essay structure for elementary students

How to write a perfect essay

Need to write an essay? Does the assignment feel as big as climbing Mount Everest? Fear not. You’re up to the challenge! The following step-by step tips from the Nat Geo Kids Almanac will help you with this monumental task. 

Sometimes the subject matter of your essay is assigned to you, sometimes it’s not. Either way, you have to decide what you want to say. Start by brainstorming some ideas, writing down any thoughts you have about the subject. Then read over everything you’ve come up with and consider which idea you think is the strongest. Ask yourself what you want to write about the most. Keep in mind the goal of your essay. Can you achieve the goal of the assignment with this topic? If so, you’re good to go.

WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE

This is the main idea of your essay, a statement of your thoughts on the subject. Again, consider the goal of your essay. Think of the topic sentence as an introduction that tells your reader what the rest of your essay will be about.

OUTLINE YOUR IDEAS

Once you have a good topic sentence, you then need to support that main idea with more detailed information, facts, thoughts, and examples. These supporting points answer one question about your topic sentence—“Why?” This is where research and perhaps more brainstorming come in. Then organize these points in the way you think makes the most sense, probably in order of importance. Now you have an outline for your essay.

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, WRITE!

Follow your outline, using each of your supporting points as the topic sentence of its own paragraph. Use descriptive words to get your ideas across to the reader. Go into detail, using specific information to tell your story or make your point. Stay on track, making sure that everything you include is somehow related to the main idea of your essay. Use transitions to make your writing flow.

Finish your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your entire essay and 5 restates your main idea.

PROOFREAD AND REVISE

Check for errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Look for ways to make your writing clear, understandable, and interesting. Use descriptive verbs, adjectives, or adverbs when possible. It also helps to have someone else read your work to point out things you might have missed. Then make the necessary corrections and changes in a second draft. Repeat this revision process once more to make your final draft as good as you can.

Download the pdf .

Homework help

Science lab, (ad) national geographic kids almanac.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your California Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell My Info
• National Geographic
• National Geographic Education
• Shop Nat Geo
• Customer Service
• Manage Your Subscription

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

Join my VIP teacher email club!

When I look back to my first experience teaching five paragraph essays to fifth graders, I can remember how terribly unprepared I felt.

I knew that the five paragraph essay format was what my students needed to help them pass our state’s writing assessment but I had no idea where to start.

I researched the few grade-appropriate essays I could find online (these were the days before Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers) and determined that there was a structure to follow.

Every essay followed the same basic structure. I taught the structure to my students and they did well.

I have been teaching five paragraph essay structure and everything that goes with it for several years now. I hope that after you read this blog post, you will have a good understanding of how to teach and grade five paragraph essays.

Once you’ve learned all about teaching basic essay structure, you’ll be ready to grow your writers from “blah” to brilliant! 

Teaching five paragraph essays is just one part of teaching 5th grade writing. Click here to find out exactly how I teach writing to my 5th graders! 

Start with Simple Paragraphs

We always start with simple paragraphs.

Yes, this is basic, but if your students cannot write excellent paragraphs, their five paragraph essays will be train wrecks. Trust me!

We spend a while cementing paragraph structure:

Topic Sentence

Closing Sentence

I give students topics, they come up with their own topics, we write together, they write with a partner or independently, the more variety, the better.

We have fun with simple paragraphs. Then, it’s time to move on to body paragraphs.

Organize and Write Body Paragraphs

Please refer to my five paragraph essay organizer below.

The three body paragraphs are absolutely crucial to the success of the five paragraph essay.

Some teachers have trouble teaching the structure of five paragraph essays because they start with the introduction paragraph.

Always teach the body paragraphs first!

I had a teacher say to me once, “What’s the point of just writing parts of the essay? They need to write the entire five paragraphs to get all of the practice they need.”

I understand that point. However, think of it as building a house. Should you test out the foundation and make sure it’s sound and sturdy before building on top of it? Absolutely! That’s what we’re doing here.

The three body paragraphs are the foundation of the essay.

Ask students to write out their three body paragraphs just like they have practiced…Topic sentence…Detail 1…Detail 2…Detail 3…Closing Sentence.

I “ooooh and aaaah” over their three paragraphs. Students are on their way to five paragraph essays, so be sure to build their confidence.

Teach the Introduction Paragraph

I have to say, this is my favorite paragraph to teach. The introduction paragraph is what draws readers into the essay and makes them want to read more.

We start with what I call a “hook.” The hook captures the readers’ attention and can come in many forms: asking a question, making a bold statement, sharing a memory, etc.

After the hook, I ask students to add a sentence or two of applicable commentary about the hook or about the prompt in general.

Finally, we add the thesis sentence. The thesis sentence always follows the same formula: Restate the prompt, topic 1, topic 2, and topic 3.

That’s all you need to write an excellent introduction paragraph!

I do suggest having students write the introduction paragraph plus body paragraphs a couple of times before teaching the closing paragraph.

Teach the Closing Paragraph

In the conclusion paragraph, we mainly focus on restating the thesis and including an engaging closing thought.

With my students, I use the analogy of a gift.

The introduction paragraph and body paragraphs are the gift and the conclusion paragraph is the ribbon that ties everything together and finishes the package.

When you talk about restating the thesis sentence, tell students that they need to make it sound different enough from their original thesis sentence to save their readers from boredom.

Who wants to read the same thing twice? No one!

Students can change up the format and wording a bit to make it fresh.

I enjoy teaching the closing thought because it’s so open to however students want to create it.

Ways to write the closing thought: ask a question, personal statement, call to action, or even a quote. 

I especially like reading the essays in which a quote is used as a closing thought or a powerful statement is used.

Example of a full five paragraph essay

Let’s Talk About Color-Coding!

Who doesn’t like to color? This is coloring with a purpose!

Training your students to color-code their paragraphs and essays will make grading so much easier and will provide reminders and reinforcements for students.

When students color-code their writing, they must think about the parts of their paragraphs, like topic sentences, details, and the closing sentence.

They will be able to see if they are missing something or if they’ve written something out of order.

Color-coding is a wonderful help for the teacher because you can skim to ensure that all parts of your students’ paragraphs and essays are present.

Also, when you are grading, you can quickly scan the paragraphs and essays. Trust me, you will develop a quick essay-grading ability.

I start color-coding with my students at the very beginning when they are working on simple paragraphs. I add the additional elements of the color-code as we progress through our five paragraph essays.

This is the code that I use:

Let’s Talk About Grading Five Paragraph Essays!

Imagine a lonely, stressed teacher grading five paragraph essays on the couch while her husband is working the night shift.

That was me!

Seriously, guys, I would spend about ten minutes per essay. I marked every little error, I made notes for improvement and notes of encouragement. I reworked their incorrect structure.

Those papers were full of marks.

On Monday, I proudly brought back the essays and asked students to look over them and learn what they needed to fix for next time.

You can guess what happened… there were lots of graded essays in the trashcan at the end of the day.

I decided that my grading practices had to change. I needed my weekends back and my students needed to find their own errors!

This is my best advice:

STOP correcting every error!

Your students are not benefiting from marks all over their writing. They need to find those errors themselves so that they will remember their mistakes and change their writing habits.

Do a quick scan of each student’s writing as soon as it’s turned in to you.

If there are major problems with a student’s writing, call him/her over individually and show him/her what needs to be fixed or put the student with a competent peer editor who will help them fix mistakes.

If you have several students who are struggling with a skill, like closing sentences, do a mini-lesson on this topic.

You can do a mini-lesson with a small group. However, I prefer doing mini-lessons with the entire class. The kids who need help will get it and the rest of your class will receive a refresher.

It’s OK if there are some small spelling/grammar mistakes!

If the errors are few and they don’t take away from the meaning/flow of the essay, I don’t worry about them.

Our students are still learning.

Even your brightest star writer will have a few spelling/grammar mistakes from time to time.

Don’t discourage students from writing because of small errors.

Students who receive papers back with markings all over them don’t think, “Oh boy, my teacher has made it so easy for me to make all of these corrections.” They are thinking, “What’s the point in writing? I must be a terrible writer. Look at all of these mistakes.”

If your students are taking a standardized writing assessment, the structure and flow of their essays will be worth much more than perfect spelling.

Need more help?

I created this five paragraph essay instructional unit for teachers who are new to teaching five paragraph essays OR just need all of the materials in one place.

“Teacher Talk” pages will guide you through the unit and this unit contains all materials needed to help students plan, organize, and write amazing five paragraph essays! Click here to check it out:

I have a freebie for you! Enter your first name and email address below. You’ll receive three original prompts with five paragraph essay organizers AND two lined final draft pages!

Once your students are good essay writers…

These task cards will help your students stay sharp on their five paragraph essay knowledge. Students will review hooks (attention-getters), thesis sentences, body paragraphs, topic sentences, closings, and more. Each card contains a unique writing example!

I suggest using these task cards as a quiz/test, scoot game, individual review, or cooperative group activity.

Click on the image to view these task cards:

To save this post for later, simply pin this image to your teacher Pinterest board!

