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Five-Paragraph Essay/Transcript (Update)

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Title text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby. On screen, an image appears of an "Underwater Boss" t-shirt, with a silhouette of a scuba diver in a shark cage. Then the animation cuts to a robot, Moby, wearing the shirt, and emptying a pot of popcorn into a bowl.

On screen, a boy, Tim, is sitting on the couch, watching TV.

TV announcer: ...these igneous intrusions are like windows onto an ancient world.

In the animation, Moby walks in with his bowl of popcorn, looking annoyed to find Tim already on the couch and using the TV.

Tim: Oh hey, Moby. I'm just catching up on all of the educational shows I missed during finals.

Moby: Beep!

In the animation, Moby points to his shirt.

Tim: Why would you want to watch a show about lowering CEO's into shark-infested waters when you could be learning about the relationship between a rock's depth and its crystal structure?

In the animation, Moby hands Tim a letter.

Tim: But it's the first day of summer vacation!

In the animation, Moby folds his arms, intransigent. Tim sighs and reads from a typed letter.

Tim: Dear Tim and Moby, I'm supposed to write a 5-paragraph essay, and I don't know where to start. Please help! Toby. Well, "Toby," you should probably start with paragraph 1!

On screen, Tim tries to hand the letter back to Moby, but Moby gives him a stern look.

Tim: Fine. The 5-paragraph essay is a tried-and-true format writers use in a few different contexts:

In the animation, a page is labeled "Five-Paragraph Essay," and shows 5 stacked rectangles.

Tim: To present and explain information in an expository essay… To describe an experience, person, or thing and bring it to life in a descriptive essay… Or to argue an opinion in a persuasive essay.

Against a blank screen, icons appear: an “i” for expository essay, a person planting a flag at the top of a mountain for descriptive essay, and a thumbs up and thumbs down for persuasive essay.

Tim: All 3 formats have the same essential structure: They make a claim, or main argument, and show evidence to support it.

On screen, the 5-paragraph essay page returns, and "Claim" is written in the top rectangle. Check marks are added to the 3 middle rectangles.

Tim: The 5-paragraph formula helps you organize your ideas, and stay focused on the goal: Presenting your position clearly and convincingly.

On screen, an arrow in a target is added to the bottom rectangle.

Tim: Right, it's got 5 paragraphs: an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

The animation returns to the 5 rectangles, now blank again. "Introduction" appears in the top box; "Body" appears in the next 3; "Conclusion" appears in the bottom one.

Tim: The introduction is where you set up the essay, like making a map of what it'll be about.

The animation zooms in to the introduction rectangle, showing a path from point A to point B.

Tim: It helps to start with a hook, meant to grab the reader’s interest. It can be an interesting story, a relevant quote, or a cool fact related to the topic.

The animation shows a hook. The icons appear: a head with a speech bubble, highlighted lines in a book, and a pie chart.

Tim: Say you’re writing a persuasive essay, and the topic is—

In the animation, Moby types on his computer.

Tim: Uh, "The Case for a Longer School Year"—okay.

In the animation, Moby shows his computer document to Tim and Tim reads out the title.

Tim: Your hook could be a statistic about how it's done in other countries. Plenty of countries have much shorter summer vacations than Americans do.

On screen, Moby continues typing. The animation shows Moby's screen, which includes the hook, "American children spend fewer days in school than their peers in many other countries." He keeps typing as Tim speaks.

Tim: Now after the hook, you introduce your topic with some background: You might note that most American school districts take 2 to 3 months off. But some have started experimenting with shorter summer breaks.

On-screen, Moby types a version of Tim’s words: "Most American school districts take 2 to 3 months off in the summer. But some have started experimenting with shortening these breaks."

Tim: Then, wrap up your intro with the thesis statement.

On screen, a purple line appears at the bottom of Moby's paragraph, labeled "thesis statement.”

Tim: The thesis is your claim, summarizing your position on the topic, plus your reasoning. In other words, it states your argument and elaborates on how you'll prove it.

Against a purple background, icons appear: a piece of notebook paper and a head with cogwheels inside.

Tim: The thesis statement is really important! It's sort of like a mini-outline, setting up the whole structure of your essay. It’s a good idea to include three reasons supporting your argument. Because they become the subjects of the three body paragraphs.

The screen returns to Moby’s intro paragraph, with gray lines representing the thesis statement. The animation changes to a blank sheet with 5 gray rectangles. In the top gray rectangle, smaller pink, turquoise, and yellow rectangles appear. Then the second gray rectangle turns pink, the third gray rectangle turns turquoise, and the fourth gray rectangle turns yellow. The second, third, and fourth rectangles are labeled “Body.”

