5 Paragraph Essay OVERVIEW

Basic Outline:  Introduction  3 supporting paragraphs  Conclusion How many paragraphs???

Introduction  AT LEAST 3 sentences 1. Lead-in statement, sentence; “Grabber” or “Hook”; short anecdote (story); analogy (comparison) 2. Central Idea: What you are trying to prove; what you are discussing in the rest of your essay 3. THESIS Statement: must include 3 ideas

Thesis Statement  Can not write anything until you determine your THESIS****  EVERYTHING in your essay must be connected to your thesis  The 3 ideas in your thesis become your 3 body paragraphs, in order of their occurrence in your thesis statement.

Example Central Idea & Thesis Statement While many young people value material possessions, I have found that other, immeasurable “things” are of utmost importance. At this stage in my life, my job, my health and my children are the most indispensible things that I consider myself lucky to have. While many young people value material possessions, I have found that other, immeasurable “things” are of utmost importance. At this stage in my life, my job, my health and my children are the most indispensible things that I consider myself lucky to have.

What will each paragraph be about? At this stage in my life, my job, my health and my children are the most indispensible things that I consider myself lucky to have. #1: My job #2: My health #3: My children

What about my job, my health and my children?  WHY is my job/health/children most important?  HOW did I realize it?  WHAT ABOUT my job/health/children makes it important? ***Use AT LEAST 3 reasons or explanations for EACH paragraph/idea

Conclusion Paragraph  Sums up your essay  Discusses Central Idea again (using different words)  Re-state Thesis (using different words)  Leave something for the reader to THINK ABOUT NO NEW IDEAS ALLOWED IN CONCLUSION!!!!

Find the Central Idea (CI) and Thesis Statement (TH)  I am a movie fanatic. When friends want to know what picture won the Oscar in 1980 or who played the police chief in Jaws, they ask me. My friends, though, have stopped asking me if I want to go out to the movies because I don’t watch movies in the theater. The problems in getting to the theater, the theater itself, and the behavior of some patrons are all reasons why I often wait for a movie to show up on TV.

Find the Central Idea (CI) and Thesis Statement (TH)  Each year, thousands of people throughout the United States choose to spend their vacations camping in the great outdoors. Depending on an individual's sense of adventure, there are various types of camping to choose from, including log cabin camping, recreational vehicle camping, and tent camping. Of these, tent camping involves "roughing it" the most and requires special planning. Even with the best planning, however, tent camping can be an extremely frustrating experience due to uncontrolled factors such as bad weather, wildlife encounters, and equipment failures.