21 comments.

Wow! I really enjoyed reading this. I’ve always stressed over the thought of teaching writing, but your blog makes me think I can do it successfully. Putting your writing packet on my TPT wish list!

Thank you, Shannon! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. I am so glad that my blog post was helpful to you!

Thanks for the tips! When I taught 6th grade I taught this same subject matter, but struggled to get started. I wish I had this then!

I appreciate your comment! Teaching was much different before Pinterest, wasn’t it?!?

This helped me so much!🙂 thanks a lot, I imagined being one student of yours. I’d be so smart and good at essays! Would’ve been so much easier in person❤️❤️❤️

Thank you so much, Aizlyn!

Thank you so much for this! May I ask where I can see the rubric for scoring the compositions?

You are so welcome! Click on the resource link. Then, you will see the rubric in the preview!

Thank you so much,I am a parent and this really helped me be clear how to guide my son. God bless you always.,

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

you are welcome!!!

This looks great! Looking forward to using your tips and freebies with my 6th graders. 🙂 THANK YOU.

You are so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!

Can’t wait to use this with my class tomorrow! Thanks a bunch for sharing!!

You are so welcome, Amy!

Thank you for making it easy to teach an essay with clarity.

You are very welcome, Yamuna! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂

I am so happy I discovered your blog. I just started teaching grade 5 in September I have been searching for a simple method to hel me in guiding them in writing. I will be putting your method into practice in the coming week.

That’s wonderful, Cherry! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Welcome to fifth grade 🙂

Beautiful lesson well explained! Thank you so very much .

Thank you so much, Cheryl!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

You may also enjoy...

Dear First-Time 5th Grade Teacher:

Integrate Social Studies and Writing – Quick Tips & Ideas

History Hashtag Fan Club – A Fun, Easy Review Idea

American Revolution Stories for Your Students

Advice for New 5th Grade Teachers from Veteran Teachers

Teaching Social Studies Crash Course

What can i help you teach, find it here, let's connect, i'd love to connect with you.

Enter your first name and email address to join my exclusive VIP email club.

Copyright © 2020  | Thrive in Grade Five | All Rights Reserved

Quick Links

Press ESC to close

How to Write an Essay for Kids? A Complete Guide for all the Basics Steps and Outline

While essay writing is an integral part of your children’s academic life, it also helps them to achieve great heights in the real world. Writing a good piece is a skill for life as it is used in every aspect, whether it be a job resume or an email, and practising essay writing is an excellent way to hone your writing skills.

Before knowing how to write an essay for kids, let’s look at the five benefits of composing good essays that may not be known to you:

Learning courses for your kids! Get free trial here

Improves Reading Ability

Children who show an early interest in writing will ultimately enjoy reading, according to experts. Reading and writing are deeply connected. Early writing instruction helps children learn word arrangement and coherence of thoughts which will pay off while reading.

Brain Development

Handwriting is essential for brain development and cognition, which is why children should be taught to write. The process of writing activates the brain areas responsible for critical thinking, logical reasoning and problem-solving.

Thoughts can be Organised

An organised way of thinking is necessary for writing essays with a clear beginning, middle, and end. So, if a kid sits to write, they will be focusing on organising their thoughts to create a good piece.

Improves Memory

The most effective way for students to learn their material is to write it down on a piece of paper. Your child will be more confident in their abilities to memorise a subject if they are better at writing. Doing writing exercises regularly will improve memory power, and it is likely that their grades also improve in the long run.

Writing Boosts Creativity and Imagination

To write well, your child needs to use both logical thinking and creative imagination. Writing puts both the right and left brain into action as they set out to find a way to create something easy for another person to read and understand. Writing allows them to explore ideas and possibilities, make up new stories, and do anything else they can dream of.

How to Write an Essay for Kids?

Step 1: ask your kid to brainstorm and research.

The first and foremost step to create any piece of good writing is consuming as much information as possible about the topic. This helps them look at different information and analyse things in their own way.Ask your child to brainstorm a few ideas, write down any thoughts about the subject, and look for other ideas in books or videos. Then tell them to figure out their strongest of thoughts that will convey their writing goals clearly.

Also Read: Best Online Coding Classes for Kids: A Complete Guide to Get the Best

Step 2: Tell Them to Make a Rough Outline

The outline is the base of an essay, and it saves a lot of time. It is great for structuring and organising ideas in a thoughtful and sequential flow. This approach allows your child to choose appropriate information or quotes from sources before writing, which gives them a solid foundation for a good writing assignment. Moreover, developing these ideas will make it easier for you to write your essays.

How to Write an Essay Outline for Kids?

If you are confused, then go with these basic rules:

#1. The Introduction

Discuss the topic of your essay and its theme in this part. Giving the views on the theme of the essay is crucial as it helps you support it in each paragraph of your essay body.

#2. Body Paragraphs

The body of the essay will have at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence followed by an argument related to the theme. Here, discuss all the supporting evidence such as data, facts and examples to substantiate the topic.

But, if your kid has just started writing, adding one body paragraph is enough to practice. According to their improvement, they could include as many as they want.

#3. The Conclusion

Last but not least, come up with a conclusion that is the logical outcome of the body of the essay. It is important to end an essay while maintaining the flow. Here, put the finishing touches on the essay. Briefly summarise the topic and the objective of the essay.

Step 3: It’s Time for Your Kids to Write

You should tell them to follow their outline and write down each supporting point in an individual paragraph. Encourage them to use descriptive words to put their ideas across clearly to the reader. Also, going into detail, using specific information to elaborate on a point can help. Introduce your kids to transition words; this helps in maintaining the flow of the structure.

Lastly, staying on track is the key to making sure everything included is somehow related to the essay’s main idea.

How to Write Conclusion for an Essay for Kids?

While writing the conclusion of the essay, your child should keep in mind the following points:

#1. Do not repeat the introduction in this part.

#2. Do not add new content or arguments.

#3. Do not end it too abruptly.

The following points can help them write a good conclusion:

#1. Start by examining the content of each paragraph.

#2. Refer to the introductory paragraph for guidance.

#3. Leaving a note which makes the reader ponder makes the conclusion thought-provoking.

How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay for Kids?

Here is the proper outline of writing a 5 paragraph essay:

1. Introduction

Introduce the topic and explain the theme

2. Body Paragraph One

Write the main sentence by supporting them with examples or facts. Also, explain the logical connection of those examples and facts with the theme of the essay.

3. Body Paragraph Two

Write the other main sentence by supporting them with examples or facts. Explain the logical connection of those examples and facts with the essay’s theme in this paragraph too.

4. Body Paragraph Three

Repeat the process mentioned in the outline for body paragraphs one and two.

5. Conclusion

Summarise all the main points of the essay and write a logical outcome that incites the reader to think.

How Your Kids Can Learn Essay Writing with The Real School Of Montessori?

We hope that this article cleared your doubts on how you can teach essay writing to your kids. For better guidance on essay writing for kids, check out the Real School Of Montessori website.

In this new age school, mentors provide one-on-one teaching and make sure your child receives a comprehensive education in different subjects. What makes Real School Of Montessori unique is that they have real-world goals. This will allow your child to become problem solvers, thinkers, and innovators through personalised,  project-based learning.

Book a masterclass now and give your kid a taste of a fun learning environment.

Also Read: Scratch Coding for Kids: Simplifying the Concepts of Coding for Super Kids

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Share Article:

About the Author

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

You might also like

What are the Advantages of Online Teaching at The Real School?

What is the Full Form of School?: Unveiling the Acronym

What is Math Full Form?: Cracking the Code

Other stories, how to prepare small kids for essay writing some amazing tips to help you out, how to teach essay writing to kids here’re the best guidance for parents.

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login

• Skip to main content

Stellar Teaching Co.

Engaging Resources for Teaching Literacy

By Sara Marye Leave a Comment

From Ideas to Essays: The Power of Outlining in Upper Elementary Writing

As upper elementary students transition into more complex forms of writing, it becomes crucial to introduce them to effective writing strategies. One such strategy that can greatly benefit these young writers is outlining. And I think it is too often skipped over!

In this blog post, we’ll explore what outlining is, how to do it, why it’s important, and ways you can implement it in a fun and engaging manner.

What is Outlining?

An outline is a structured plan or blueprint that organizes the main ideas and supporting details of a piece of writing. It serves as a roadmap for the writing process and helps students maintain focus and coherence in their compositions.

I like to teach outlining as part of the brainstorming process. You can position it as a Part 2 to brainstorming – it allows students to take their brainstorm ideas and put structure and organization to them.

How to Create an Outline:

• Choose a Topic: Start by selecting a topic for the writing assignment. This could be a persuasive essay, a narrative story, or a research report.
• Identify Main Ideas: Encourage students to brainstorm and identify the main ideas or key points they want to convey in their writing.
• Organize Main Ideas: Arrange these main ideas in a logical order. This step helps students see the structure of their writing.
• Add Supporting Details: Under each main idea, have students add supporting details, examples, or evidence to strengthen their points.
• Use Short Phrases and Symbols: Teach students about using short phrases and even symbols to outline their writing.  