Tim: So, your thesis could be that extending the school year will help lower-income students, improve test scores, and keep kids busy.

The animation returns to Moby typing his essay. He types: “Extending the school year through July will help lower-income students, improve test scores, and keep kids busy and productive.”

Tim: And then we know what to write about in every body paragraph.

On screen, the thesis is labeled, and “help lower-income students” is highlighted pink, “improve test scores” is highlighted turquoise, and “keep kids busy and productive” is highlighted yellow.

Moby: Beep?

Tim: Each body paragraph develops a single point.

The animation returns to the colored rectangle version of the essay. The pink rectangle is labeled “help lower-income students," the turquoise rectangle is labeled “improve test scores," and the yellow rectangle is labeled “keep kids busy."

Tim: And begins with a topic sentence, which is like the paragraph's thesis. It restates one of the reasons presented in the main thesis statement.

The animation zooms in to the pink rectangle.

In the animation, a blank line appears at the top, labeled "topic sentence" below it.

Tim: So, for example, body paragraph 1 could have this topic sentence: "A longer school year would level the playing field for low-income kids."

The animation returns to the computer document, where this sentence gets typed out: "A longer school year would level the playing field for low-income kids."

Tim: The rest of the paragraph develops that topic sentence using evidence.

On screen, several blank lines appear below the topic sentence, with "evidence" stamped onto them.

Tim: For instance, you could write that all students experience the "summer slide"-- forgetting some of the year's learning over break.

On screen, this sentence gets written: "Over the summer, all students forget some of what they've learned that year."

Tim: And cite research about how the losses are biggest for low-income kids. Including possible reasons why: because of differences in opportunities—like camps and other enrichment.

On screen, these sentences get written: "But according to a Johns Hopkins University study, the losses are much greater among lower-income children. The researchers think this could be because of differences in opportunities, like camps and other enrichment."

Tim: Throughout the body paragraph, make sure to keep your goal in mind: All evidence should support the topic sentence, which supports the thesis.

On screen, a pyramid appears: The bottom section is labeled “evidence,” the middle section is labeled “topic sentence,” and the top section is labeled “thesis.”

Tim: Yup, the next 2 body paragraphs follow the same format: Take a reason from your thesis statement, and expand on it to prove your claim.

On screen, the thesis appears, along with the pink and turquoise body rectangles. The pink rectangle includes the topic sentence, “A longer school year would level the playing field for low-income kids,” plus several blank lines. The reason “improve test scores” is highlighted turquoise in the thesis statement, then the turquoise body rectangle fills in with this topic sentence: "Extending the school year would improve student test scores." Several more blank lines fill in the rectangle.

Tim: Each body paragraph focuses on a separate point, but they're all part of one bigger argument.

The reason “keep kids busy and productive” is highlighted yellow in the thesis statement, then the yellow body rectangle fills in with this topic sentence: "With more days in school, kids will stay busy and productive." Several more blank lines fill in the rectangle.

Tim: So, to ease the switch from one point to the next, link up the paragraphs with transitions: They form bridges from one section to the next, so your argument flows well.

On screen, chains appear to link rectangles 2 and 3, and 3 and 4.

Tim: Sometimes it'll work to add in a word or phrase like "Also," "In addition," or "Plus."

The animation zooms in to the turquoise body rectangle. "Also," gets typed out at the beginning of the topic sentence, then it’s replaced by “In addition,” and then “Plus.”

Tim: But usually it'll sound better to rework the whole sentence. Try picking up the thought from the previous paragraph. Here, you were talking about how kids forget stuff over the summer. And this next paragraph is about improving test scores.

On screen, Tim points to the turquoise body paragraph, then the yellow body paragraph.

Tim: So you could transition by saying that one consequence of the summer slide is lower test scores.

The topic sentence types out while Tim speaks: "One consequence of the summer slide is lower test scores."

Tim: Speaking of transitions, Moby, I'm not really into this idea of a longer school year.

Tim: Well, I think kids need plenty of time to rest and relax over the summer. More school might just lead to more stress and—

On screen, Moby looks annoyed.

Tim: Fine, fine… moving on. The fifth paragraph is the conclusion, where you restate your argument and wrap things up.

The animation returns to the 5-rectangle diagram, then pans down to the final paragraph, which is red and labeled “Conclusion.”

Tim: The conclusion has the reverse structure of the introduction: Instead of moving from the general topic to a specific argument, it moves from specific to general.

On screen, the top rectangle becomes a triangle pointing down as the bottom rectangle becomes a triangle pointing up. The top triangle is labeled “general” then “specific” and the bottom triangle is labeled “specific” then “general.”

Tim: So you begin by restating your specific claim and supporting ideas. But, you don't want a word-for-word repetition of your thesis.

The animation returns to Moby’s computer document. This sentence types in: "Extending the school year through July will help lower-income students, improve test scores, and keep kids busy and productive."

Tim: That's kinda boring, so paraphrase, or reword it, instead. Like, "A longer school year is worth exploring as a way to close the achievement gap, raise test scores, and keep young minds engaged."

In the animation, the first sentence gets highlighted, then erased as the reworked sentence types in while Tim speaks: "A longer school year is worth exploring as a way to close the achievement gap, raise test scores, and keep young minds engaged."

Tim: And you can transition with a phrase indicating that you're wrapping things up. Like, "In conclusion," "in summary," or how about, "given the evidence."

In the animation, "In conclusion," "In summary," and "Given the evidence," each appear as transitions, one by one, at the beginning of the sentence.

Tim: Lastly, you have a chance to extend your argument with some final insight. Like, you could finish up a story you began in the intro, or explain the importance of your argument.

On screen, Moby continues typing.

Tim: "Schools across America should extend their school days through July, effective immediately! The future of our nation depends on it." Not bad (even though I still don't agree).

On screen, Tim reads the end of Moby’s essay aloud.

Tim: Something to keep in mind is that not all essays follow the 5-paragraph format. Some are longer and more complex, or they present parts in a different order. As you grow as a writer, you'll learn how to play around with the formula, too. In the meantime, the 5-paragraph structure will help you master the basics: Organizing your ideas to make a strong, well-supported argument.

In the animation, as Tim speaks, in the background, Moby prints his essay, puts it into an envelope, adding a stamp, and then darts out the door.

Tim: Where'd you go?

On screen, Tim notices Moby is gone.

Tim: Finally, some peace and quiet, so I can get back to my show.

On screen, Tim returns to the couch and turns the TV back on.

TV newscaster: Breaking news: A brilliant new essay has convinced the local board of education to extend the school year through July. Area students should report back to their classrooms tomorrow morning.

On screen, Tim looks shocked and groans.

The animation cuts to the same shot, but now Moby, not Tim, is sitting on the couch, eating popcorn.

TV voiceover: Released into its natural habitat, the CEO asserts dominance over the other sharks. He is their leader now...

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Five Paragraph Essay Brain Pop Quiz

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No student devices needed.   Know more

Where in a five-paragraph essay would you find a thesis statement?

The introductory paragraph

The first sentence of the second paragraph

The last sentence of the third paragraph

Imagine you were writing an essay about BrainPOP's "Five-Paragraph Essay" movie. What might be your thesis statement?

A five paragraph essay must always have five paragraphs.

Tim and Moby are a boy and robot that make movies on brainpop.com.

Tim and Moby use humor to demonstrate the basic structure of a five paragraph essay.

Five paragraph essays are a chore to write.

The five paragraph essay follows a specific format. In the previous sentence, what is a SYNONYM for "precise"?

What must you do after you write your thesis statement?

Write a second thesis statement

Support your thesis with at least three examples

Ask questions that the reader must answer for herself

Conclude the essay

How is a thesis statement different from the examples you use to support it?

A thesis statement is a question, examples are always sentences

A thesis statement is addressed to your teacher, the examples address your classmate.

A thesis statement is written in the first person, the examples are written in third person

The thesis statement is an opinion, the examples you use to support it are facts

What happens in the second, third, and fourth paragraph?

The writer brings up new examples not mentioned in the introduction.

The writer expands on the examples mention in the thesis statement.

The writer makes three new thesis statements.

The writer draws three new conclusions.

If a five paragraph essay was a building, paragraph two, three, and four would be what part of the building?

The foundation

The blueprint

The beams that support the structure

What would you find in the conclusion paragraph of your writing?

A quote that sums up what the writer was saying

A new argument in favor of the thesis

A restatement of the thesis and supporting details

A direct address to the reader

What would happen if you don't use transition words (like next, second, after, then, because) in your writing?

Your writing wouldn't make sense

You would accidentally destroy your thesis

Your essay would seem disjointed and the paragraphs wouldn't flow together.

You would need to add extra examples of have it make sense

What are the three parts of an introduction paragraph?

Thesis, claim, and conclusion

Thesis, claim, and main points.

Hook, background, and thesis

Hook, background, and body paragraphs.

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