5 Paragraph Essay Activities

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5 Paragraph Essay Activities

• Mrs. Hill
• 8th Grade Language Arts
• Clear Lake Middle School

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Review 61 Traits of Writing

• Ideas
• Clear, focused, and interesting
• Important details
• Learn something new

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ActivityEach one of the paragraphs has a
problem. Identify the problem.

• 1. Albert Einstein was a very famous science
  fiction. His feather and mother were born in
  Peruvian. He discovered the Law of the
  Relationship. Albert Einstein had a fat green
  period named Lara.

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Paragraph 1

• 1. Albert Einstein was a very famous scientist.
  His father and mother were born in Peru. He
  discovered the Law of Relation. Albert Einstein
  had a fat green parrot named Lara.

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Paragraph 2

• 2. I woke up in the morning, looked in the
  mirror, and I wasnt there I was invisible and I
  couldnt see myself so I went downstairs to eat
  breakfast but my mother couldnt see me so she
  screamed and I thought what can I do now and so I
  went to the living room and decided to read the
  newspaper but my younger sister thought I was a
  ghost she screamed and ran out of the room and I
  went to school and no one could see me so I
  decided to play tricks on my friends and it was a
  fun time.

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Paragraph 3

• 4. My paragraph is on cats. Some people like
  cats. Other people, however, think that they are
  boring animals. I agree. There is nothing
  interesting about them. But they have four legs
  and fur. In ancient times, Egyptians loved their
  cats. Today, cats hang around the house and do
  nothing. So now I am finished with my paragraph.

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Composition Supporting Details

• Directions
• Read the topic sentence and the list of details
  following each topic sentence. On your piece of
  paper, identify the details that are pertinent to
  the topic.

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Composition Supporting Details

• Charles Lindbergh was called the Lone Eagle,
  because he flew a single-engine airplane to
  France.
• (a) The aircraft was "The Spirit of St. Louis".
• (b) His mother was a devout Christian.
• (c) Most bald eagles are also lonely eagles.
• (d) He landed in Paris, France, in 1927.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• The orange pumpkin was in front of the house on
  Halloween night.
• (a) Dew was forming on the blades of grass.
• (b) A lighted candle was inside the pumpkin.
• (c) The pumpkin wore a black hat.
• (d) The boys played football until 1000 at
  night.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 3. The devastating flood left debris littered in
  its wake.
• (a) The roaring waters boiled over the sandbags.
• (b) The postman waited for the next mail
  delivery.
• (c) The Red Cross assisted homeless families.
• (d) Several blood donors had waited in lines all
  morning.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 4. The judge questioned the prisoner about the
  contraband in his possession.
• (a) The police searched the prisoner.
• (b) Other prisoners were in the same courtroom.
• (c) The prisoner insisted he was innocent.
• (d) The judge had lunch with the officer.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 5. This man was somewhat short in stature, with a
  tremendous chest and long wiry arms.
• (a) Most of the men were interested in bowling.
• (b) His legs were bulging muscles of strength.
• (c) He reminded one of a tough competitor.
• (d) The boys scheduled their next football game.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 6. Lake Arrowhead was named by a tribe of Indians
  who once shaped arrowheads along its banks.
• (a) This was a war-like tribe of Indians.
• (b) Some tribes have ancestors in Asia.
• (c) All Indians believed medicine men could
  heal.
• (d) Old arrowheads can be found near the lake
  today.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 7. Spiders travel in many different ways. Some of
  them can run very rapidly on foot. Some are
  expert swimmers and divers. Others can walk on
  the water. Other spiders can even travel great
  distances through the air in parachutes which
  they make out of their webs. Spiders bite many
  times.
• (a) Spiders bite many times.
• (b) Some spiders travel through the air.
• (c) Spiders travel in many different ways.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 8. One kind of fish has no eyes. These fish are
  small, only about four inches long. These fish
  are good to eat. They have no skulls and no
  bones. In place of bones they have segments of
  cartilage. They seem to know when anyone is
  coming close to them, for they swim away rapidly
  when a person gets near.
• (a) These fish are good to eat.
• (b) One kind of fish has no eyes.
• (c) They seem to know when anything is coming
  close.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 9. The early people of Peru founded a powerful
  nation. They accomplished this because they did
  things much better than other people of their
  time. The people of Peru are friendly. They dug
  ditches which carried water to the desert. Here
  planting was carried on. No other people have
  ever made more beautiful pottery or textiles.
• (a) They did things much better than other
  people.
• (b) The people of Peru are friendly.
• (c) The early people of Peru founded a powerful
  nation.

