Five Paragraph Form

Oh, the five paragraph form. I just have one question, if it's so bad, why is everyone still teaching it? There must be some merit to this form, or people would have ditched it long ago.

I see where criticism of the form is coming from. It is formulaic and often boring to read and write. However, it is not without its place in the writing classroom. There are times when the FPF is exactly what the reader need to quickly and easily gather information and ideas from the piece of writing. Basic writing tests and college entrance essays are examples of situations when a well planned five paragraph essay fits the bill.

The trouble with the FPF is when it is taught as the only form. Rather, educators should look at the FPF as one of many choices writers have in their bag of tricks. Teachers should ask their students to consider the purpose and audience of a piece before they begin writing. Once these have been determined, students should think about what form will best fit the needs of the reader and the purpose of the piece. Thus, the FPF should not be an end-all be-all, but one of many options students have when writing.

I am beginning work on a Shakespeare unit and have found the BBC website to be a fun and interesting place to search for information. There are photos, plot summaries and many other ideas that can be used in my classroom. It has many options to keep students active and engaged in the lesson, and how to make the play seem relevant to their lives. It's bbconline.com and it's great!