2. Write a short comment to this blog entry on what you think about the "5-paragraph essay."
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Homework 1 for Thursday, Sept. 2nd
1. Email your instructor a cartoon about teaching, teaching writing, grammar, etc. and its URL, to pep up our blog a little. Make sure it is not copyrighted or needs to be purchased; otherwise, we cannot post it on our blog!
2. Write a short comment to this blog entry on what you think about the "5-paragraph essay."
2. Write a short comment to this blog entry on what you think about the "5-paragraph essay."
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As a way for students to learn how to write correctly, the five-paragraph format is a great model. It should be used in the classroom as a standard so that students can build from the five-paragraph model into writing large, elaborate papers. From Kerri Smith’s paper, I was reminded of how I essentially write a paper as I introduce, develop, and conclude the topic. Grammar, organization, and a clear thesis statement are also essential to any paper regardless of the specific assignment topic. As a student in third grade, I remember using red, blue, and green ink pens to differentiate between the introduction, main statement, supporting information, and conclusion. As a student, I learned to grow from this simple use of ink pens in a five-paragraph paper into well developed papers that were ten to twenty pages long. Although the five-paragraph paper allows students to organize their thoughts, I have found that some students have become so well adapted to the five-paragraph paper that they cannot break the barrier into papers longer than this. Students have to be able to use the five-paragraph format as a model and develop it into an elaborate, in-depth paper that gives good, well-developed ideas. The five-paragraph paper that is used in grade school should bloom into a sophisticated essay in high school. The five-paragraph essay is an essential tool for students to use that puts emphasis on the structure of the paper but must be brought full circle into a good, detailed paper. I love the five-paragraph model as a basic tool for students learning to write, but I believe that as students learn to write better, they will become more detailed and allow for longer papers. Sometimes students need to be challenged to develop these longer papers so that they can grow as writers.
ReplyDeleteI think that the five-paragraph essay is a wonderful tool in teaching students how to organize their thoughts into coherent essays. Many argue that it teaches students to be formulaic; true, this five-paragraph format can easily lead to carbon-copy thought processes if it is not taught correctly. Like Kerri Smith said in her argument to defend the structure, five-paragraph essays should not be taught as simply five paragraphs, but as a "hypothesis, test, solution" approach. Each essay should have an introduction (hypothesis), a body (test), and a conclusion (solution). If students grasp this concept rather than simply composing five paragraphs, then they will truly maximize the benefit for what the format was originally intended--a learning and organizational device.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kerri and Abby; the 5 paragraph essay is an essential learning tool. Students need a simple structure/outline to organize their thoughts; however, I don't necessarily agree with it becoming the only "go-to" strategy. Students today need to expand their creativity, and have the option of expressing themselves. Some students can become confined within the walls of 5 paragraphs and ultimately lose the "edge" to their paper by feeling so confined. I am not against the 5 paragraph essay, I believe it is a 'must' to teach with and develop their writing skills and focusing techniques. Yet, I believe as students develop, their structure and strategies should also progress.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said, I believe the five paragraph essay serves as a strong foundation to help students develop necessary skills to be able to write successfully. It allows for students to really learn the mechanics of writing a good essay by providing guidance and teaching important steps in the process. However, it is extremely important that teachers also teach students that the five paragraph format is not the end-all of writing. Once the foundation has been set, students should be ecouraged to allow their ideas to flow, and should be shown the way to expand into more creative and advanced formats.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others in my class. I do believe that the five-paragraph essay is a foundation for writing a basic paper. I do believe that there are other skills that a writer needs to be successful. Teaching this process to students will better enhance their abilities to edit and revise papers. It is important that English teachers also show different methods of writing. The basic form is the five-paragraph essay. Educators should show that there are all kinds of different forms of writing and that in order to become successful in writing you must know all the strategies for writing. I do believe that creativity and flow can be distorted when writing a five-paragraph essay because of the pressure of length and accuracy. I do believe that the five-paragraph essay is and should always be a foundation for writing beginning essays.