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CompositionSupporting Details

• 10. The simple plants of the first group have
  neither roots, stems, nor leaves. Most of them
  are very small and have a very simple body. The
  group is subdivided into two classes algae and
  fungi. Flowers are from seed plants.
• (a) The group is subdivided into two classes
  algae and fungi.
• (b) Simple plants of the first group have
  neither roots, stems, nor leaves.
• (c) Flowers are from seed plants.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• Directions
• Read the following paragraphs and the list of
  ideas which follow. On your answer sheet, mark
  the letters which represent an idea that does not
  support the main idea.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 1. The woods are colorful in springtime. The
  leaves unfurl many shades of rich green.
  Flowering trees add splashes of pink and white.
  Early wild flowers--gold, red, and violet--peek
  through the darker browns, blacks, and greens of
  the forest floor. Here and there a jay or a
  cardinal flits in a blur of blue or red against
  the jade backdrop of trees.
• (a) Summer and fall are also gorgeous seasons.
• (b) Birds add to the beauty and color of the
  woods.
• (c) The variety of color adds to springtime
  beauty.
• (d) Jays and cardinals fly south in the fall.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 2. A cornfield in July is a sultry place. The
  soil is hot and dry the wind comes across the
  lazily murmuring leaves laden with a warm
  sickening smell drawn from the rapidly growing,
  broad-flung banners of the corn. The sun, nearly
  vertical, drops a flood of dazzling light upon
  the field over which the cool shadows run, only
  to make the heat seem more intense.
• (a) The dry corn leaves make rustling sounds in
  the wind.
• (b) In July, the sun shines bright and hot.
• (c) August and June are much worse than July.
• (d) The July rainfall cools things off.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 3. A crow, so thirsty that he could not even caw,
  came upon a pitcher which once had been full of
  water. But when he put his beak into the
  pitcher's mouth, he found that only a little
  water was left in it. He tried to break the
  pitcher, then to overturn it, but his strength
  was not equal to the task.
• (a) Other birds had no trouble getting water.
• (b) The hot sun overhead didn't help matters
  any.
• (c) The crow was weak because he was thirsty.
• (d) The water level in the pitcher was very low.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 4. Every desert animal can live somehow for
  months without liquid water. A few, including
  snails and frogs, remain underground between
  rainfalls. Most get water from plants. Others
  manufacture water to survive on smaller animals.
• (a) All animals can live for months without
  water.
• (b) Nature enables some animals to manufacture
  water.
• (c) Snails and frogs are desert animals.
• (d) Jungle animals need lots of water to
  survive.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 5. Once a playful mouse ran across the paw and up
  the nose of a sleeping lion. The lion awoke,
  caught the mouse, and was about to kill him when
  the mouse begged forgiveness, saying he might one
  day return the kindness. Amused, the lion forgave
  him. Soon afterward the lion was caught in a net
  by hunters. The mouse heard the lion roar,
  recognized his friend's voice, and came to help.
  His sharp teeth cut the ropes, setting the lion
  free.
• (a) Lions and mice usually make good companions.
  
• (b) Mice frequently play with lions.
• (c) The mouse returned the lion's kindness.
• (d) The lion thought he might never need the
  mouse.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 6. German women take cooking as seriously as
  shopping. In some villages, they will bake
  sour-dough bread in community ovens. Baking is a
  German art, evidenced by such delicacies as
  gingerbread, spices, butter and almond biscuits,
  and potato pancakes served with applesauce and
  blueberries. German housewives take pride in
  making their own cakes and cookies from "secret"
  family recipes.
• (a) German women enjoy cooking from their own
  recipes.
• (b) Housewives in Germany view baking as an art.
  
• (c) Most European housewives follow examples of
  German women.
• (d) Sour-dough bread was introduced by the
  French.

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 7. I had a sleepless night(1). The neighbor's dog
  began to bark(2). The neighbors keep their dog in
  a doghouse outside(3). There was a severe
  thunderstorm(4). A loose window pane was
  crackling in the distance (5). The whole evening
  was climaxed by the sound of screaming sirens in
  response to a fire two blocks away(6).
• a) 1 b) 2
• c) 3 d) 4
• e) 5 f) 6

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 8. Everyone loves to hear a story(1). Just as
  soon as a speaker begins to tell a story, lagging
  interest perks up(2). A well-told story always
  fires the imagination(3). The listeners begin to
  anticipate the end, and they listen patiently to
  learn whether they guessed the outcome
  correctly(4). My sister likes to read mystery
  books(5).
• a) 1 b) 2
• c) 3 d) 4
• e) 5

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 9. When you fill out an application blank for a
  job, one thing to be careful about is your
  spelling(1). Your prospective employer may think
  that a careless speller will be careless at
  work(2). Be sure to dress neatly for your
  interview(3).
• a) 1 b) 2
• c) 3