Why Should We Outline?

1. structure and organization:.

• Outlines provide a clear structure, helping students organize their thoughts logically.
• It ensures that each paragraph or section has a purpose and contributes to the overall message.

2. Clarity and Focus:

• Outlines help students stay on topic and avoid straying from the main point.
• They serve as a reference, preventing students from getting lost or overwhelmed during the writing process.

3. Time Efficiency:

The outline process can save time by streamlining the writing process. Students can reference their outlines to write more efficiently.

4. Revision and Editing:

Outlining serves as a valuable tool for revision and editing. When writers have a well-structured outline, it becomes easier to identify areas that need improvement or expansion. Writers can review their outlines to ensure that each point is adequately supported and that the overall argument or narrative is cohesive.

5. Effective Communication:

Outlining is not only about making the writing process easier; it also enhances the quality of communication. A well-organized outline ensures that the writer’s message is conveyed clearly and persuasively. Whether it’s an essay, a report, a story, or any other form of writing, a strong outline sets the stage for effective communication.

Fun Ways to Implement Outlining:

• Interactive Outlining: Use colorful markers and large sheets of paper to create outlines as a class. This visual approach can make outlining more engaging and is a great way to introduce the outlining concept to students.
• Storyboard Creation: For narrative writing, students can draw or use digital tools to create storyboards. This visual storytelling technique is fun and helps in outlining plot points.
• Partner Outlining: Collaborative outlining in pairs or small groups allows students to brainstorm ideas together and learn from each other’s perspectives. 
• Game-based Learning: Turn outlining into a game by challenging students to outline a topic within a time limit. This can add an element of competition and excitement.

Incorporating outlining into the writing process for upper elementary students is a valuable strategy. As students become adept at outlining, they’ll not only excel in their writing assignments but also develop a lifelong skill that will serve them well in various academic and professional pursuits.

Think about your next steps…

• Challenge:  Take your students planning to the next step with writing! Download our Paragraph Writing Freebie and focus on the brainstorming and outlining steps with your students.
• Check out   The Confident Writers System – a free, private podcast – to access to  bite-sized pd  that will teach you how to effectively  teach writing  in 3rd – 5th grade!
• Join us inside  The Stellar Literacy Collective,  where you will get access to a resource library filled with reading and writing resources that will help support you and your students get the most out of your literacy block.

Happy Teaching!

Check out some more of our writing resources.

Want Even More?

You’ll love these related posts!

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment cancel reply.

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Grab Your FREE Gift!

Word Of The Day: Context Clue Routine

With this freebie, you'll get everything you need to get started with word of the day in your classroom. You'll get all the student and teacher materials for five days. Word of the day will help your students become experts at using context clues.

Stellar Teacher Podcast

SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN HERE

Back to School: 3 Fun, Engaging, and Important Literacy Lessons to Teach at the Beginning of the Year

Practical And Easy Ways To Incorporate Reading Fluency Activities In Your Classroom With Aylin Claashen

Teaching Genre: Why It’s Important and How To Introduce It To Your Students

3 Easy Strategies to Embed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into Your Classroom With Abby Moehringer

Free private podcast!

The Confident Writer System Series

In less than 90 minutes, you'll learn quick and easy ways that will transform your upper elementary student's writing.

Join our membership!

The Stellar Literacy Collective

You didn’t become a teacher to spend your rare free time scrolling Pinterest and searching on Google. Trust me friend, I have been there. That’s why this membership was created. When you join, you receive countless pre-planned resources without sacrificing engagement, rigor, and effectiveness. That means less planning and more teaching. Beyond the resources, you’ll gain a community of like-minded teachers. Are you ready to level up your instruction and maybe even find a new teacher bestie?

Follow Me Here

I’m Sara, your literacy lovin’ mentor and cheerleader.

With over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator, I understand the joys and challenges of teaching. That’s why I’m on a mission to make an impact by serving stellar upper elementary teachers just like you. Get ready, because I’m pulling out all the stops to ensure that you have the tools and confidence you need to build a literacy block that you’re proud of. One that excites you and your students while also meeting the standards. Oh yes, it’s totally possible to have both!

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/essay-structure/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, comparing and contrasting in an essay | tips & examples, how to write the body of an essay | drafting & redrafting, transition sentences | tips & examples for clear writing, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Persuasive Writing Examples and Prompts for Kids

Is your student stepping into the world of persuasive writing? 

As a parent, it’s fun to watch your child learn the art of forming and supporting an argument. 

(Plus, it’s a significant step toward critical thinking.)

If they need extra help, here are a few persuasive writing examples for kids along with 20 writing prompts to make it fun!

Why Persuasive Writing Is Important for Elementary Writers

Teaching persuasive writing is important because it’s a fundamental step in helping your child think critically. 

By arguing a topic, your student will need to examine both sides, which is an essential component of critical thinking. Persuasive writing also inspires formation of opinion and sharing that opinion effectively.

Students as young as elementary-school age can learn to write persuasively. In fact, we’ll share some quick examples of persuasive essays for kids below. 

First, let’s discuss the structure of a “mini” persuasive essay. 

(If you have an older student, read our step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive essay .)

A Simplified Structure for Persuasive Writing 

Of course, expectations and writing guidelines become more involved for older students, but elementary-aged students should keep it simple. 

The basic features of persuasive writing can be broken down into 5 steps:

• Topic sentence
• Opening argument 1
• Concluding statement

A topic sentence introduces the argument and clearly expresses the writer’s viewpoint. For a younger child, this is simply a straightforward statement that clearly expresses “this is my opinion.”

The next three steps list “pros” that support their topic statement. Each argument should be distinctly stated. 

Again, for an elementary-aged student, arguments can be brief and can simply be a list of reasons. 

The concluding statement wraps up by summarizing the arguments and restating the opinion. 

If this method of persuasive writing sounds complicated at first, rest assured, it’s not. 

Let’s look at how you can easily reinforce this structure for your students, along with some examples.

Homeschool Mom Tip: Use a “Persuasive Text Structure” Poster

One effective method of teaching and reinforcing the persuasive writing model is by using a “persuasive structure” chart or poster. 

A visual representation of the steps involved in persuasive writing is important for a few reasons:

• Some students learn best visually. It helps them understand and remember the method when they see it laid out in front of them.
• Graphic illustrations of the different components allow students to take in one piece at a time and avoid overwhelm. 
• Hanging the poster where your children do their schoolwork makes it easy for them to reference the structure while they’re writing. 
• Knowing the poster is nearby in case they get stuck helps make writing a calmer process.

One other tip I recommend is breaking up essay-style writing with creative writing assignments. ( Try these one-sentence writing prompts! ).

Kid-Friendly Persuasive Writing Examples

Along with tools like a poster, providing simple examples of persuasive writing is another helpful way to teach this new concept. 

Here are a few examples of elementary-level persuasive paragraph examples that will give both you and your student an idea of what to expect. 

Example 1: A Persuasive Argument About Cats

Cats are the best pets. They can be left alone all day without getting mad. Cats don’t bark, so they are not noisy like dogs. You don’t have to let cats go outside to use the bathroom. As you can see, cats are less work and easier to take care of than dogs.

Example 2: A Persuasive Argument About Meal Choices

French fries should be served with every meal. First, French fries are delicious. Second, French fries are made of potatoes, which are vegetables, and they can air-fried without oil. Also, French fries don’t cost a lot of money. Because they are tasty, cheap, and can be cooked in a healthy way, French fries a perfect side dish to every meal.

Example 3: A Persuasive Argument Against Littering

You should never litter because it is wrong. Littering pollutes the Earth. Littering is throwing trash around outside, which looks ugly. Littering can also make you sick if it has germs on it. Littering is wrong because it makes the world a dirty, unsanitary place to live.

20 Persuasive Writing Prompts for Kids 

When you provide a step-by-step structure and supply examples of what is expected, you set your student up for writing success.

The final step in teaching persuasive writing to kids effectively is to present them with an antidote to the dreaded blank page. 

To assist you with that, we’ve come up with 20 persuasive writing topics for your students to make it easier for them to get them started on their persuasive essays. 

If they can’t come up with their own topics, one of these prompts should spark their interest. 

These ideas for persuasive essays cover a wide variety of topics, so there should be something for everyone. 

Plus, since persuasive writing is closely related to debate, you can also use these prompts as persuasive debate topics for kids :

• I deserve to be paid for my chores.
• Hamsters are the best type of pet. 
• Everyone should eat a salad daily. 
• Board games help you learn.
• Kids need free time to relax and play.
• You should always obey speed limits.
• Every family should have a dog.
• Dinner should always end with dessert.
• Homeschool students should get “snow days” as well. 
• Kids should choose where the family spends summer vacation.
• I am old enough for a later bedtime.
• All students should learn a second language.
• School should only be 4 days per week.
• Soda is bad for you.
• I am responsible enough to learn how to cook.
• My cat should be allowed to sleep on my bed.
• Kids should be allowed to vote in their local elections at age 16.
• I am old enough to babysit and be paid.
• You should always wear a seatbelt in the car.
• Pizza is a healthy food.

