamburger style essay: yummy writing for the best grades.

Hamburger style essay is a type of essay that resembles a hamburger by its structure. Just like each part of burger plays its role in the taste of the traditional hamburger, so does each segment of an essay, it plays a crucial role in our vision of the essay we’re reading.

People often have tasks to write some sorts of essays, yet they may lack creativity or need a plan to do it. That is where the hamburger model comes into play. It provides a very simple plan that makes it easy for a person to write an essay, even if he or she has never written even a short story, not to mention an essay with research on something.

The idea behind a hamburger style is to make planning an essay outline easy and simple just as simple as hamburger itself is, so that nobody ever had hard times writing an essay about anything he or she desires.

How is your hamburger essay writing done? What is common between this yummy dish and your school assignment? The hamburger method of writing is pretty simple, once you’ve started looking at it. Let’s look at the hamburger model.

Hamburger writing model resembles a hamburger for a reason. Every hamburger is composed of the top bun, then lettuce or onion, tomato, burger and bottom bun. Five parts. Remember this number. You may feel surprised: What’s the catch? What’s in common with essays? Well, here is an answer.

Your essays are also composed of parts, such as introduction, first, second and third paragraphs and conclusion. Five elements. Just like with hamburger. Each hamburger model paragraph plays its own and unique part in forming the way how the reader sees the essay.

Five Paragraph Essay Hamburger: What Are Functions of Each of Them?

Let's look through each of the elements of five paragraph essay hamburger and review them in detail.

Three paragraphs which are called “meat” take most of the essay’s space and are divided into three paragraphs: Point, evidence, and explanation.

“We should take care of the eco-balance on our planet.”

We’ve stated about the problem we’re going to write about.

“We’re putting more effort in the development of green sources of energy.”

We’re giving evidence for the point. In order to take care of eco-balance, we fund green sources of energy to give evidence that we’re looking after the environment.

“We must protect mother nature because we’re dependent on it and if she dies, we will die as well because we’re part of nature. If we don’t care about nature, we don’t care about ourselves.”

We bind the evidence with the point. We explain why we must do something.

• Conclusion Just as it says – it is meant to sum up the whole essay and give your final summary, where you tell what you’ve found out during your research and how did it changed the way you see life and everything around you.

Hamburger essay format is that popular because of its simplicity. Just like hamburger, it is composed of five essential components, all of which are easy to make. And to readers, it’s as appealing as hamburger is tasty and really addictive to everyone who likes McDonald's and fast food.

Hamburger essay is one of the best examples of the perfect essay outline. It is simple and easy to be composed, just like hamburger. Its parts are simple as well if you know what you want to write about.

So whether you’re an experienced essayist or a new writer, hamburger essay model is totally advisable for you to use.

Hamburger Graphic Organizer Complete Guide

Edraw content team, do you want to make your hamburger graphic ogranizer.

EdrawMax specializes in diagramming and visualizing. Learn from this hamburger graphic organizer complete guide to know everything about hamburger graphic organizer. Just try it free now!

Students and experts often write reports and paragraphs for educational purposes. The most important part of writing paragraphs is their original writing. Your writing abilities will indicate your subject knowledge even if you use reference materials and websites. The Hamburger paragraph is the professional graphic organizer for essays, paragraphs, and reports.

The Hamburger Graphic Organizer is the most exquisite of digital mind maps for both students and instructors. These hamburger paragraph samples will assist you in teaching your children the elements of a strong paragraph. Begin with the top bun, which represents the topic sentence, and explains the concept of the paragraph. And then comes the tasty supporting sentences/details: Onions, Tomatoes, ketchup, bacon, mustard, and a beef patty (100% vegetarian). Now, finish the paragraph with a bottom bun, also known as a concluding sentence that relates to the topic phrase. A Hamburger Graphic Organizer is an essential part of modern learning.