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 10. When you write a letter in reply to an
  advertisement for a job, keep these rules in
  mind(1) (A) use white paper of standard size,
  usually 8 1/2 by 11 inches (B) type the letter
  or write it with black or blue ink (C) center
  the letter on the page, and have uniform margins
  on both sides and at the top and bottom(2). Do
  not crowd a short letter at the top of the
  sheet(3). The Help-Wanted section of your
  newspaper has many job advertisements(4).
• a) 1 b) 2
• c) 3 d) 4

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CompositionDetails which do NOT support

• 11. All the guests had worn Western costumes(1).
  However, Fred thought that Jeff's was the
  best(2). The birthday cake was chocolate with
  white icing(3). Jeff had come as an Indian(4). He
  wore moccasins, Indian pants, and a full
  headdress of feathers(5). He even painted lines
  on his face to look warlike(6).
• a) 1 b) 2
• c) 3 d) 4
• e) 5 f) 6

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Writing Your Own Paragraph

• Use the following topic sentence to write your
  own paragraph using ONLY supportive details.
• The football team was labeled as
• the underdog for the big game.

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• Directions
• Read each topic sentence. Think of details that
  would relate directly to this sentence. For each
  topic sentence, list three details that support
  the sentence.

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Topic Sentences

• Every successful football player must undergo
  strenuous physical exercises.
• A high school graduate stands a much better
  chance of getting a job than a high school
  drop-out.
• Plants are very useful to humans they provide
  food and numerous natural resources.
• Oxygen is a vital content of air and is extremely
  useful in industry.
• All mammals are warm-blooded and exhale through
  their lungs.
• Snakes and crocodiles belong to the reptile
  family they are cold-blooded.
• The ability to read is a necessary skill in the
  world of work.

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 1. Topic Sentence Every successful football
  player must undergo strenuous physical exercises.
  
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 2. Topic Sentence A high school graduate stands
  a much better chance of getting a job than a high
  school drop-out.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 3. Topic Sentence Plants are very useful to
  humans they provide food and numerous natural
  resources.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 4. Topic Sentence Oxygen is a vital content of
  air and is extremely useful in industry.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 5. Topic Sentence All mammals are warm-blooded
  and exhale through their lungs.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 6. Topic Sentence Snakes and crocodiles belong
  to the reptile family they are cold-blooded.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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CompositionChoose Your Own Detail

• 7. Topic Sentence The ability to read is a
  necessary skill in the world of work.
• (a)(b)(c)(d)

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The 5-Paragraph Essay

• Formula for an instant essay organization
• Simplistic and formulistic
• Always use good content and think about your
  readers
• Useful for timed essay exams
• Sample topic What is the purpose of a college
  education?

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The 5-Paragraph EssayIntroduction

• Lead or Hook.
• Thesis statement.
• Point 1.
• Point 2.
• Point 3.

• When most students graduate from high school,
  they are tired of school.  They do not want to go
  to school for four more years.  However, without
  a college degree, it is hard to get a good job.
  In my opinion, the purpose of college is to
  prepare you for a good career.  Cal Poly Pomona
  prepares you because it has many popular degree
  programs.  It also has many good teachers and a
  learn by doing philosophy.   

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The 5-Paragraph EssayBody 1

• Topic Sentence about point 1.
• Supporting details facts, reasons, examples,
  arguments.
• Concluding/Transition Sentence

• The degree programs at Cal Poly lead directly
  into good jobs in industry.  For example, the
  Hotel and Restaurant Management program prepares
  students for a career in the hospitality
  industry.  The Electrical and Computer
  Engineering program is also popular in our high
  tech society.  (Add more)

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The 5-Paragraph EssayBody 2

• Topic sentence about point 2.
• Supporting details facts, reasons, examples,
  arguments.
• Concluding/Transition Sentence

• Another benefit at Cal Poly is the high quality
  faculty.  For example, my Engineering professor
  worked for many years in industry, and really
  knows what companies are looking for. (Add more)

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The 5-Paragraph EssayBody 3

• Topic sentence about point 3.
• Supporting details facts, reasons, examples,
  arguments.
• Concluding/Transition Sentence

• In addition, Cal Poly has a hands on, learn by
  doing teaching philosophy.  This means that
  students work on real projects with real
  materials, plants, and animals.  For example . .
  . (Add more)

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The 5-Paragraph EssayConclusion

• Brief summary of information.
• Restatement of thesis.
• Concluding Sentence
• Refer back to lead/hook
• Leave the reader with something to think about

• Choosing the right college or university can make
  a big difference in preparing you for a career. 
  Cal Poly Pomona is the right university for me
  because of its attractive degree programs, good
  teachers, and hands on teaching methods.  It
  might be the right choice for you, too.