I hope these persuasive texts and prompts for kids are helpful to you! 

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to provide a few persuasive paragraph examples for your students to gain inspiration (and eliminate overwhelm).

If your student is entering 6th grade or above , we have a complete course that teaches students to write skillfully, think critically, and speak clearly as they explore the history of ideas! As a bonus in these dark days, Philosophy Adventure also teaches students to discern truth from error:

will your children recognize truth?

About the author.

Jordan Mitchell

About this Interactive

Related resources.

Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master. This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas. The tool offers multiple ways to navigate information including a graphic in the upper right-hand corner that allows students to move around the map without having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed.

• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides
• Lesson Plans
• Calendar Activities

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

This strategy guide explains the writing process and offers practical methods for applying it in your classroom to help students become proficient writers.

This strategy guide clarifies the difference between persuasion and argumentation, stressing the connection between close reading of text to gather evidence and formation of a strong argumentative claim about text.

Students will identify how Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of nonviolent conflict-resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses the Six Kingian Principles of Nonviolence.

Students develop their reading, writing, research, and technology skills using graphic novels. As a final activity, students create their own graphic novels using comic software.

Students are encouraged to understand a book that the teacher reads aloud to create a new ending for it using the writing process.

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

Students analyze rhetorical strategies in online editorials, building knowledge of strategies and awareness of local and national issues. This lesson teaches students connections between subject, writer, and audience and how rhetorical strategies are used in everyday writing.

It's not easy surviving fourth grade (or third or fifth)! In this lesson, students brainstorm survival tips for future fourth graders and incorporate those tips into an essay.

Students explore the nature and structure of expository texts that focus on cause and effect and apply what they learned using graphic organizers and writing paragraphs to outline cause-and-effect relationships.

Students prepare an already published scholarly article for presentation, with an emphasis on identification of the author's thesis and argument structure.

• Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

• Kindergarten K

Jump to navigation

• Inside Writing
• Teacher's Guides

Student Models

• Writing Topics
• Minilessons
• Shopping Cart
• Inside Grammar
• Grammar Adventures
• CCSS Correlations
• Infographics

Student Writing Models

How do I use student models in my classroom?

When you need an example written by a student, check out our vast collection of free student models. Scroll through the list, or search for a mode of writing such as “explanatory” or “persuasive.”

Jump to . . .

Explanatory writing.

• How Much I Know About Space Explanatory Paragraph
• My Favorite Pet Explanatory Paragraph
• Sweet Spring Explanatory Paragraph

Narrative Writing

• A Happy Day Narrative Paragraph
• My Trip to Mexico Narrative Paragraph

Creative Writing

• Happy Easter Story Paragraph
• Leaf Person Story

Research Writing

• Parrots Report
• If I Were President Explanatory Paragraph
• My Dad Personal Narrative
• The Horrible Day Personal Narrative

Response to Literature

• One Great Book Book Review
• A Fable Story
• Ant Poem Poem
• The Missing Coin Story
• Winter Words Poem
• Horses Report
• Ladybugs Report
• How to Make Boiled Eggs How-To

Persuasive Writing

• Plastic, Paper, or Cloth? Persuasive Paragraph
• The Funny Dance Personal Narrative
• The Sled Run Personal Narrative
• Hello, Spring! Poem
• Cheetahs Report

Business Writing

• Dear Ms. Nathan Email
• My Favorite Place to Go Description
• My Mother Personal Essay
• Rules Personal Essay
• Shadow Fort Description
• Adopting a Pet from the Pound Editorial
• Letter to the Editor Letter to the Editor
• Ann Personal Narrative
• Grandpa, Chaz, and Me Personal Narrative
• Indy’s Life Story Personal Narrative
• Jet Bikes Personal Narrative
• The Day I Took the Spotlight Personal Narrative
• A Story of Survival Book Review
• Chloe’s Day Story
• Did You Ever Look At . . . Poem
• Dreams Poem
• I Am Attean Poem
• Sloppy Joes Poem
• The Civil War Poem
• The Haunted House Story
• The Terror of Kansas Story
• When I Was Upside Down Poem
• Deer Don’t Need to Flee to Stay Trouble-Free! Report
• Height-Challenged German Shepherd Report
• Friendship Definition
• What Really Matters News Feature
• Cheating in America Problem-Solution
• Hang Up and Drive Editorial
• Musical Arts Editorial
• Summer: 15 Days or 2 1/2 Months? Editorial
• A Cowboy's Journal Fictionalized Journal Entry
• Giving Life Personal Narrative
• The Great Paw Paw Personal Narrative
• The Racist Warehouse Personal Narrative
• Limadastrin Poem
• The Best Little Girl in the World Book Review
• How the Stars Came to Be Story
• Linden’s Library Story
• My Backyard Poem
• The Call Poem
• I Am Latvia Research Report
• Mir Pushed the Frontier of Space Research Report
• The Aloha State Research Report
• The Incredible Egg Observation Report
• Unique Wolves Research Report
• Dear Dr. Larson Email

Personal Writing

• A Lesson to Learn Journal
• Caught in the Net Definition
• From Bed Bound to Breaking Boards News Feature
• If Only They Knew Comparison-Contrast
• Save the Elephants Cause-Effect
• Student Entrepreneur Reaches for Dreams of the Sky News Feature
• Internet Plagiarism Problem-Solution
• Mosquito Madness Pet Peeve
• Anticipating the Dream Personal Narrative
• Huddling Together Personal Narrative
• H’s Hickory Chips Personal Narrative
• It’s a Boy! Personal Narrative
• My Greatest Instrument Personal Narrative
• Snapshots Personal Narrative
• Take Me to Casablanca Personal Narrative
• The Boy with Chris Pine Blue Eyes Personal Narrative
• The Climb Personal Narrative
• The House on Medford Avenue Personal Narrative
• Adam’s Train of Ghosts Music Review
• Diary of Gaspard Fictionalized Journal Entry
• My Interpretation of The Joy Luck Club Literary Analysis
• Mama’s Stitches Poem
• The KHS Press Play
• Rosa Parks Research Report
• The Killer Bean Research Report
• Mid-Project Report on History Paper Email
• Vegetarian Lunch Options at Bay High Email

Filter Results

• clear all filters

Resource Type

• Worksheets 
• Guided Lessons
• Lesson Plans
• Hands-on Activities
• Interactive Stories
• Online Exercises
• Printable Workbooks
• Science Projects
• Song Videos

middle-school

• Fine arts 
• Foreign language 
• Math 
• Reading 
• Writing Process 
• Writing Organization and Structure 
• Genre Writing
• Fiction Writing 
• Reflective Writing
• Research Writing
• Informational Writing
• Opinion Writing
• Persuasive Writing
• Argument Writing
• Narrative Writing
• Essay Writing 
• Response to Literature
• Handwriting 
• Research Strategies 
• Grammar 
• Science 
• Social emotional 
• Social studies 
• Typing 
• Holidays 
• Seasonal 
• Teacher Resources 
• Common Core 

Essay Writing Worksheets and Printables

ChatGPT for Teachers

Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, 5 ways to exercise essay writing for elementary students.

Few skills are as critical to educational success as essay writing for elementary students, and kids can get a leg up on their craft by exercising their skills in a variety of ways. Learning the basics through simple practices ensures that children understand what makes an essay effective and successful, and prepares them for further development in high school, college and beyond.

Below are five ways that will foster growth and aptitude in essay writing for elementary school students.

The allure of choice

A great way to encourage enthusiastic essay writing is by allowing kids their individual choice of a book assignment for a literary-style piece, or letting them choose an inspiring idea, either from a list or from their imaginations, for a narrative assignment. Following format and structure is still important, but the freedom students have in covering a topic of their choice may result in excellent work.

A question and answer period

Critical thinking is essential for long-term success in any field, especially writing. Teachers can help students develop this skill by hosting a question-and-answer period after students have read a book or written an essay and read it aloud to the class. Promoting confidence in the writer is also crucial. The questions students ask advance critical thinking about point of view, comprehension and analysis, which strengthen the author’s abilities for every type of essay, including expository, narrative and comparative.

Independent proofreading

Learning how to revise work is a process that takes years to master. One excellent way of teaching proofreading and revision command is returning essays after a few days so students may rework them for a second grade. A fresh look, with or without suggestions for improvement, often reveals the flaws missed on the first draft.

Variety is the spice

Repeating format and structure exercise rules for writing multiple times may cause students to lose interest. To rouse interest, incorporate the full spectrum of essay styles, narrative, persuasive, comparative and expository in assignments. Writing in each format helps students solidify their understanding.

The value of outlines

Enforcing rules and standards is extremely helpful for unmotivated writers struggling to complete open-ended assignments. Providing examples and requiring outlines for every written project focuses efforts and clarifies expectations. It also streamlines the process of writing and breaks it down into manageable sections. Once kids realize that writing is as much about organization as it is inspiration, they swiftly begin honing their technique.

