Minds On

Ways to express yourself: a report/essay

Many students view report or essay writing as a long and boring, difficult task. They think it’s one of those valueless activities that a teacher makes you do. However, learning to create a report or essay is an important skill. One of its biggest benefits is that it teaches you to examine a topic more thoroughly, and to think critically about it.

The most common and most basic format for writing a report or essay is the five-paragraph composition.


Just like in a hamburger how every layer adds more taste, similarly every paragraph adds more meaning to an essay.

5 Paragraphs

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

Let’s practice identifying the parts of an essay together using the hamburger model. Explore the essay “Summer is Better Than Winter” independently or with a partner. Where is the introduction? Where are the first, second, and third supporting ideas? What do you think is the conclusion?

Summer is Better Than Winter

Summer is the best season of all. It is much better than winter. Summer is the best season because the clothes you wear in summer are more comfortable than winter clothes. The days are also longer in the summer, so you have more daylight to play outside. Best of all, in the summer there are fun festivals to participate in.

In the summer you can wear all kinds of fun and colorful clothes. For example, you get to wear shorts that give you more freedom to move and sandals that stop your feet from sweating. In the winter you must wear hats, and mitts and heavy coats to keep you warm. It’s hard to move around and play outside with all of that stuff on. Not only are summer clothes more comfortable, but the days are longer to play outside.

There are more daylight hours during the summer than in the winter. This extra daylight gives you more time to play outside with your friends, like swimming or biking. It also gives you more time to spend by yourself outside when you want to be alone or spend time with nature. The best part is being able to go for long bike rides or hiking on cool evenings. In the winter you must be inside when it gets dark and the cold weather makes you want to go inside, too. With the extra daylight hours during the summer there are fun activities like festivals to attend.

During the summer there are loads of festivals to go to. There are music festivals like rock concerts or local bands in community parks. Towns have fireworks on special nights during the summer as well to celebrate holidays. Open air food markets happen during the summer so that people can buy from local farmers. You cannot do those things in winter.

Summer is better than winter because it offers more comfort, freedom, and activities. The warmer weather allows people to be more comfortable in sandals and shorts instead of bulky snowsuits. With more daylight hours, people can enjoy activities like biking and swimming and events like summer festivals and concerts. So, take time to enjoy summer with all its freedoms and extra time to be outside with friends… because winter always comes and it’s cold!

You may wish to keep a copy of the essay as a reference.

Summer is better than Winter

Press the Activity button to access Summer is Better Than Winter.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Summer is Better Than Winter

Action

Skills to create a five-paragraph essay

Not all the reports or essays you create in Grade 5 will need to be five paragraphs long. However, as you progress through school, you will ultimately be responsible for many essays of this length. Let’s examine some of the skills you’ll need to create a five-paragraph essay.

The paragraph

Knowing how to create a paragraph is an essential skill as they create the foundation for the five-paragraph essay.

Explore the following video with Teacher Wynne to review how to construct a paragraph.

The Introduction

The first paragraph of an essay, the introduction, must clearly state the main topic or idea, grab the reader’s attention, and give an idea of how the topic will be developed.

The main topic (thesis statement) summarizes what the report will be about and what the writer wants to express about the topic. Think of it as the topic sentence of the whole essay. It is important that your thesis statement makes a point or argument about the topic.

For example:

The first part will state the topic:

  • schools in Ontario
  • the proposed school uniform

The second part will make a point about the topic:

  • should implement a recycling program
  • is unfair and should be reconsidered

The rest of your essay will develop or prove your thesis. It will show how you came to this conclusion.

Practice

Let’s practice reading these thesis statements to determine if they are effective or not.

Effective thesis statements practice sheet

Explore the following statements. Do you think they are effective thesis statements? If you think they are effective, put an "E" after the statement. If you don’t think it’s effective and doesn’t follow the rules of a good thesis statement, then put an "I" at the end of the statement and then rewrite the statement into a more effective one. The first part of the sentence should state the topic, the second part should make a point about the topic.

  1. In this report, I will discuss how to train a puppy. (Blank)
  2. Canada’s Prime Minister is an exceptional leader. (Blank)
  3. Daniel Radcliffe plays Harry Potter in the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (Blank)
  4. Violence on television. (Blank)
  5. The wonders of the human body. (Blank)
  6. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. (Blank)
  7. Canadians must take immediate steps to preserve our national forests. (Blank)

Complete the Effective Thesis Statements Practice Sheet in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started.

Effective thesis statements practice sheet

Press the Activity button to access Effective Thesis Statements Practice Sheet.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

Creating an outline

Once you have chosen your topic or created your thesis statement for your five-paragraph essay, then it’s time to organize your thoughts about your topic. You can create using paper, a computer, an audio clip, speech to text software, or a method of your choice.

Five-Paragraph Essay Organizer

Introduction
  • Main Idea Topic Sentence: (Blank)
  • Supporting Reasons:
  • Body 1 (Blank)
  • Body 2 (Blank)
  • Body 3 (Blank)
  • Transition sentence: (Blank)
Body #1
  • Reason #1 (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 1. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 2. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 3. (Blank)
  • Transition Sentence: (Blank)
Body #2
  • Reason #2 (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 1. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 2. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 3. (Blank)
  • Transition Sentence: (Blank)
Body #3
  • Reason #3 (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 1. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 2. (Blank)
  • Detail/Example 3. (Blank)
  • Transition Sentence: (Blank)
Conclusion
  • Restate Main Idea: (Blank)
  • Restate Supporting Reasons:
  • Body 1 (Blank)
  • Body 2 (Blank)
  • Body 3 (Blank)
  • Recommendations and/or Predictions: (Blank)

Complete the Five-Paragraph Essay Organizer in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help you get started and plan for your essay.

Five-Paragraph Essay Organizer

Press the Activity button to access Five-Paragraph Essay Organizer.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

The following is the outline for “Summer is Better Than Winter,” the essay we explored in the Minds On section. Notice that the details are purposefully kept simple, so they are easier to organize.

Press the ‘Summer is Better Than Winter Outline’ button to know more.

Introduction

  • Main Idea Topic Sentence: Summer is better than winter because it offers more comfort and freedom.
  • Supporting Reasons:
  • Body 1 Clothing Options
  • Body 2 The days are longer
  • Body 3 More festivals

Body #1

  • Reason #1 There are better clothing options in the summer than in the winter.
  • Detail/Example 1. Wearing shorts and sandals
  • Detail/Example 2. Winter coats, hats and mitts are heavy to wear
  • Detail/Example 3. Loose clothing allows for better comfort outside
  • Transition Sentence: Not only are summer clothes more comfortable, but the days are longer to play outside.

Body #2

  • Reason #2 The days are longer with more sunlight.
  • Detail/Example 1. More time for playing with friends (swimming)
  • Detail/Example 2. More time for activities outdoors like biking and sports
  • Detail/Example 3. In the winter you’re stuck indoors
  • Transition Sentence: The longer days allow for more fun activities like festivals.

Body #3

  • Reason #3 There are more festivals in the summer.
  • Detail/Example 1. More time for playing with friends (swimming)
  • Detail/Example 2. More time for activities outdoors like biking and sports
  • Detail/Example 3. Food festivals and outdoor markets.
  • Transition Sentence: The great outdoor activities make summer a better season.

Conclusion

  • Restate Main Idea: Summer is better than winter because it offers more comfort and freedom.
  • Restate Supporting Reasons:
  • Body 1 Clothing Options
  • Body 2 The days are longer
  • Body 3 More festivals
  • Recommendations and/or Predictions: Take time to enjoy summer with all its festivals, sports and playing with friends because winter always comes and it’s cold!

You may wish to keep a copy of the sample outline as a reference.

Summer is better Than Winter outline

Press the Activity button to access Summer is Better Than Winter Outline.

Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)

Practice

Now it’s your turn to plan out a five-paragraph report or essay! Use the organizational structure you learned about, using a topic sentence, three supporting reasons, and a concluding sentence. When you are choosing your main idea or thesis statement make sure that it’s effective, that it has a main topic, and that you have a message to share about that topic. The following are some possible report or essay thesis statements that you can use.

  • Zoos should be free of charge so more people can learn about animals.
  • All human beings deserve clean, fresh water to drink, no matter where they live.
  • School uniforms should be worn because they reduce discipline issues.
  • First Nations communities should be celebrated and honoured in Canada.
  • Kids should try to exercise every day.

Once you have finished your notes, if possible, share your work with a partner. Does your thesis statement make sense? Do your arguments help them understand the issue, and are they convincing? Reflect on how you might adjust your notes.

Consolidation

Creating your essay

Now that you have created a plan for your first 5-paragraph essay, you are ready to start drafting your paragraphs! Expand your notes into full sentences. Include transition sentences between paragraphs so that your thoughts and ideas flow smoothly together.

When you have finished your five-paragraph essay, if possible, discuss your work with a partner. What did you like about creating a five-paragraph essay? What did you find difficult? Would you do anything different next time?

A note about the conclusion

Some students find the last paragraph or the conclusion one of the most challenging parts of their report. However, if you planned your essay beforehand, it is not as difficult to do.

The concluding paragraph summarizes the main points of your report/essay just like the introduction does. Your conclusion is not a place to bring up new ideas, but to summarize your main points and entice the reader to take action or think more about your ideas. Using your introductory paragraph as a guide is a great start for the conclusion.

Organizer for concluding paragraph

The following sample chart may help you write your conclusion. The chart instructs what each portion of the conclusion needs to include.

1st Sentence

Restate your thesis or main idea using fresh words.

2nd and 3rd Sentences

Remind your audience of the reasons you gave to support your thesis statement.

4th and 5th Sentences

The last sentences should leave the reader feeling they were glad to have read your essay. Sometimes a famous quote or an idea that makes the reader want to take action is a good idea.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.