Alternatives to the Five-Paragraph Essay

The five-paragraph essay has been a standby assignment for many of us English teachers. Its familiar format – opening paragraph with a thesis, three main points, and a closing paragraph – has become a standard for us. But should it be that way?

In this popular series, The Lamppost questions the broad use of the five-paragraph essay and explores alternative student assignments. As a teacher, I have used all of these assignments in class, and while the results have not always been tidy, they have resulted in some of the finest student thinking and writing that I have encountered.

Series Introduction
This semester I have been thinking about, reading about, and looking up alternatives to the five paragraph essay. I feel that I’m at a good point in my learning to take stock of what I’ve discovered and invite some feedback.
Read more ….

Collaborative Essays
The idea for the collaborative essay comes straight from Pirie’s Reshaping High School English. Students begin by writing informal responses to their reading, which become the basis for small-group discussions and written exchanges between students.
Read more…

Scripted Dialogues
I have found that asking students to create a dialogue between themselves and one of the characters or the narrator of a text is a terrific way to invite them into this type of learning.
Read more…

Reading Narratives
Reading is a process that involves setbacks, challenges, breakthroughs, and for many of us moments of joy. As we read our understanding of the text grows and changes. It’s easy for me, and I suspect others, to forget that comprehension forms in this way, and to treat it more as a target that students more or less miss. Inviting students to reflect on the reading process is a memorable way to consider how we have interacted with the text in an unfolding drama.
Read more…

Multigenre Papers
Very simply, a multigenre paper comprises a variety of genres communicating ideas related to a focus theme or guiding question. Often students are asked to use a minimum number of genres in their final project.
Read more…

Organic Essays
The organic essay is one in which the form is intimately connected to the content of the essay. I do not find this easy to teach, but I do enjoy the submitted essays so much more than those that have been crammed into five neat paragraphs.
Read more…