1. What is Hamburger Graphic Organizer

The " paragraph hamburger " is a writing organizer that visually highlights the critical parts of a paragraph. A topic sentence, descriptive sentences, and a concluding sentence are the core elements of solid writing. Each of these elements forms a distinct piece of a hamburger. It defines the major components of various types of writing, such as reports and essays, to assure that the writer sticks to the proper structure and information pyramid. Educators utilize hamburger visual organizers to help pupils comprehend how to organize their thoughts into writing. Many pupils learn to convey their ideas with integrated paragraphs and better understand paragraph writing structure with its aid. Hamburger Graphic Organizer assists in illustrating the organization or structure of ideas and displays how information is connected realistically.

The hamburger graphic organizer is a writing organizer that visually highlights the critical parts of a paragraph.

2. Benefits of Using Hamburger Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers are commonly used these days for learning and professional purposes. Hamburger Graphic Organizer is a very common type of graphic organizers. Students and teachers usually use it for learning and building concepts. Some of its benefits are given below:

• Hamburger Graphic Organizers are simple but effective tools that can assist children with dyspraxia, executive functioning disorders, and other challenges that might cause writing issues.
• A visual organizer does more than just divide a task into more manageable steps. It may also help children organize their thoughts visually. They can learn best by using a such strategic techniques.
• Academic skills can be improved using Hamburger Graphic Organizer.
• This Organizer assists learners in clarifying their thoughts before commencing formal writing in detail.

3. How to Use a Hamburger Graphic Organizer

Hamburger Graphic Organizer is based on the hamburger method. While giving a constructive compliment on anything the individual performs well, you should start with a constructive remark (Otherwise known as the fluffy bun part). Then you come to the heart of the affair, which is, of course, constructive criticism. Writing an essay is very much like making a hamburger. Consider the prologue and epilogue as the bread pieces, with the "meat" of your argument sandwiched between these. The introduction contains your thesis statement, whereas the conclusion summarises your argument. Both should be limited to a few phrases. As an instructor, if you want to teach your students to create a hamburger paragraph, you need to give them a set of instructions that will help them complete the task. There are students with varying learning skills, kids with reading difficulties, younger learners, and second language learners, and they all need these instructions to proceed with educational writing.

• Give them several samples of some well-written paragraphs and ask them to identify the components. Encourage students to go through them on their own by offering several paragraphs with labelled sections.
• Give participants some of the already completed pieces. For example, you may give them all of the "filler" sentences and ask them to produce an excellent introduction or closing statement.
• Provide them with already filled-in examples. Suggest that they cut out each section and then reassemble the pieces.
• Instruct them to locate a passage in their textbook. See if the students can identify the different parts of the text. Make them rewrite the textbook passage if required!
• Encourage them to verbalize the paragraph before writing it. Make use of scaffolding. For instance, "What is one thing you'd want to tell me about Fido (child's dog's name)?" "How much fun is Fido to cuddle with?" (Inquire for further information.) "So, what did you say about Fido?" (conclusion).

4. How to Make a Hamburger Graphic Organizer in General

Writing a solid paragraph is the core of composition writing. In addition, the concepts that teach our primary students about paragraph writing will help them for the rest of their lives. The hamburger model is an effective way to get students to practice writing. The hamburger model, also known as a sandwich model, is a composing strategy that assists students in constructing a paragraph or an essay. This model uses a paragraph structure of "introduction - supporting details - conclusion". It may help produce an organized and coherent paragraph.

1. Describe three main points of a paragraph:

• The Top Bun : It describes the topic sentence of a paragraph. This sentence represents the basic concept. The top bun is another name for the topic sentence.
• The middle or supporting sentence : The middle section provides reasoning, facts, and explanations, among other things, to justify the main topic statement.
• The Bottom Bun : This is an ending sentence of a paragraph.

2. Encourage students to construct a topic sentence that shows what the rest of the paragraph will contain.

3. Students should write multiple supporting statements that provide more details on the topic.

4. Teach to develop an ending sentence that reiterates the topic sentence.

5. How to Make a Hamburger Graphic Organizer in EdrawMax

Creating a Hamburger Graphic Organizer in EdrawMax is an easy process. The free visual organizer creator has multiple features, such as importing data straight from a .csv file or building one from scratch using free templates. In this article, a complete guide is provided to help you make a great hamburger writing graphic organizer.

