THE 5 PARAGRAPH ESSAY

“A paragraph at a time”

How do we set up a 5 paragraph essay?

• The Introduction Paragraph: The Model

• The Body Paragraph: The 1-3-3 Model

• The Conclusion Paragraph: The Model

The Introduction Paragraph

What is the purpose of an introductory paragraph?

Hook the audience Introduce the topic Relate the topic to something personal Explain why the topic is important

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY…

The Upside Down Triangle Model

Broad Statement

Thesis Statement

Basic Idea: Go from a general idea or comment and narrow it down to your thesis statement

For the following examples:MY TOPIC: Sharks!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carcharodon_carcharias.jpg

Introduction Paragraph Example

(Broad Idea) When I was young I loved sharks.

(Slightly Narrower) I remember watching Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” and thinking that sharks must attack people all the

time.

(Narrower) It was ingrained in me that sharks were blood thirsty

creatures that I had every reason to fear. (Specific Thesis Statement) Yet, despite their bad reputation,

sharks should not be considered a major threat to humans.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tigershark.JPG

The Body Paragraph: The 1-3-3 Model

1-3: This means 1 source or citation followed by three ideas or comments:

According to…(source) then follow this up with – 1st comment– 2nd comment– 3rd comment (with transition)

As this is a 5 paragraph essay you will do this 3times so you will have 3 body paragraphs.

Body Paragraph Example

(Source) First of all, according to the Florida Museum of National History, your odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million and your odds of being killed by a

shark are less than 1 in 264.1 million. (USLA, ISAF)

(1st comment) These numbers are incredibly low and should not make anyone afraid to go swimming.

(2nd comment) The media depicts sharks as incredibly violent and constantly attacking people, but this data obviously shows that this is not the case.

(3rd comment) A more accurate way to describe shark attacks would be that though they do happen, it rarely results in death.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shark_Silhouette.jpg

Body Paragraph Transitions• Paragraphs should flow together

• “Transitional Phrases” are used at the beginning of a paragraph to introduce the next issue

• Types/Examples:– Sequence = First of all, Secondly…– Addition = In addition, Also…– Contrast = On the other hand, However…– Illustrate = For example, For instance…

The Conclusion Paragraph

Restate the thesis statement Synthesize research to ask questions like…

Why is this topic important? How does it affect the rest of the world? Did this change your attitude of the topic?

Conclusion Phrases In conclusion, To summarize…

What is the purpose of the Conclusion Paragraph?

The Right Side Up Triangle Model

Restated Thesis

Final Conclusion

Basic Idea: Go from a restatement of your thesis to a broader comment about the topic

Conclusion Paragraph Example

(Restatement of Thesis) So if sharks are not as dangerous as they appear in the movies then why do we continue to fear them?

(Broader Ideas) The reality is, the media wants to depict sharks in a negative light because it gets ratings.

(Final Big Idea) We love things that scare us, but it is up to us as individuals to properly research the things in this world that we are told to watch out for.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Close_up_of_mako_shark_head_005.jpg