ReplyDeleteI do think the 5 paragraph essay is an important tool for us future teacher to teach to our students. It helps them organize their thoughts into coherent sentences that hopefully flow. By teaching them to start with an introduction, use transition sentences in the body paragraphs, and conclusion will ultimately organize their paper and teach them skills that they will use throughout their education. The only problem that I have is that it might cause students to believe that this form is what all essays and papers call for. They should learn how to organize their thoughts using outlines before they write their paragraphs and know that it’s okay to stray away using more body paragraphs once the format is comprehended. As a high school teacher, I think it will be important to not only teach the 5 paragraph format to freshman, but to continue to remind all students each time they have to write a paper about the format which they should use to help them build on their writing skills. After going over the format, the teacher can remind students that they don’t have to use it, but can use it at an exercise to get better.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my fellow students that the five paragraph form is an important stepping stone in learning how to write formal papers. I believe that it cannot be the end-all, be-all approach. It serves its purpose as an organizational tool, but the theme can quickly become a crutch. If overused, the five paragraph essay is repetitive and elementary. The problem with the essay format is that some students use the form not as an outline but, rather, in the same way they would an algebra problem. Writing is not an exact science. It is a unique assignment tool where a student’s own creativity can shine through. Not all assignments lend themselves well to the five paragraph format. Fitting a formal essay paper into a formula defeats the purpose of any critical thinking assignments. I believe that the five paragraph essay should be one format that we teach students. Students need to learn how to analyze, persuade and evaluate, not just spit out canned answers. Future and present teachers should instruct the many different ways that writers write. Students should be writing movie reviews, debates, journal entries, critiques and poems. Learning to write these different forms helps them become the well-rounded writers that they need to be. I do not think that the five paragraph essay should be banned completely because it does teach students the natural flow of a paper and how writing should have a beginning, middle and end. As teachers, we are preparing these students for life after school, and any academic writing after high school is more sophisticated than just five paragraphs.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with one of the articles we read that the five paragraph essay has a useful place in writing, but as a more flexible form that can be manipulated and used to create something more complicated. I also think that other forms of an essay should be utilized. One of a writer's most important tools is the ability to be flexible when using the forms they use, while also knowing which form is right to use in which situation. So, some instruction on when to use a five paragraph essay and when to use another form is important in giving students these tools.
ReplyDeleteTeaching the five paragraph essay as a form has its place. When we teach students about theme and audience, we teach them to write to their audience, and the five paragraph essay should be taught as a useful form for formal, academic writing and a more mature audience, where another kind of essay with a more creative construction might be more appropriate for a middle school audience.
So I guess I like the form of the five paragraph essay, but only if instruction of things like audience and form are also included with the instruction about this, as well as other, forms.
The 5-Paragraph essay is a great introductory tool in the learning of the art of the essay. Simply, it enables students to learn what major components are in an essay and it teaches them to be able to organize their thoughts on paper. It also allows them to begin to work with their own sense of their language, or their basic ability to write with their own various flairs and styles. The 5-paragraph method helps students with all of these, and is a greatly beneficial tool, but that does not mean that this method is complete in and of itself. Rather, this method should be used only as an introductory method; it should not be adhered to forever. While a great introductory tool, it is just that: an introductory tool. While it teaches students how to begin to write essays, it should lead into more creative, varied, and elaborate forms of essay writing in the future of young learners. It does serve a purpose--a very important one a that, but it must be built upon in order to remain useful throughout older generations of students, because it cannot pass the test of time with more matured writers.
ReplyDeleteThis is a difficult issue for me. All I have known is the five-paragraph essay. It is the only format I have ever been taught, so it is the basis of all of my writing. I agree with everyone else that it does help to organize written work and provide a structure that is easy to follow. However, it is redundant and can be seen as insulting. The process of "tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then recap what you've told them," leaves little room for the author to be creative, and it leaves the audience in a daze. The material is presented in such a way that gives the reader very little room to ponder the issue. This is what we are taught; undoubtedly, this is what we will teach. What other ways are there for creating an essay? Are there other formats out there?
ReplyDeleteAs a secondary English Education major, I think that the 5-paragraph essay format is a very important tool students need to know. It's used a good amount in classes and is a good stepping stone for students to understand writing longer more complex essays. That being said, the danger for any English teacher is emphasizing one form of writing too much, because different situations and assignments call for different forms. You can't use the 5-paragraph format for everything, and it's important to make this clear to students, and as a teacher, not to have this be the format for every other assignment or allow students to turn in all their essays in that format. This is especially important in preparation for college writing, which heavily emphasizes critical thinking skills that the 5-paragraph essay is weaker in being able to pull off. I think that the 5-paragraph essay is helpful as a very basic format for students to keep in mind for more complex essays as far as keeping in mind how to organize and build an actual paper (starting with the thesis, building evidence A, B, C, and conclusion), so it can be a good exercise. Teaching isn't a black and white subject usually. So when people ask "Should we stop using the 5-paragraph essay", I say that it should be to an extent. So I think that high school teachers should teach it, but make sure to teach other forms of writing, and especially teach the juniors and seniors about the importance of writing more complext, longer essays in preparation for college.
ReplyDeleteThe five paragraph model is a great model for composing an academic for beginner writers. It helps teaches students the basic components of an essay such as the introduction, thesis statement three supportive paragraphs, and the conclusion; and also, the five paragraph model allows beginner writers to develop their skills in producing a complete academic essay that is cohesive and comprehensive. But I believe that five paragraph model will help a proficient writer because it will limit his/her style and delivery of his/her message in the essay. These writers need to be taught more advance approaches of writing essay because they preparing to write at the college level or they have already been demonstrating superior writing skills; therefore, the five paragraph model does not challenge them to become better writers. So the five paragraph model should taught as the building block of a student's writing skills, then students should taught to build upon this method to compose a more complex essay.
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