There are many many tips available that are helpful for teaching elementary students how to effectively write a standard essay. These five suggestions are a great start, with plenty of room to delve further into style, structure, inspiration and tone.

You may also like to read

• 5 Ways to Help Elementary Students with Math
• How Teachers Can Increase the Impact of Essay Writing for Students
• 5 Online Vocabulary Builders for Elementary Students
• 3 Ways to Get Students to Love History
• 5 Elementary Math Lessons That Get Students Engaged
• Most Common Teaching Styles Used with Elementary School Students

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Early Childhood and Elementary (Grades: PreK-5) ,  Engaging Activities ,  Language Arts

• Programming Teacher: Job Description and Sala...
• Certificates in Administrative Leadership
• How to Teach Reading Comprehension: Resources...

• Our Mission

Essays and Text Structures with Elementary Students

What's an essay?

Can we really nail down a definition and explain it in a way that eight-year-olds not only understand it, but also generate on a test? Timed, Typed, Assessed, my data is YOURS (sung to the tune of the Stevie Wonder super wedding song, Signed, Sealed, Delivered).

Tom Newkirk discusses how we kind, sorta’ messed up the idea of the essay with the creation of textbooks in his short, but necessary read, The School Essay Manifesto . Newkirk criticizes the thesis controlled, five paragraph, easily graded, textbook writing and says, “We got it wrong.” Real essayists like E.B. White and de Montaigne wanted the essay to be more of an exploration of thought. Not just proving a thesis.

In Tom Romano’s book, Writing with Passion , the five-paragraph essay is referred to as five-paragraph-you-know-what. He couldn’t even bring himself to write the word essay after the chains of a number is uttered before it. But it’s not only the number that’s a bit unnerving; it’s the required number of sentences for each paragraph, the thesis, the required number of details, etc...

Like de Montaigne, I want to see into the mind of my students when they write an essay. I want thoughts. I want questions. I want opinions. I want stories. I want voice. I want to see and hear a human being in that writing, darn it! It’s an essay. Everything and anything is possible. These are eight-year-olds, dude. They’re kids. It should come out in their writing.

If we teach (and if eight-year-olds can learn) the typical passionless structure of the textbook essay, kids will snag in the thorns of the terminology (thesis, details, paragraphs, etc...) inevitably losing their thoughts on the subject. Instead of getting down to it and answering the question, which they are totally capable of, kids are left wondering, “What’s a thesis again?”

You can find the example text structures at http://gaetanpappalardo.com/post/100020293080/alternative-text-structures-copyright-discover

C- See 3- 3 P- Parts/Paragraphs O- Organized

Link to C3-PO Graphic: http://www.onkidwriting.com/image/100014397760

You know, it’s not going to help everyone. But at least when that tricky essay word shows up, your students can think about a shiny, gold droid, that will help organize their thoughts, write some paragraphs, and maybe even score some points for the good guys.

How do you help kids structure their writing without losing authenticity?

Note: images used courtesy of Discover Writing Press .

This piece was originally submitted to our community forums by a reader. Due to audience interest, we’ve preserved it. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.

Teaching the Five-Paragraph Essay Resource Packet

Featured 5th Grade Resources

Related Resources

About the author

Contributor

•  All topics A-Z
•  Grammar
•  Vocabulary
•  Speaking
•  Reading
•  Listening
•  Writing
•  Pronunciation
•  Virtual Classroom
• Worksheets by season
•  600 Creative Writing Prompts
•  Warmers, fillers & ice-breakers
•  Coloring pages to print
•  Flashcards
•  Classroom management worksheets
•  Emergency worksheets
•  Revision worksheets
• Resources we recommend