Step1 Open EdrawMax and Login

Log in to EdrawMax with your registered email account. If you have never used EdrawMax before, you just need to create your new account by registering into EdrawMax with your personal or professional email ID.

Step2 Choose a Built-In Template

EdrawMax is one of the best free graphics organize templates. By clicking "Education" from the left navigation panel, you may choose a pre-designed theme from the product or service based on your desire or necessity. It will show a wide range of graphic organizer styles. Additionally, on the EdrawMax Online canvas, hit "+" to start from scratch and design a graphic organizer.

Step3 Select the Symbol

You can use a symbol bank to add your favourite symbols to ready-made templates or use these symbols to create a customized hamburger writing graphic organizer. It is located on the left of the screen and comprises basic drawings and arrow shapes. Diagrams, Graphs, Charts, Clip Art, Icons, festivals, Education, Design elements, and other figures are featured in the symbols library. With suitable icons and content, you may create an effective graphic organizer. You can add any logo to the sketching page by dragging and dropping it.

Step4 Add Components and Text

In this step, you will insert text in your Hamburger Graphic Organizer template. Double click on the sample text boxes, and write your required information in those boxes. Using different text tools will help you create a great graphic organizer template.

Step5 Customize the Details

Several tools in the EdrawMax will help you modify the graphic organizer design according to your needs. You can use various options that include a pen tool, pencil tool, text tool, connectors, formatting of shapes option, the movement of point tools, drawing of geometrical forms, the motion of anchor points, etc.

Step6 Export & Share

Once your graphic organizer is finished, you can easily export and share it with your colleagues or customers. A graphic organizer can be exported in various forms, including Graphics, JPEG, PDF, and HTML. You can also publish the designs on other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Line.

Basically, it is simple to create a hamburger graphic organizer in EdrawMax, just grab a template and keep customizing, drag and drop professinal symbols to make your plan better. If you are still confusing about how to create a hamburger graphic organizer in EdrawMax, just check this graphic organizer guide , or check the video below. Or you can find more tutorial videos from our Youtube .

6. Free Hamburger Graphic Organizer Examples & Templates

There are 6 examples of hamburger graphic organizer that you can refer or use immediately. Just click the image to download EdrawMax , and download the templates accordingly. Then double click to open the templates and customize as your prefer. Or open the templates from EdrawMax Online, and duplicate the templates. Click this graphic organizer examples to get more inspirations.

Example 1: Hamburger Paragraph

This template is for the Hamburger paragraph. A paragraph hamburger is made up of three pieces. The first component is the top bun, which contains your topic statement. This section is where you describe your paragraph and key concept. You place the burger filler beneath the theme sentence, which offers supportive evidence about your topic statement. The third component is the hamburger's bottom bread. In this area, you end your paragraph by adding a few phrases regarding your primary concept and referencing your topic sentence.

Example 2: Hamburger Graphic Organizer

This template is for Hamburger Graphic Organizer. Students use these templates to create projects, enhance their writing abilities, and organize their ideas. This Hamburger template has five sections. The uppermost bun is where students put their theme phrase and explain their key points. The second section includes supporting statements that give further details about the problem. The third section links to the second and provides additional information about the topic. You can keep adding these supporting details and statements until you prove your claim and reach a conclusion.

Example 3: Hamburger Writing

Hamburger writing contours are available in a variety of formats, but the basic structure of each hamburger graphic organizer is the same. In this case, from the inside out template resembles a hamburger. This hamburger template includes a theme, supporting evidence, and a conclusion. This hamburger writing template will assist you in understanding the best way to portray the correlation between pieces of data. You must present the thesis statement and the theme first in any paragraph. In the stuffing section, you add up to three supporting passages before wrapping up your writing in the final segment.

Example 4: Hamburger Paragraph Writing Template

A hamburger paragraph writing template is primarily used in the classroom to make the students understand different writing frameworks and graphic organizers. This template has a hamburger on the left and a writing portion on the right. The uppermost area of the hamburger has a top bun that corresponds to the topic statement of the paragraph, the filling represents the supporting pieces of evidence, and at the bottom, the lower bun represents the concluding phrase. Students must learn to write the topic phrase, details, and the final sentence in a logical order.

Example 5: Blank Hamburger Graphic Organizer

This example is one of the most common kinds of Hamburger Graphic Organizer templates. This sandwich-shaped template is divided into three distinct sections. Students explain the concept of the target passage in the topic sentence to give information about their text. The second element which is also called the sandwich's body has two or three segments. All of these segments include information and supporting phrases about the topic sentence. The body contains a high proportion of reasoning and relevant information. Students conclude their writing and share their closing remarks in the final section.

Example 6: Hamburger Graphic Organizer for Writing

The hamburger graphic organizer for writing explain the writing format of any passage or report using a hamburger as an analogy. The first section of a paragraph is its topic or thesis statement which defines the direction and the main idea of the paragraph, and it closely resembles the top bread bun of a hamburger. The supporting phrases in the middle portion resemble the fillings of the hamburger. At last, the third segment of the paragraph is the conclusion that reflects the bottom bun of a hamburger.

7. Free Hamburger Graphic Organizer Software

EdrawMax is a free and widely used hamburger graphic organizer software in this category. It is popular among beginners because it provides simple, minimalistic features and easy-to-follow guidelines. It is being used in multiple businesses, educational, and social projects. This software has numerous features. Some prime features include:

• EdrawMax comes with a free version where you get to access some of the amazing design features. You can use this free hamburger graphic organizer creator to create over 280 types of different diagrams -- all in one single canvas.
• EdrawMax offers over 50,000 vector-enabled symbols. In our ' Predefined Library ' section, you will find all the hamburger graphic organizer-related symbols.
• EdrawMax lets you create great hamburger graphic organizers and provides you with additional features where you can share your file to different social media platforms or directly share the URL in your email to your client or architect.
• In addition to having over 25 million registered users, this free hamburger graphic organizer creator comes with extensive online resources. From video tutorials to elaborated guides just like this one, you will always find the right symbols, tips, and ways to create awesome hamburger graphic organizers for your projects.

8. Final Thoughts

The hamburger paragraph assists students in organizing their thoughts and sharing their opinions. It is a unique way to demonstrate the ideal narrative writing layout. The Hamburger Graphic Organizer contains the main components of a paragraph and organizes information using a hamburger as a metaphor. It encourages students' creative thinking while teaching them how to connect details in paragraphs. It only takes a few clicks to select a template and create a Hamburger Graphic Organizer.

It encourages students' creative thinking while teaching them how to connect details in paragraphs. Because it only takes a few clicks to select a template and create a hamburger graphic organizer, EdrawMax is the professional graphic organizer creator. Its symbol library also contains a large number of shapes and visuals. You can find many Hamburger Graphic Organizer templates in the template community.

Graphic Organizer Complete Guide

Check this complete guide to know everything about graphic organizer, like graphic organizer types, and how to make a graphic organizer.

You May Also Like

Compare and contrast graphic organizer complete guide, quality control flowchart, conceptual framework complete guide, dichotomous keys complete guide, rack diagram complete guide.

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

FREE Book Bracket Template. For March and Beyond!

Why the “Hamburger” Essay Has Gone Stale

And ways to freshen your students’ writing!

The last year has taught educators that we must update many tried and true methods. Especially given the time constraints placed on teachers–whether teaching virtually or face-to-face. I’d like to suggest an important change. Stop requiring the hamburger style, five-paragraph essay. There is no rule that five paragraphs make the best essay. In fact, this unwritten rule leads to restrictive, repetitive, and often content-weak essays. It’s time to get rid of the hamburger essay!

Bye, bye buns

Sure, teachers still assign this style of essay for a reason. It is easy and efficient, but that is often the problem. Many students write through the motions to make their ideas fit into the hamburger style because they’ve been taught to do for so long. Even many state writing assessments still encourage the five-paragraph essay. This requirement often leads to drawn-out and monotonous essays, just so the student can check the boxes.

In his article, Kill the 5-Paragraph Essay , John Warner writes, “The five-paragraph essay is indeed a genre, but one that is entirely uncoupled from anything resembling meaningful work when it comes to developing a fully mature writing process.” The five-paragraph assignment often causes students to focus on how the essay should look rather than what the essay should say.

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

Serve up choice and voice

My favorite college professor once said he wanted two things from us when we wrote or presented in his class: to be informed and to be entertained. He told us to focus on what we wanted to say and then figure out how to say it.

A quick look at College Board requirements for essays encourages students to consider the following topics: subject, occasion, audience, and purpose. Challenge students to really focus on what they want to say. Encourage students to ask these questions: What is my goal? Why is this important to me? Why should this be important to others? The main goal of any essay should be to help the reader understand your thesis by organizing the ideas in a logical manner to support it. Answering these questions will help the student craft a strong thesis; without it, the essay is just wilted lettuce and mushy buns.

Size shouldn’t matter

The three-pronged thesis statement approach provided the meat, lettuce, and tomato of the hamburger essay. But this also forces students to develop three, and only three, main ideas to support. Sometimes two, four, or more may be just what is needed. As for the conclusion, let go of the idea that the thesis and main ideas need to be repeated. Instead, instruct students to focus on making sure the final paragraph emphasizes why the essay is important and why further action may be needed.

Throughout the writing process, reassure students that it is okay to write creatively. They should spend more time researching and fully developing the necessary support instead of worrying about meeting a certain length or number of words. Encourage students to stay mindful about word choice and voice to set the tone, use a variety of sentence styles to keep readers interested, and stay on topic. These important elements will help the essay achieve its purpose regardless of the number of paragraphs. One of the most important goals of teaching writing is to challenge students to think critically and to find their own voice and style. The focus of essay writing needs to be on quality, not quantity.

Not all essays are equal

Consider the type of essay you are requiring the students to write. If expository is the requirement, a five-paragraph essay might fill the bill. However, if narrative writing is the focus, encourage students to check out NPR’s series “ This I Believe. ” Here students will be able to read and hear numerous styles of essays that also showcase a writer’s voice. If the essay is persuasive, students will certainly want to spend time not only developing those body paragraphs of support but the counterclaim as well. Additionally, many courses simply require students to write an introduction, multi-paragraph body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The length is totally up to the individual student.

Allowing more voice and choice in writing gives the students more control and, in the end, more joy in the process. After all, a meaty and well-done essay is a chef’s kis s to an educator and student who have an appetite for success.

Do you think it’s time to get rid of the hamburger essay? Share your comments below!

Also, let’s stop asking students to start every essay with a hook ., want more articles like this make sure to subscribe to our newsletters .

You Might Also Like

Let’s Stop Asking Students to Start Every Essay With a “Hook”

Because writing an essay is hard enough. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Homeschool Creations

Homeschool blog featuring free homeschool printables, information on how to homeschool, a yearly homeschool planner, homeschool curriculum, and more!

• Our Curriculum
• Our Classroom
• Our Planner
• Privacy Policy
• Weekly Linkup
• Ask Mr. Bear
• Blueberries for Sal
• Caps for Sale
• Gingerbread Baby
• Goodnight Moon
• If Jesus Came to My House
• In the Castle
• Jack’s Garden
• Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
• On a Pirate Ship
• On the Moon
• Prayer for a Child
• The ABC Bunny
• The Red Carpet
• The Runaway Bunny
• The Snowy Day
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
• Color Matching Cards
• Chore Charts
• Colors & Shapes
• Handwriting
• Learning Songs
• Literature Based
• Phonics & Reading
• Read, Build, Write Mats
• Fruit and Vegetable Matching
• Number Playdough Mats
• Number Matching Cards
• Number Tracing Cards
• Gingerbread
• Thanksgiving
• Transportation
• Valentine’s Day
• Wizard of Oz
• Preschool Planning Forms
• Tot School Planning Form
• Preschool Corner Posts
• Join in Weekly
• ABC Flashcards & Posters
• ABC Phonics Poster
• Playdough Mats
• Alphabet Printables
• All About Reading PreK
• Alphabet Book
• Alphabet Worksheets
• Beginning Consonants
• Do a Dot Pages A-M
• Do a Dot Pages N-Z
• Handwriting Without Tears
• Lowercase Tracing Cards
• Uppercase Tracing Cards
• Uppercase/Lowercase Matching
• Vowel Picture Cards
• ABC Verse Flashcards
• Bible Verse Printables
• Illustrating Verses
• Prayer Cards
• SOAP Study Method
• Seeds Family Worship
• Loving God and His Word
• Learning God’s Word Through Music
• Illustrating Bible Verses
• Raising Rock Stars Curriculum
• Making God’s Word Come Alive
• SOAP Study Printables
• In My Heart Printables
• Preschool Bible Verse Printables
• The Honest Truth
• 10 Tools for Teaching Geography
• Geography Resources – Top Picks
• Africa Printables
• Asia Printables
• Australia Printables
• Europe Printables
• North America Printables
• South America Printables
• World Flag Cards
• State Notebooking Pages
• Homeschool Basics
• Homeschool Planner
• Free Printables
• Our School Room
• Calendar and Morning Board
• Calendar Notebook
• Homeschool Binder
• Organizing School Paperwork
• Workbox Weekly Grid
• Peel and Stick Chalkboards
• Blog Planner
• Daily To Do List
• Monthly Menu Planner
• Weekly Meal Planner
• Freezer Cooking Labels
• Printables from A to Z
• Assignment Sheets
• Book Report & Reading Log
• PreK & K
• Skip Counting Charts
• Read! Build! Write!
• Weekly Homeschool Planner (editable)
• Student Planner
• Yearly Home Planner – Organize your Days
• Pocket Chart Calendar Cards – Monthly and Holiday Pieces
• Pocket Chart Holiday and Special Occasion Calendar Cards
• Favorite Resources
• Preschool Favorites
• Reading Curriculum
• Spelling Curriculum

Hamburger Essay Outline – Free Writing Printable

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy .

• Odnoklassniki icon Odnoklassniki
• Facebook Messenger
• LiveJournal

This year we’ve been working on essay writing in one of our co-op classes. A lot. The kids are at different points with their writing skills: a few of them are all about writing out a detailed outline, complete with color coded paragraphs, while a few others need a more visual approach to grasping the concept of outlining.

Just for fun, I asked Laurianna to help me create a visual outline that would give everyone a little start on writing  and completing a five paragraph essay. Their essays and the outline needed to include:

• three key points/paragraphs
• a conclusion

One of the things that I continually stress to our kids is the importance of being able to write a strong thesis and/or introduction, make valid points that support and prove their thesis, and then end with a strong concluding paragraph to tie it all together. Sometimes a simple visual can help them map their thoughts, make sure things flow together properly, and ensure they aren’t getting off topic.

The kids can start with the hamburger essay outline to map out their initial thoughts, and eventually they build a more detailed essay outline like below:

• Thesis and ‘hook’ sentence
• Main paragraph idea #1: sub-points 1, 2, and 3
• Main paragraph idea #2: sub-points 1, 2, and 3
• Main paragraph idea #3: sub-points 1, 2, and 3

The hamburger essay outline is just a simple pencil/pen sketch that we had fun coloring in, but it has been a help to several of our kids and the kids in co-op – and we wanted to share it with you all as well!

p.s. on a completely unrelated note to anything, it just makes me giggle saying ‘hamburger’ because then I picture Steve Martin as the Pink Panther trying to say the word hamburger… and I get completely sidetracked.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Looking for something.

A Little About Me

Hello! My name is Jolanthe {pronounced Yo-lawn-the}. On my site, you will find a listing of  free educational printables , helpful  tips and resources  for families,  encouragement for your homeschool journey , and a  homeschool planner to help you get organized . Feel free to  contact me  with questions!

All About Spelling Review

All about reading review, nancy larson science, teaching textbooks review.

Check the Archives

Top of Page

© 2007–2024 HomeschoolCreations.com . All rights reserved.