| | --> by BUSYTEACHER_admin 309,225 views Their college life is impossible to imagine without paper work, and that is why it is very important for them to know how to write an essay, an assignment, a dissertation, a composition, etc. So, your task as a teacher is . How to do that? What aspects to pay attention to in order your students could become the best essay writers? Here you are welcome to find some tips concerning the most important essay aspects to tell your students about. Step by step, you will make it much easier for them to understand the principles of essay writing and their importance for their future practice. Remember, that an essay is not only about writing skills, but it demonstrates the ability of your students to research as well. So, you task is to teach them to research. That is why try to reject the chosen topics if they are too easy for a student, and you see that it will not take much time to write such a essay. An essay is not an essay without any research. Explain your students, that it is always better for them to choose a topic they understand well and have an opportunity to make a research on. is important for every student to get, that is why do not forget practicing different research tactics with them: tell in details about the methods they can use to find all the information needed, how to use this info wisely, and what are the best ways to distinguish the important facts. An essay can not be just a piece of writing about general things everybody knows and understands perfectly. So, teach your students that they should not be in a hurry to write their essays at once they've chosen the topic. Make them When a student perfectly understands what he writes an essay for, it will be much easier for him to draw the outline and start writing. For your students to understand what a good piece of writing actually is, just give them some examples of excellent essays. It may be an essay of your former student for example. When they see a sample, your students will have an idea what a good essay should look like. Use samples to tell students about each element their essays should include. They will perfectly understand what the good introduction is, what an informative body of an essay should look like, and how to make an appropriate conclusion. Moreover, your students will also have an opportunity to see how sentences are built, and what grammar constructions are used in an essay. Choose some topic and make a list of points your students would need to mention if they wrote an essay on it. Such a technique will give them a better understanding of what and essay is, and . Make sure that all students perfectly understand the fact they should follow an essay outline, because it will be much easier for them to write this piece of paper. Make it clear to them that every point of the outline should start from a new paragraph. Moreover, the smaller these paragraphs are – the more attractive an essay will look for its readers. It is not very comfortable to read very long paragraphs, as it will be more difficult to get the point in such a way. Eventually, it will be easier for students themselves to compose shorter paragraphs of an essay. And here comes its most important part that is called an introduction. As a rule, students find it very difficult to write this part of their essay, as they do not know how to start a piece of writing in order to attract readers' attention and tell them shortly about what this essay is about. It is clear, that an essay will not be good without a proper and attractive beginning, so, your task is to explain this moment to your students. Tell them, that no one will continue reading their essays if they do not make it eye-catchy and clear for a potential reader. Moreover, an essay introduction should be intriguing a bit. Depending on the topic of an essay, students can start it with a story from their personal experience. This is a good way to grab an attention. Discuss this option with your students, listen to their suggestions. Discussions will help them learn the material better. Now it is high time for a conclusion, which is not less important than an introduction by the way. It is a real art to finish your in a way your reader would feel good and satisfied with everything he has read. Tell your students how to conclude their essays appropriately. Explain, that it is not good to abrupt a piece of writing. And do not forget to mention, that a conclusion of their essay should contain a summary if all points they discussed in the body! To summarize everything mentioned above, we can say that the importance of essay writing skills should not be underestimated. Such skills will help students express their thoughts clearly and write really good and even professional essays and other kinds of paper work during their further study at colleges or universities. Be sure, they will thank you for teaching such a necessary information to them. . Alex is a copywriter of website and a passionate reader of Stephen King's books. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English. . That's 4,036 pages filled with thousands of practical activities and tips that you can start using today. 30-day money back guarantee. --> Copyright 2007-2021 пїЅ Submit a worksheet Mobile version Teacher Must-Haves Writing Ideas Get to Know You Ideas Procedures Checklist Review Procedures Morning Work Ideas Classroom Management Character Traits Compare and Contrast Read Alouds Point of View Reading Response Ideas Summarizing Text Features Text Structures Find the Fib Reusable Ideas Disclosure Policy Dollar Deals Lifetime Access Scaffolding a Compare and Contrast Essay With Frames and Templates Writing can be hard and frustrating for upper elementary students; writing a compare and contrast essay can be even harder and more frustrating. Often, this skill gets pushed to the back burner.  It is a lot easier to practice comparing and contrasting with things that take less time - like by using a Venn Diagram.   However, teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to compare and contrast topics within their writing is an important skill. Scaffolding student writing through sentence or paragraph frames and essay templates can minimize the frustration of students, save valuable time, and help your students become better writers.  Providing structure helps focus yoru students. Below, find ideas for scaffolding so that your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students can be successful with comparing and contrasting in their writing - and eventually writing a compare and contrast essay! Start Small - With Compare and Contrast Sentence Starters or Frames Students don't have to write an entire essay every time you want them to practice comparing and contrasting within their writing - they can practice this skill by simply writing a sentence that compares or contrasts two things. Providing students with sentence starters is a great way to ease them into using compare and contrast language in their writing.  This is especially beneficial for your ELL and low language students, but ALL of your students will benefit from this strategy. Example Sentence Starters 1. __________ and __________ are different because __________. 2. __________ and __________ are alike because __________. 3. The most important difference between __________ and __________ is __________. 4. An important similarity between __________ and __________ is __________. 5.  While __________ and __________ are alike because __________, they have different __________. Using a Paragraph Template or Frame After students have been successful at writing sentences that compare and contrast, expand to short paragraphs. Provide scaffolding similar to the sentence frames to help your 3rd grade, 4th grade, or 5th grade students be successful. Using scaffolding like this will not only help them with comparing and contrasting language, but will improve their overall writing as well. (You might find some of these other writing tips and ideas helpful.) Example Paragraph Frames 1. __________ and __________ have many differences. The most important difference is _________________________. Another difference is _________________________. Finally, _________________________. 2. __________ and __________ are similar in many ways. For example, ____________________. Furthermore, they both ____________________. A final similarity is ____________________. 3.  __________ and __________ are similar in some ways, but different in others.  For example, they both ____________________.  Despite this similarity, they are different because ____________________.  This difference is important because ____________________. Compare and Contrast Essay Template / Structure / Outline Writing an essay can be overwhelming.  Teachers often try to support students by modeling good essay writing - which is an essential step.  But having students go straight from having a compare and contrast essay modeled for them to writing their own independently can be a huge jump for some.  They are going straight from "I do" to "You do." A scaffolded essay outline makes a good "we do" for upper elementary students.  Provide students with a scaffolded template that clearly lays out the structure of a good compare and contrast essay.  This helps students stay on topic and reminds them what a good compare and contrast essay should look like. Eventually, you will take this scaffolding away.  Or, you can use the scaffolding to differentiate.  Provide more scaffolding for students that needed, while students have a good grasp might only have topic students scaffolded for them - or maybe even no scaffolding at all. If you know your students would benefit from this type of scaffolding, but don’t have the time to create it yourself, check out my Compare and Contrast Writing Resource. It walks students through the writing process with scaffolding each step of the way. This resource also provides a model essay so that you can model expectations for your students. Plus, it can be used over and over again with different topics. You might also like these other ideas for scaffolding your instruction, or these compare and contrast activities and ideas.   Want a Compare and Contrast Freebie? Download these reading passages with a compare and contrast activity for free and use it to today! I will try the strategy, seems easy to follow Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Short Essay for Elementary Short essay generator for elementary. Elementary students are already taught how to make essays in preparation for their high school lives. They are trained how to construct a good essay that might be good enough to be samples used for essay competitions and other related activities. If one of your assignments involve writing short essays , you might feel the ease. It seems like an easy task, right? The truth behind that is it can be harder than you think. Essays allow you to express you own thoughts and what you feel about a particular situation. It is best for a student to be trained as early as possible because knowing how to talk about something, may it be orally or written, is really essential. It helps you to become a good communicator. 4+ Short Essay for Elementary Examples 1. short elementary winner essay. Size: 44 KB 2. Student Short Elementary Essay Size: 254 KB 3. Short Elementary Parent Essay Size: 66 KB 4. Short Elementary School Essay Size: 109 KB 5. Formal Short Elementary Essay Size: 36 KB What is a Short Essay? A short essay is just a typical type of essay that aims to give detailed descriptions of a particular object, even or phenomena, or issue. You can do this by making a comparison or presentation of anything that associates to the object that you opt to describe. Writing short essays could be challenging at times since it is hard to share your thoughts about an issue especially if you are no longer familiar with it. There are no specific steps in writing short essays. Aside from it is considered as a literary genre, it also requires talent and artistic expertise. Its writing could be simplified as follows: Choice of subject – this is an essay that could simply address a topic in a way that it can generate more interest to the readers. The topic should be narrow as possible. Documentation – this means documenting ourselves reading and looking for different reliable sources that would give us a complete thought of the topic. Preparation – before you start writing, know first the outline of your essay . This will serve as your essay skeleton that tells you what your next move is. Writing – express your ideas clearly and logically. Make sure that you are stating what you really intend to say. Short Essay Format All of the short essay writings consist of the following: Introduction – this includes the thesis statement and your strategy on how you are going to catch the attention of your target readers. Body of Paragraph – this is where you are going to share your thoughts about your chosen subject, event and the like. Think of some ways where your readers can engage themselves. This can be in a form of providing an image into the texts. Conclusion – your conclusion should be approximately fifty (50) words that summarizes all your main points or ideas. Do not present new ideas. Short Essay Example This is a Georgetown Short Essay about Favorite Class “ At St. Albans, especially in our later years, we are given the freedom to choose from a vast array of classes. Using this freedom, I have selected classes which have personal significance to me, regardless of difficulty or appearance on my transcript. However, from these classes, one holds an extraordinary amount of value to me. This course is A.P. Omnibus History, a combination of American and European history. There are several reasons for my great interest in this class. First, I am fascinated by the cyclical nature of the past. I see these recurring political, economic, and social trends as a means of looking forward into the future, while allowing us to avoid the mistakes of the past. Second, history teaches many lessons about the nature of human behavior, both past and present, providing insight into the actions, desires, and aspirations of those around me. Finally, it lays a solid foundation for several disciplines, including political science, economics, and international relations, three fields of great interest to me. ” infoplease.com How long is a short essay. A short essay would vary. It can have 250 words, 500 words or 800 words maximum depending on what is being required. Mostly, it will only consist of 500 words. What are the three forms of structure in a short essay? The three forms of structure are the deductive, inductive and framed. Deductive means exposing the thesis and then develops an argument. Inductive means exploring an argument and then recomposing the topic for conclusion. Framed means you start by presenting your thesis, discuss your argument and then elaborates your thesis again. What qualifies as a short length essay? A short length essay means that it is only written in short. The guidelines were all just the same except for the length. When writing an essay, you have to put yourself in your readers’ shoes. It is still important to do research as it will still be useful to gather some facts. Always make you essay authentic as possible and don’t forget to cite your sources . This will add credibility to your work. Text prompt Instructive Professional Short Essay for Elementary on your favorite animal and why you like it Short Essay for Elementary on what you want to be when you grow up EL Education Curriculum You are here. ELA G4:M1:U2:L9 Writing a Literary Essay: Analyzing a Model In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment. Technology and Multimedia Supporting English Language Learners Universal design for learning, closing & assessments, you are here:. ELA Grade 4 ELA G4:M1:U2 Like what you see? Order printed materials, teacher guides and more. How to order Help us improve! Tell us how the curriculum is working in your classroom and send us corrections or suggestions for improving it. Leave feedback These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson: RL.4.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. RI.4.10: By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. W.4.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. I can use the Painted Essay structure to analyze a model. ( W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5 ) Painted Essay(r) template Agenda Teaching Notes A. Engaging the Reader: Model Literary Essay (10 minutes) B. Reviewing Learning Target (5 minutes) A. Analyzing a Model: The Painted Essay (30 minutes) A. Research Reading Share (15 minutes) A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal. B. Choose an informative writing prompt to complete in your Unit 2 Homework. C. For ELLs: Complete the Language Dive II Practice worksheet in your Unit 2 Homework. ). Consider how familiar students are with this structure and reallocate class time spent introducing it as necessary. ). Throughout the school year, students are provided with checklists for their writing, which outline the key criteria that the CCSS require of the writing type. These checklists are closely aligned with the teacher rubrics used to grade student assessments. An empty column is provided on each student checklist for students to add criteria for the specific characteristics required by the writing prompt, and time, directions, and examples for this process are built into the relevant lessons. ). The checklist is introduced at the end of Work Time A and discussed throughout the rest of the unit as students learn about each characteristic. The column "Characteristics of My Literary Essay" is designed to help students understand this module's specific content focus. . . Prepare the materials required for the Painted Essay (see Materials). Preview the Painting an Essay lesson plan to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students (see supporting materials). Post: Learning target and Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Tech and Multimedia Work Time A: Rather than using colored pencils on the displayed model literary essay, consider highlighting or using colored text on a word-processing document. Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards and 4.I.B.6 and 4.II.A.1 Important points in the lesson itself The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to unpack an example of the work they are expected to complete during the remainder of the unit. They are also empowered to use a color-coding system that will help them understand essay structure using visual prompts. ELLs may find it challenging to absorb an abundance of information and terminology about essay structure. Remind students that this structure is an expanded version of the paragraph structure they completed in prior lessons. Think aloud each part while analyzing the model essay in order to clarify the purpose of each component of the structure. Reassure students that even if they do not understand everything today, they will have plenty of opportunities to work with the concepts throughout the unit and the year. In Work Time A, ELLs are invited to participate in an optional Language Dive. This conversation guides them through expanding the meaning of the focus statement in the model literary essay. It also provides students with further practice using the language structure from the model literary essay focus statement. Students may draw on this sentence when writing their informative essays later in the unit. A consistent Language Dive routine is critical in helping all students learn how to decipher compelling sentences and write their own. In addition, Language Dive conversations hasten overall English language development for ELLs. Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the questions and goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the questions and goals provided to best meet your students' needs. Consider providing students with a Language Dive log inside a folder to track Language Dive sentences and structures and collate Language Dive note-catchers. Levels of support For lighter support: During the Language Dive, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence before asking the prepared questions. Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together." (What does it mean to find inspiration?) For heavier support: Create a puzzle of the model literary essay using index cards. Paste each paragraph on a different index card. Use colored index cards according to the established Painted Essay colors. Challenge students to put the paragraph together in the correct order without looking at their papers. Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In Work Time A, students analyze a model essay in preparation to write their own essay. Help students engage with the model essay in multiple ways. Color-code the model on display with the same colors that the students use during the Painted Essay exercise. Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): In the basic structure of this lesson, students get multiple representation cues with the color-coding provided by the Painted EssayO template. However, some students may find covering the entire essay in one lesson overwhelming. Consider chunking the explicit instruction for each part of the essay into multiple lessons to provide time for students to comprehend new information. Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): This lesson continues work that students will use to write an informational essay on their expert group's poet. Build engagement for the informational essay by telling students that they get to become experts about a specific poet. Then they will be able to teach others all about the poet and demonstrate their knowledge. Key:  Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W) The Painted Essay, structure, analyze (L) Model literary essay (one per student and one to display) Informative Essay Prompt: What Inspires Poets? (from Lesson 6, one per student and one to display) Vocabulary logs (from Unit 1, Lesson 3; one per student) Annotated model literary essay (for teacher reference) Painted Essay(r) template (one per student) Paintbrushes (one per student) Read, yellow, blue, and green watercolor paint (one set per pair) Cups of water (one per pair) Painting an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) Red, yellow, blue, and green colored pencils (one set; for teacher modeling) Paper (blank; one per student) Informative Writing Checklist (one per student and one to display) Language Dive Guide: Model Literary Essay (optional; for ELLs; for teacher reference) Language Dive Note-catcher: Model Literary Essay (optional; for ELLs; one per student and one to display) Language Dive Sentence strip chunks: Model Literary Essay (one to display) Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2) Independent Reading: Sample Plan ( see the Tools page ; for teacher reference) Materials from Previous Lessons New materials. Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing. Opening Meeting Students' Needs and chorally read it aloud with you. and explain that this is something they may have seen in previous grades, and they will learn more about it in this lesson. . . Remind students that they have seen this word before and invite them to review the word on the Academic Word Wall and in their vocabulary logs. , and , each one on a different shade of the paint chip. Place them on the wall and discuss the shades of meaning in relation to the writing process. , connect it to architecture. Tell students that architects build different structures based on their purpose (e.g., skyscraper, garage, swimming pool, etc.) Similarly, authors will structure their writing differently depending on the type of text they are writing. (MMR) Work Time Meeting Students' Needs as necessary, and . and the to model on the displayed model literary essay. . . Tell students that this checklist is something they will use a lot in their English Language Arts work. Ensure students understand that they will be using this checklist each time they write an informative piece because these are the things every good piece of informative writing should contain. to lead students through an optional Language Dive. Refer to the guide for how to integrate the and (see supporting materials).  Closing Meeting Students' Needs Remind them of: I behave with integrity. This means I am honest and do the right thing, even when it's difficult, because it is the right thing to do. to guide students through a research reading review, or use your own routine. Homework Meeting Students' Needs Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY. Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut. Help us improve our curriculum.. Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback. Terms of use . To learn more about EL Education, visit  eleducation.org General Philosophy Philosophical Writing: An Introduction, 5th Edition ISBN: 978-1-394-19340-0 August 2024 Wiley-Blackwell Digital Evaluation Copy A. P. Martinich Philosophical Writing helps students to think clearly and analytically, improve their essay-writing skills, and present their knowledge and thoughts in a precise and coherent manner. Acclaimed for its accessible, highly practical approach, this bestselling textbook emphasizes what students should do in crafting a philosophical essay, as well as other types of essays that analyze concepts across a variety of disciplines. Tracing the evolution of a good philosophical essay from the draft stage to completion, the book's eleven chapters are purpose-built to serve the needs of a wide range of students, with levels ranging from elementary to moderately advanced. Philosophical Writing includes numerous essay examples, techniques for outlining and composing, guidance on evaluating philosophical essays, useful appendices, a glossary, a full-featured companion website, and more. Now in its fifth edition, Philosophical Writing is fully updated with enhanced language and improved explanations throughout. Two entirely new chapters delve into the intricacies of belief networks and explore the properties of sound interpretations, supported by a wealth of new exercises and discussion questions. Written with clarity and humor by a leading analytic philosopher, Philosophical Writing: Helps students organize their beliefs, assess their interpretations, and critically evaluate the ideas of others Explains the basic concepts of logic and rhetoric, the structure of a philosophical essay, and the criterion of good philosophical writing Describes key tactics for analytic writing, such as definitions, analysis, counterexamples, and dialectical reasoning Discusses the concepts of author and audience as they apply to a student's philosophical writing Offers advice on common problems that students encounter when writing a philosophical essay Philosophical Writing: An Introduction, Fifth Edition, remains an ideal textbook for lower- and upper-division courses in philosophy, particularly introductory philosophy classes, as well as courses with significant writing components that cover logic, rhetoric, and analysis. A. P. MARTINICH is Vaughan Centennial Professor Emeritus in Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. He has published extensively on the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes and the philosophy of language. He is the author of A Hobbes Dictionary and Hobbes’s Political Philosophy , and the co-editor of A Companion to Analytic Philosophy and Analytic Philosophy: An Anthology . Education | Arnold Elementary fifth grader wins national… Share this:. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Baltimore Sun eNewspaper Anne Arundel County Baltimore City Baltimore County Carroll County Harford County Education | Arnold Elementary fifth grader wins national investment essay competition “I learned a lot and hope to use what I learned in the future,” Zacharia said in an Aug. 28 news release. Anne Arundel County Public Schools offers The Stock Market Game in partnership with the Maryland Council on Economic Education, a Towson University-based nonprofit focused on teaching personal finance and economics. The game is an online simulation of the global capital markets designed for students from kindergarten to high school. “Teaching students about financial literacy and encouraging them to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios helps prepare students to make informed decisions and build a foundation for future success,” said Shauna Kauffman, principal of Arnold Elementary School, in the release. Zacharia beat 959 other elementary school students from across the county. “It’s exciting to have someone so young win an award for such a complicated subject,” said Kauffman. “I feel that his essay really highlights the value of empowering our students with learning opportunities in all areas.” For winning the competition, Zacharia will receive a new laptop, a camera and a $50 cash prize. Amy Phillips, who brought the Stock Market Game club to Arnold Elementary School, received a $750 award. The school gets a trophy to display and funds for a student celebration during the school year. “[Phillips] is the one who really recognized the importance of teaching students financial literacy, so she helped guide them in their financial decisions during the club, and she provided them with a structured yet risk-free environment to put their learning into action,” said Kauffman. In his essay, Zacharia described which investments performed the best, and provided recommendations for hypothetical future investments. Zacharia said he only invested in companies that don’t use fossil fuels because, as part of the game, he and his classmates identified a goal of preventing pollution. “I enjoyed learning about the economy and seeing how I can make money and help the environment too,” Zacharia wrote in his essay. “I am one step closer to lessening climate change by investing in the environment.” More in Education Majority of college graduates believe education was worth the cost despite some regrets Crime and Public Safety | Davidsonville youth softball coach to register as sex offender after abusing player News | Joppatowne High School shooting: Student dies at hospital, suspect in custody News | Annapolis Maritime Welcome Center still draws pointed questions X (Twitter) Item added to your cart Types of law essays, trusted by thousands of law students worldwide, all 30 law modules (best value), uol bachelor of laws (llb) total preparation, all 18 uol modules (uol international programme), sqe foundation package, pgdl law conversion, 12 qualifying llb modules (uol standard entry route), 9 qualifying llb modules (uol graduate entry route), law exam guide, first year llb modules (uol standard entry route), first year llb modules (uol graduate entry route), second year llb modules (uol standard entry route), second year llb modules (uol graduate entry route), third year llb modules (uol standard entry route), third year llb modules (uol graduate entry route), legal english and writing, sqe question bank (sqe1 mock exam), contract law, criminal law, legal system and method, ma law conversion, mlaw study package, llm study package, lpc study package. UOL Case Bank Upon joining, you become a valuable UOL student and gain instant access to over 2,100 essential case summaries . UOL Case Bank is constantly expanding. Speed up your revision with us now. Where are our students from? Yale University Council of Europe Baker Mckenzie  University of Chicago Columbia University New York University University of Michigan  INSEAD University College London (UCL) London School of Economics (LSE) King’s College London (KCL) University of London University of Manchester University of Zurich University of York Brandeis University University of Exeter University of Sheffield Boston University University of Washington University of Leeds University of Law Royal Holloway, University of London  Birkbeck, University of London SOAS, University of London University of Kent University of Hull Queen’s University Belfast Toronto Metropolitan University Hong Kong University of Science and Technology University of Buckingham ESSEC Business School Your perfect companion for open-book and closed-book exams Diagrams and Charts Our carefully designed diagrams and charts will guide you through complex legal issues. Clear and Succinct Definitions Key concepts are concisely defined to help you understand legal topics quickly. Statutory Provisions Statutory provisions are provided side by side with legal concepts to help you swiftly locate the relevant legislation. Case Summaries We have summarised important cases for you so that you don't need to read long and boring cases. Rules and Exceptions Rules and exceptions are clearly listed so that you know when a rule applies and when it doesn't. Terminology Legal terms and key concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter to help you learn efficiently. Case law is provided side by side with legal concepts so that you know how legal principles and precedents were established. Law Essay Guide You will learn essential law exam skills and essay writing techniques that are not taught in class. Problem Question Guide We will show you how to answer problem questions step by step to achieve first-class results. Structured Explanations Complex legal concepts are broken down into concise and digestible bullet point explanations. Legal Research You will learn legal research techniques with our study guide and become a proficient legal researcher. Exam-focused All essential concepts, principles, and case law are included so that you can answer exam questions quickly. Let customers speak for us The notes have saved me so much time and was highly informative. Wonderful as usual! These notes have always been so helpful and I really a, thankful for this product The information is effectively presented. The notes are very succinct for efficiently learning. I would like to recommend UOLLB to all law students. I opine that the UOLLB Employment Law notes are an excellent work for all intending users. I purchased the set of "Al 26 UOLLB Notes in October,2023" for my daughter who is a student at UWE Bristol.These notes have greatly helped her in her 1st Year Studies.As I said last year, the UOLLB Notes are a great resource not only to students of law but law practitioners as well as they are a very handy source of legal knowledge even for subjects one did not or is not studying. I will send you the email where you sent me already downloaded notes.Can I benefit from the offer to upgrade these notes with the 2024 revised version thereof ? Kind regards, Titus W. Mulindwa Deputy Legal Counsel Bank of Uganda [****] [****] [****] (WhatsApp number). Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Opens in a new window. 243 IMAGES How to Improve Your Academic Writing with the Right Essay Structure? Argumentative Essay for Students How to write an essay... Elementary Essay Outline by keeping elementary simple Five Paragraph Essays Essay Writing for Beginners: Notes, Organizers, Examples, & Handouts VIDEO Basic Essay Structure 1 ENG001_Lecture22 My Birthday Essay How to Write essay on Homework || About Homework Reading, Writing & Education : How to Write a College Essay (MLA, APA, Chicago Styles) Essay writing I Structure of an Essay I Parts of Essay I How to write a Perfect Essay COMMENTS How to write a perfect essay How to write a perfect essay PDF The Basic Five Paragraph Essay: Format and Outline Worksheet There is an Outline worksheet on the back of this page to help you start planning the content, order and organization of your essay. Paragraph 1: Introduction -- If possible, open with an attention-getting device to interest the reader (perhaps a quote or question). Introduce the topic of your essay in general, and present some context for this ... Five Paragraph Essays We always start with simple paragraphs. Yes, this is basic, but if your students cannot write excellent paragraphs, their five paragraph essays will be train wrecks. Trust me! We spend a while cementing paragraph structure: Topic Sentence. Detail #1. Detail #2. Detail #3. Closing Sentence. PDF Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers Guide students to select and use appropriate writing strategies. 4. Encourage students to be flexible in their use of the components of the writing process. Recommendation 2b. Teach students to write for a variety of purposes. 1. Help students understand the different purposes of writing. 2. Expand students' concept of audience. 3. Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers Exemplary texts can illustrate a number of features, including text structure; use of graphs, charts, and pictures; effective word choice; and varied sentence structure. 4. Teach students techniques for writing effectively for different purposes. Students also must learn to use techniques that are specific to a purpose of writing. Essay Writing: Lesson for Kids After You Write. This lesson gave you three essay writing steps: choosing a topic, brainstorming, and writing. There is one more step that you can take if you want your writing to be exceptional ... How to Write an Essay for Kids? A Complete Guide for all the Basics While writing the conclusion of the essay, your child should keep in mind the following points: #1. Do not repeat the introduction in this part. #2. Do not add new content or arguments. #3. Do not end it too abruptly. The following points can help them write a good conclusion: #1. From Ideas to Essays: The Power of Outlining in Upper Elementary Writing 2. Clarity and Focus: Outlines help students stay on topic and avoid straying from the main point. They serve as a reference, preventing students from getting lost or overwhelmed during the writing process. 3. Time Efficiency: The outline process can save time by streamlining the writing process. Essay Structure: The 3 Main Parts of an Essay Basic essay structure: the 3 main parts of an essay. Almost every single essay that's ever been written follows the same basic structure: Introduction. Body paragraphs. Conclusion. This structure has stood the test of time for one simple reason: It works. It clearly presents the writer's position, supports that position with relevant ... How to Structure an Essay The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body. This article provides useful templates and tips to help you outline your essay, make decisions about your structure, and ... 20 Persuasive Writing Examples for Kids First, let's discuss the structure of a "mini" persuasive essay. (If you have an older student, read our step-by-step guide to writing a persuasive essay.) A Simplified Structure for Persuasive Writing . Of course, expectations and writing guidelines become more involved for older students, but elementary-aged students should keep it simple. Essay Map Grades. 3 - 12. Launch the tool! Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master. This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that ... Student Writing Models Student Models. When you need an example written by a student, check out our vast collection of free student models. Scroll through the list, or search for a mode of writing such as "explanatory" or "persuasive.". Essay Writing Worksheets & Free Printables Young writers will review the basic structure of an informative essay, including the topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion, as they complete this graphic organizer. 3rd grade. ... Essay writing is a crucial skill as students traverse the path from elementary school to college and eventually the professional world. Our essay ... Essay Writing Tips for Elementary Students A great way to encourage enthusiastic essay writing is by allowing kids their individual choice of a book assignment for a literary-style piece, or letting them choose an inspiring idea, either from a list or from their imaginations, for a narrative assignment. Following format and structure is still important, but the freedom students have in ... Student Writing Samples and Analysis for Elementary, Middle School, and Have students score at least a few essays using these rubrics. Make sure your students understand the rubrics, and if you have the time, you may want to have your students help create a simple rubric. 5. Compare and contrast the genres. This activity is a great way to show students different types of writing and different styles. Essays and Text Structures with Elementary Students Teacher and fellow Edutopia Facilitator, John Thomas, uses the Star Wars character R2-D2 to help his kids remember to Read (R) Twice (2)- Do (D) Twice (2). So, inspired by his idea and feeling badly for the lonesome R2-D2 hanging in my own classroom, I came up with a text structure using the Star Wars character C3-PO. Link to C3-PO Graphic ... Teaching the Five-Paragraph Essay Resource Packet This language arts resource packet includes detailed and in-depth teaching strategies and tips for teaching the five-paragraph essay in elementary and early-middle grades. It also includes a selection of graphic organizers to use for brainstorming, outlining, and assessment. Help your students develop foundational writing skills easily and ... How to Teach Your Students to Write an Essay Outline. The last thing to do before starting to write an essay is to make its outline. Choose some topic and make a list of points your students would need to mention if they wrote an essay on it. Such a technique will give them a better understanding of what and essay is, and how it should be written. Make sure that all students perfectly ... Scaffolding a Compare and Contrast Essay With Frames and Templates A scaffolded essay outline makes a good "we do" for upper elementary students. Provide students with a scaffolded template that clearly lays out the structure of a good compare and contrast essay. This helps students stay on topic and reminds them what a good compare and contrast essay should look like. Short Essay for Elementary Short Essay Format. All of the short essay writings consist of the following: Introduction - this includes the thesis statement and your strategy on how you are going to catch the attention of your target readers. Body of Paragraph - this is where you are going to share your thoughts about your chosen subject, event and the like. Writing a Literary Essay: Analyzing a Model Guide students through the Painted Essay writing structure using the Painting an Essay lesson plan and the red, yellow, blue, and green colored pencils to model on the displayed model literary essay. Distribute paper. Refocus students on the learning target and read it aloud: "I can use the Painted Essay structure to analyze a model." How to Write a Short Essay, With Examples 2 Generate ideas. Jot down key points, arguments, or examples that you want to include in your essay. Don't get too wrapped up in the details during this step. Just try to get down all of the big ideas that you want to get across. Your major argument or theme will likely emerge as you contemplate. Philosophical Writing: An Introduction, 5th Edition Philosophical Writing helps students to think clearly and analytically, improve their essay-writing skills, and present their knowledge and thoughts in a precise and coherent manner. Acclaimed for its accessible, highly practical approach, this bestselling textbook emphasizes what students should do in crafting a philosophical essay, as well as other types of essays that analyze concepts ... Arnold Elementary 5th grade student wins national investment essay Arnold Elementary School fifth-grader Johan Zacharia's essay was named national champion out of 959 entries in the elementary school division of the national InvestWrite essay competition, the ... Types of Law Essays In law school, essays come in various forms, each demanding a unique approach. However, they all share a common structure: they require analysis, the formation of a thesis, and a well-organised outline. Law essays generally fall into three broad categories: legal theory, legal reforms, and legal history. essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis