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Essay for Class 5 in English | List of Essay Topics for Grade 5 Students

Essay Writing is a great piece of work to teach or Improve your Child’s Writing Skills. We are with you in this and compiled Essay for Class 5 in English covering frequently asked essay topics from different categories. Increase your vocabulary and develop a strong command over English by reading and practicing various Essay Writing Topics. The Content in the Sample Essays for 5th Std Students is written in a simple and easy to understand language. You can access both Short and Long Essays on the Most Common Topics and use them as a part of your competitions or speeches.

Essay Topics List for Class 5 Children

All the Essay Topics for Grade 5 Students are written in a simple language keeping in mind the student’s level of understanding. Access the Essay Writing Topics & Ideas for 5th Standard Children available through the quick links and tap on the respective topic you wish to see. By reading and writing using the Class 5 Essays you can improve your vocabulary as well as get uniqueness to write an essay on your own. By doing so you can learn how to put your thoughts into words.

  • My School Essay for Class 5
  • Essay on Earth for Class 5
  • Rainy Season Essay in English for Class 5
  • Essay on Holi for Class 5
  • Essay on Christmas for Class 5
  • Essay on My Mother for Class 5
  • Essay on My Country for Class 5
  • Essay on Television for Class 5
  • Short Essay on Pollution for Class 5
  • Essay on Discipline for Class 5
  • Essay on New Year Resolution for Class 5
  • Essay on Mahatma Gandhi for Class 5
  • Essay on Republic Day for Class 5
  • Happiest Day of My Life Essay for Class 5
  • My Birthday Party Essay for Class 5
  • Honesty is the Best Policy Essay for Class 5
  • Essay on Earthquake for Class 5
  • Essay on Flood for Class 5
  • Essay on Water Pollution for Class 5
  • Essay on Environment for Class 5

FAQs on Essay for Class 5

1. What is the best and simple way to write an essay?

The best way to write an essay is to jot down what you are going to write beforehand. Not just the Essay make sure you have a structure too in mind. This really helps and is the simplest thing to write an essay.

2. Where do I find Some Good Descriptive Essay Topics for Grade 5 Students?

You can find some Good Descriptive Essay Topics for Grade 5 Students on our page.

3. What Should a Good Essay Have?

A good essay should have a bang-on opening statement that draw’s the attention of the users followed by a thesis statement and then a conclusion or a closing statement supporting your ideas. The Idea of each paragraph should be well explained and try considering examples too in between.

Final Words

We believe the knowledge shared regarding the Essay Writing Topics for Class 5 has shed some light on you. If you have any other queries or want us to add more such topics do leave us your suggestions and we will look into them. Stay in touch with our site to avail latest updates on Essays for the Most Common Topics of Students belonging to Different Grades.

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Free Printable Essay Writing Worksheets for 5th Grade

Essay Writing made exciting! Discover a vast collection of free printable Reading & Writing worksheets for Grade 5 students, crafted by Quizizz to enhance their skills and spark creativity.

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Explore printable Essay Writing worksheets for 5th Grade

Essay Writing worksheets for Grade 5 are an essential tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills. These worksheets provide a structured and engaging way for students to practice and develop their nonfiction writing abilities. By incorporating various topics and themes, these worksheets allow students to explore different genres and styles of writing, ultimately helping them become more confident and proficient writers. As a teacher, utilizing these worksheets in your lesson plans will not only help your students improve their writing skills, but also foster a love for reading and writing in your classroom.

Quizizz, a popular online platform for interactive quizzes and assessments, can be an excellent complement to Essay Writing worksheets for Grade 5. This platform offers a wide variety of quizzes and activities that can help reinforce the reading and writing skills your students are learning through the worksheets. By incorporating Quizizz into your lesson plans, you can create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment for your students. Furthermore, Quizizz offers a range of other educational resources, such as flashcards and interactive games, that can help support your students' growth in reading, writing, and other subject areas. Overall, combining the use of Essay Writing worksheets for Grade 5 with Quizizz's offerings can greatly enhance your students' learning experience and help them excel in their academic journey.

Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

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essay writing for grade 5 students

By fifth grade, students are developing basic fluency as writers. In order to hone their skills, fifth graders should practice supporting claims with factual information, conveying information clearly, and writing narratives in a logical order. The following fifth-grade writing prompts encourage students to develop their skills through topics that are meaningful to them.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

Narrative essays tell a story based on a student’s personal experience. They encourage students to use descriptive writing to reflect on their experiences, explain them in a logical manner, and draw conclusions from them.

  • New Beginnings . This is your last year of elementary school. What are you most excited or most nervous about when you think of starting middle school ?
  • Betwixt . Students in 5th grade are often referred to as “tweens,” meaning that they are between the young child and the teen years. What is the hardest thing about being a tween in today’s society?
  • Besties . What is the best book you’ve ever read? What made it so special?
  • Reflections . Do you remember your first-ever day of school ? Describe one vivid memory from that day.
  • Bullies . Have you ever witnessed someone bullying another student? What happened and how did it make you feel?
  • Man’s Best Friend . Do you share a bond with your dog or other pet? Describe your pet, and explain what makes your relationship unique.
  • Families . A family isn’t always a mom, a dad, and their children. Write about the ways your family is the same as and different from other types of families and what makes your bonds so strong.
  • Holiday Memories . Think about one of your favorite holiday-related memories. Write an essay describing it and tell why it is so unforgettable.
  • Guilty . Think about a time you did something that made you feel guilty. Describe what happened.
  • The Ultimate Field Trip . If you could choose anywhere in the world to go on a field trip , where would you choose and why?
  • Family Game Night . Do you enjoy playing games with your family? Describe your favorite family game or activity.
  • Tasty Treats . What is your favorite food? Describe it as if you were introducing it to someone who has never seen or tasted it.
  • Someday . Have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up? Write an essay explaining why you think you’d like that career.

Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts

Persuasive essays are those written to convince another person to agree with the writer or take action. These persuasive essay prompts inspire 5th graders to share their passions with an audience.

  • Pets Day . You’ve just gone to work with your parent for “bring your child to work day.” Write an essay convincing your school to have a “bring your pet to school” day.
  • Yuck . What is your least-favorite cafeteria food? Give three compelling reasons why your school should quit serving it.
  • Let’s Trade . Your friend’s lunches from home always look better than yours. Write an essay convincing your buddy that you should start swapping meals every day. Be sure to highlight the benefits of the food you bring!
  • Home Alone . Write an essay convincing your parents that you are old enough and responsible enough to stay at home alone.
  • Sunny Day . The weather outside is beautiful for the first time in weeks. Persuade your teacher not to assign any homework so that you’ll have time to go out to play.
  • The Sequel . The long-awaited sequel to your favorite book or video game is now available. Convince your brother or sister to do your chores this week so that you have plenty of time for reading or gaming.
  • Seating Chart . Because of your teacher’s seating chart, you’re not going to be able to sit next to your friend all year! Persuade your teacher to let students choose their seats.
  • Birth Order . Are you an only child, the oldest sibling, the youngest, or the middle? What makes your birth order the best?
  • The Ultimate Game . What is the best video game on the planet? Explain why it’s better than similar games.
  • Life Lessons . What are the three most important lessons parents should teach their children and why?
  • Test Time . Do you think standardized tests  are helpful or harmful? Explain your answer.
  • Tunes . Some studies have shown that listening to music can help students concentrate. Should students be allowed to listen to music using headphones during independent work times at school? Persuade the reader of your answer.
  • Catch-22 . You’re not a big fan of writing. Write an essay  convincing your teacher that you shouldn’t have to write any more essays this year.

Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Expository essays are often called how-to essays. They usually teach the reader something or provide facts about a particular topic.

  • Let’s Play . Your family frequently attends community theater productions, but your friend has never seen one. Write an essay describing what he or she can expect during the evening.
  • Band . You're graduating elementary school, and a younger student is taking your spot in the school band. Explain to him or her how to clean and care for your  musical instrument .
  • Lessons Learned . Write an essay to a younger sibling explaining two or three key strategies for having a positive 5th-grade experience.
  • Class Pet . You’ve cared for your class pet this week, but now it’s another classmate’s turn. Explain how to feed and care for the pet properly.
  • Upgrade Ahead . You have an idea to improve your school. Explain it.
  • Safety Zone . Explain three of the best steps kids can take to be safe online.
  • Family Traditions . Does your family have any customs or traditions that might be unfamiliar to a classmate? Describe them.
  • Pen Pal . Describe for your pen pal who lives in another state an animal native to your area, including its physical characteristics, behaviors, and any sounds that it makes.
  • Creepy Crawlies . Compare and contrast two insects or animals that are similar, but have different characteristics such as a bumblebee and a yellow jacket or a horse and a mule. How are they alike and how are they different?
  • Clean Up . Your class is going to spend a day cleaning up at a local park. You’ve done this with another group before, but some of your classmates haven’t. Explain the process.
  • Action . Your favorite book was made into a movie. Compare and contrast the film and book versions.
  • Team Players . Explain how contributing responsibly helps or how it hurts a group when someone doesn’t do his part.
  • Tell and Show . Your class is having a “tell and show” day. You have to describe your item in as much detail as possible without naming it. Only when the class guesses or gives up can you show your item. Write out the description of your item.

Creative Writing Essay Prompts

Creative writing allows students to engage their imaginations and story-telling skills while also practicing vital writing skills such as sequence and description.

  • Magic Lamp . You’ve just found a magic lamp. What happens when you rub it?
  • Say Cheese . You are given an exceptional camera. Everything you take a picture of becomes yours, but you can only take three pictures. Tell a story about the photos you take.
  • Invisible Man . One morning, you glance in the mirror and realize that you don’t have a reflection. You’ve become invisible! Write a story about your day.
  • Gone to the Dogs . Write a story from your pet’s point of view.
  • All Hail the King . Imagine that you discover an uncharted land that you claim as a new country. And, you’re the ruler! Describe your country, its people, and your newfound position of power.
  • Part of the Story . One night, you doze off after reading the latest book in your favorite series. When you wake, you discover that you’re in the story! Write about your adventures.
  • Before or After . Imagine that you live either 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future. What is your life like?
  • Dr. Doolittle . You’re walking through a pet store when you discover that you can talk to the animals. What happens next?
  • Meet and Greet . Imagine that you can meet anyone you’re studying in school right now from famous scientists to historical figures to the characters in the class read-aloud . Write a story about your meeting with that person.
  • Switcheroo . If you could switch lives with anyone in your school, who would it be? Write about your day in the life of that person.
  • Holiday Loop . Imagine you get to relive your favorite holiday every day. What’s that like?
  • Tall Tales . Tall tales are possibly true stories that contain highly exaggerated actions or events. Create a tall tale about something that happened in your family.
  • Teacher's Pet . Imagine that your teacher is actually your parent. Describe a day in class.
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Literacy Ideas

Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers

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P LANNING, PARAGRAPHING AND POLISHING: FINE-TUNING THE PERFECT ESSAY

Essay writing is an essential skill for every student. Whether writing a particular academic essay (such as persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository) or a timed exam essay, the key to getting good at writing is to write. Creating opportunities for our students to engage in extended writing activities will go a long way to helping them improve their skills as scribes.

But, putting the hours in alone will not be enough to attain the highest levels in essay writing. Practice must be meaningful. Once students have a broad overview of how to structure the various types of essays, they are ready to narrow in on the minor details that will enable them to fine-tune their work as a lean vehicle of their thoughts and ideas.

Visual Writing

In this article, we will drill down to some aspects that will assist students in taking their essay writing skills up a notch. Many ideas and activities can be integrated into broader lesson plans based on essay writing. Often, though, they will work effectively in isolation – just as athletes isolate physical movements to drill that are relevant to their sport. When these movements become second nature, they can be repeated naturally in the context of the game or in our case, the writing of the essay.

THE ULTIMATE NONFICTION WRITING TEACHING RESOURCE

essay writing | nonfiction writing unit | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

  • 270  pages of the most effective teaching strategies
  • 50+   digital tools  ready right out of the box
  • 75   editable resources  for student   differentiation  
  • Loads of   tricks and tips  to add to your teaching tool bag
  • All explanations are reinforced with  concrete examples.
  • Links to  high-quality video  tutorials
  • Clear objectives  easy to match to the demands of your curriculum

Planning an essay

essay writing | how to prepare for an essay | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

The Boys Scouts’ motto is famously ‘Be Prepared’. It’s a solid motto that can be applied to most aspects of life; essay writing is no different. Given the purpose of an essay is generally to present a logical and reasoned argument, investing time in organising arguments, ideas, and structure would seem to be time well spent.

Given that essays can take a wide range of forms and that we all have our own individual approaches to writing, it stands to reason that there will be no single best approach to the planning stage of essay writing. That said, there are several helpful hints and techniques we can share with our students to help them wrestle their ideas into a writable form. Let’s take a look at a few of the best of these:

BREAK THE QUESTION DOWN: UNDERSTAND YOUR ESSAY TOPIC.

Whether students are tackling an assignment that you have set for them in class or responding to an essay prompt in an exam situation, they should get into the habit of analyzing the nature of the task. To do this, they should unravel the question’s meaning or prompt. Students can practice this in class by responding to various essay titles, questions, and prompts, thereby gaining valuable experience breaking these down.

Have students work in groups to underline and dissect the keywords and phrases and discuss what exactly is being asked of them in the task. Are they being asked to discuss, describe, persuade, or explain? Understanding the exact nature of the task is crucial before going any further in the planning process, never mind the writing process .

BRAINSTORM AND MIND MAP WHAT YOU KNOW:

Once students have understood what the essay task asks them, they should consider what they know about the topic and, often, how they feel about it. When teaching essay writing, we so often emphasize that it is about expressing our opinions on things, but for our younger students what they think about something isn’t always obvious, even to themselves.

Brainstorming and mind-mapping what they know about a topic offers them an opportunity to uncover not just what they already know about a topic, but also gives them a chance to reveal to themselves what they think about the topic. This will help guide them in structuring their research and, later, the essay they will write . When writing an essay in an exam context, this may be the only ‘research’ the student can undertake before the writing, so practicing this will be even more important.

RESEARCH YOUR ESSAY

The previous step above should reveal to students the general direction their research will take. With the ubiquitousness of the internet, gone are the days of students relying on a single well-thumbed encyclopaedia from the school library as their sole authoritative source in their essay. If anything, the real problem for our students today is narrowing down their sources to a manageable number. Students should use the information from the previous step to help here. At this stage, it is important that they:

●      Ensure the research material is directly relevant to the essay task

●      Record in detail the sources of the information that they will use in their essay

●      Engage with the material personally by asking questions and challenging their own biases

●      Identify the key points that will be made in their essay

●      Group ideas, counterarguments, and opinions together

●      Identify the overarching argument they will make in their own essay.

Once these stages have been completed the student is ready to organise their points into a logical order.

WRITING YOUR ESSAY

There are a number of ways for students to organize their points in preparation for writing. They can use graphic organizers , post-it notes, or any number of available writing apps. The important thing for them to consider here is that their points should follow a logical progression. This progression of their argument will be expressed in the form of body paragraphs that will inform the structure of their finished essay.

The number of paragraphs contained in an essay will depend on a number of factors such as word limits, time limits, the complexity of the question etc. Regardless of the essay’s length, students should ensure their essay follows the Rule of Three in that every essay they write contains an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Generally speaking, essay paragraphs will focus on one main idea that is usually expressed in a topic sentence that is followed by a series of supporting sentences that bolster that main idea. The first and final sentences are of the most significance here with the first sentence of a paragraph making the point to the reader and the final sentence of the paragraph making the overall relevance to the essay’s argument crystal clear. 

Though students will most likely be familiar with the broad generic structure of essays, it is worth investing time to ensure they have a clear conception of how each part of the essay works, that is, of the exact nature of the task it performs. Let’s review:

Common Essay Structure

Introduction: Provides the reader with context for the essay. It states the broad argument that the essay will make and informs the reader of the writer’s general perspective and approach to the question.

Body Paragraphs: These are the ‘meat’ of the essay and lay out the argument stated in the introduction point by point with supporting evidence.

Conclusion: Usually, the conclusion will restate the central argument while summarising the essay’s main supporting reasons before linking everything back to the original question.

ESSAY WRITING PARAGRAPH WRITING TIPS

essay writing | 1 How to write paragraphs | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

●      Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea

●      Paragraphs should follow a logical sequence; students should group similar ideas together to avoid incoherence

●      Paragraphs should be denoted consistently; students should choose either to indent or skip a line

●      Transition words and phrases such as alternatively , consequently , in contrast should be used to give flow and provide a bridge between paragraphs.

HOW TO EDIT AN ESSAY

essay writing | essay editing tips | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

Students shouldn’t expect their essays to emerge from the writing process perfectly formed. Except in exam situations and the like, thorough editing is an essential aspect in the writing process. 

Often, students struggle with this aspect of the process the most. After spending hours of effort on planning, research, and writing the first draft, students can be reluctant to go back over the same terrain they have so recently travelled. It is important at this point to give them some helpful guidelines to help them to know what to look out for. The following tips will provide just such help: 

One Piece at a Time: There is a lot to look out for in the editing process and often students overlook aspects as they try to juggle too many balls during the process. One effective strategy to combat this is for students to perform a number of rounds of editing with each focusing on a different aspect. For example, the first round could focus on content, the second round on looking out for word repetition (use a thesaurus to help here), with the third attending to spelling and grammar.

Sum It Up: When reviewing the paragraphs they have written, a good starting point is for students to read each paragraph and attempt to sum up its main point in a single line. If this is not possible, their readers will most likely have difficulty following their train of thought too and the paragraph needs to be overhauled.

Let It Breathe: When possible, encourage students to allow some time for their essay to ‘breathe’ before returning to it for editing purposes. This may require some skilful time management on the part of the student, for example, a student rush-writing the night before the deadline does not lend itself to effective editing. Fresh eyes are one of the sharpest tools in the writer’s toolbox.

Read It Aloud: This time-tested editing method is a great way for students to identify mistakes and typos in their work. We tend to read things more slowly when reading aloud giving us the time to spot errors. Also, when we read silently our minds can often fill in the gaps or gloss over the mistakes that will become apparent when we read out loud.

Phone a Friend: Peer editing is another great way to identify errors that our brains may miss when reading our own work. Encourage students to partner up for a little ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’.

Use Tech Tools: We need to ensure our students have the mental tools to edit their own work and for this they will need a good grasp of English grammar and punctuation. However, there are also a wealth of tech tools such as spellcheck and grammar checks that can offer a great once-over option to catch anything students may have missed in earlier editing rounds.

essay writing | Perfect essay writing for students | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

Putting the Jewels on Display: While some struggle to edit, others struggle to let go. There comes a point when it is time for students to release their work to the reader. They must learn to relinquish control after the creation is complete. This will be much easier to achieve if the student feels that they have done everything in their control to ensure their essay is representative of the best of their abilities and if they have followed the advice here, they should be confident they have done so.

WRITING CHECKLISTS FOR ALL TEXT TYPES

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ESSAY WRITING video tutorials

essay writing | essay writing tutorial28129 | Essay Writing: A complete guide for students and teachers | literacyideas.com

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 .

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Help your 5th Grader Write a Great Essay

essay writing for grade 5 students

Writing essays can be a daunting task for students. 5th-grade students have a strong foundation of writing skills to help them construct body paragraphs and express their ideas using complex sentences. Still, they may need an extra push to write confidently and expressively.

The most challenging task when writing an essay is starting the writing process and learning to be confident.

Helping students tackle the task and build their confidence in writing multiple types of essays such as a persuasive essay, an informational essay, or even a narrative essay such as short stories takes a lot of practice, focus, and support from instructors and parents.

Learning to Express Ideas

Pre-writing is a crucial step in the writing process. Fifth graders should be in a place in their writing journey where they can perfect all the pre-writing strategies before they even write a word of an essay.

This will set them up to successfully construct excellent five-paragraph essays consistently.

When your child sits down to write a five body paragraph essay, the very first thing they should do is read the prompt. Understanding what the prompt is asking for is the first step in being proactive about writing an excellent essay.

You want them to ponder these questions: am I writing a persuasive essay? Am I writing an essay on a topic requiring me to do my research? Will I need to list evidence? Am I writing a narrative story that requires figurative language?

How to Successfully Brainstorm An Essay

One excellent way to get the brainstorm rolling is to have your fifth-grade student utilize a graphic organizer such as a cluster map as a way to write down all the related words or small phrases they can think of about the prompt.

The organizer will help get their creative minds rolling until they write something they are interested in or perhaps even excited about exploring further.

Brainstorming is a crucial component of teaching writing. This first step should be the most relaxed, no-pressure section for the student.

As a fifth-grader, your child will have a good idea of how to brainstorm different ideas on paper, but an essential part will be to organize these ideas into something of an outline.

Through brainstorming, students learn to think creatively to answer the prompt. Sometimes logical thinking is also required. For example, with a persuasive essay, students must brainstorm their arguments and develop reasons or evidence to back up their claims.

Supporting this step will allow students to perfect the details of the content they’re writing about and give them the main idea for their entire essay.

How to Turn a Brainstorm into an Outline

Encouraging your fifth grader to write a quick outline in a way that’s organized according to the five-paragraph essay format will give them a solid foundation to write their first rough draft.

These pre-writing skills are crucial in turning students from simple sentence writers into detailed five-paragraph essay writers.

Five-paragraph essays are the standard way to construct an essay, including writing an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Using this format, your fifth grader should write a short and straightforward outline that showcases every paragraph’s main ideas and contents in logical order.

Instead of freewriting the essay off the top of their head, an outline in the five-paragraph essay format will help your fifth grader have a guide to help them construct the first draft of their essay and flesh out ideas when they write body paragraphs.

Constructing a 5 Paragraph Essay

Read below for a brief five-paragraph essay instructional unit to help you guide your child in writing an exceptional essay.

1) How To Write An Introduction

In the five-paragraph essay format, the introduction is vital in grabbing the reader’s attention and holding it throughout the essay.

When teaching writing, the introduction is explained as the initial place to set up the topic of the essay. It usually requires a direct address of the contents to follow in the form of a thesis.

A thesis statement is a sentence in the introduction that directly answers the prompt and has reasons and evidence for the writer’s claim. It’s like a short preview of what the students will write about in their body paragraphs.

Furthermore, students write the thesis at the end of the introduction paragraph and ensure it follows a specific sentence structure to make it stand out as the most critical part of the intro.

2) How To Write Body Paragraphs

An excellent way to help students be confident in their work is to help them build clear strategies or steps to tackle daunting parts of an essay, such as a body paragraph.

Acronyms are one good way to remember all the steps of constructing a remarkable body paragraph. For example, TEEA is a wonderful acronym to get your fifth grader started on the task.

TEEA stands for:

T: Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the very first sentence of a body paragraph. It explains what your section is about and its main idea. Ideally, this should be one sentence long and directly explain the topic at hand.

For the second section, you will want your fifth grader to answer the following question: WHY are you talking about this topic or idea? Why is this important? This should be about 2 or 3 sentences long because you will want your child to use lots of details to support the idea in the topic sentence.

  E: Example

In the third section, the student should prove what they explained about their topic by giving a solid, real-life example. This can be 2-3 sentences. The key here is to make the example applicable to the topic and explanation.

A: Analysis

Lastly, the analysis explains how the example supports your topic. This will probably be 1 or 2 sentences.

The analysis is the most tricky part of a body paragraph. The best way to get your child to think about this is to emphasize the how question. How does your example prove you are right? How does the example relate to the topic?

Using TEEA, your child will be able to construct a clear and strong body paragraph for almost any prompt or topic.

3) How to Write A Conclusion

Lastly, to conclude an essay, students must think about what idea they want the reader to leave with after reading their essay.

To start, students can use their introductory paragraph as a guide. They should restate their essay topic or thesis differently.

Next, students should summarize the main points made in the body paragraphs.

After this step, students can play the “so what?” game. Have your fifth grader think about what they’ve written in the conclusion, then answer the question, “so what?” Why is this important? Why should anybody care?

The very last sentence of the conclusion is a fantastic place to answer the “so what” question and leave the readers with a good impression or the desire for more information.

Using this instructional guide, with practice, your 5th grader will be able to construct logically sound and impeccably organized essays in no time.

essay writing for grade 5 students

The Reading Ranch Method

Struggling writers can experience various difficulties in any step of the writing process. The Reading Ranch Intervention Program is a research-based program to help students strengthen their writing skills in an interactive and dynamic environment. Our curriculum prides itself on being an interactive writing curriculum proven through various studies to immensely help struggling writers. Contact us today if you’re looking for help with your child who struggles in school and at home because they are stuck when they write and unable to keep up with their peers. We offer either online or in-person programs we feel confident we have something just right for every family.

Kiran Gokal   is a freelance writer, teacher, and lover of the written word specializing in content articles, blog posts, and marketing copywriting. For the past three years, she’s been teaching bright young students all about reading and writing at The Reading Ranch®,  while also lending her writing skills to different businesses and non-profits in the education sector.

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100 Best Fun Writing Prompts for 5th Grade: Journal Prompts

Kids Reading Books

  • Prompts for Narrative Essays
  • Prompts for Informative Essay Writing
  • Prompts for Research Writing
  • Funny Fifth Grade Writing Prompts
  • 5th Grade Poetry Writing Prompts
  • Prompts for 5th Grade Fiction Writing
  • 5th Grade Animal Writing Prompts
  • 5th Grade Emotion Writing Prompts
  • Journal Writing Prompts for Fifth Graders
  • 5th Grade Descriptive Writing Prompts

As parents and teachers, we recognize the significance of writing as a fundamental skill that enables children to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas. However, generating ideas and inspiration for writing can be challenging for many 5th-grade students. To aid students in this process, 5th grade writing prompts prove to be a valuable resource. Furthermore, Science Daily published an article that highlights the crucial connection between handwriting and brain activity. Writing can increase brain activity, leading to better memory retention and cognitive development. This is particularly important for students as it can positively impact their academic performance.

“Writing is the painting of the voice.” – Voltaire

By using writing prompts, children can explore various topics, develop their imagination, and hone their writing skills. In this collection, we have compiled various writing prompts that are engaging, entertaining, and sure to inspire creativity in 5th grade students. This collection has something for everyone: Persuasive writing, descriptive essays, narrative stories, and imaginative writing. Fifth grade journal prompts can help inspire creativity and reflection in their writing. So, let’s get started and explore these exciting 5th Grade writing prompts.

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Explore 5th Grade educational resources !

10 Prompts for Narrative Essays

Writing Narrative Essays? Here Are Ten 5th grade narrative writing prompts:

“A great story can lead us to new worlds, new ideas, and new ways of thinking.” – Neil Gaiman
  • Write about a time when you faced a difficult decision.
  • Imagine you are stranded on a deserted island. Describe what you would do?
  • Create a narrative about a magical adventure.
  • Write about a time when you learned something important.
  • Think about the prospect of time travel. How would you react, and where would you go?
  • Develop a narrative about a superhero you create.
  • Describe a time when you overcame a fear.
  • Imagine you can do whatever you want. Tell me what it would be and how you’d use it.
  • Create a narrative about a day in the life of your pet.
  • Write about a time when you had to stand up for what you believe in.

10 Prompts for Informative Essay Writing

A list of ten 5th grade writing prompts to get you started on an informative essay:

  • Write an essay about a famous person who inspires you.
  • Research and write an essay about a historical event that interests you.
  • Write about the benefits of physical activity and exercise.
  • Write an essay about the effects of technology on society.
  • Research and write an essay about a country you would like to visit.
  • Write about the importance of reading books .
  • Write an essay about the positive and negative effects of social media.
  • Research and write an essay about an animal species that is endangered.
  • Write about the importance of recycling and conserving natural resources.
  • Please write an essay about the role of education in shaping our future.

10 Prompts for Research Writing

Here are ten Research writing prompts for 5th grade:

“Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” -Zora Neale Hurston, author and anthropologist.
  • Research and write about your favorite historical figure.
  • Choose a famous landmark and research its history and significance.
  • Investigate and write about an important event in history.
  • Research and write about a unique and interesting animal species.
  • Study and write about famous inventors and their inventions.
  • Research and write about the culture and traditions of a country you are interested in.
  • Explore and write about a current scientific discovery or innovation.
  • Investigate and write about the effects of climate change on a particular region or ecosystem.
  • Research and write about a famous artist and their artwork.
  • Study and write about a significant moment in space exploration history.

10 Funny Fifth Grade Writing Prompts

Kids laughing in a classroom

Here are ten prompts for Fun Writing Prompts for 5th Grade:

  • Write a funny story about a talking animal.
  • Imagine speaking to your pet and writing about what you would say.
  • Write a comic dialog between two unlikely characters.
  • Write a humorous story about a mischievous character getting into trouble.
  • Create a funny story using three random objects.
  • Write a funny kids’ poem . This can be about your favorite food.
  • Imagine a world where everything is opposite, and develop a narrative about it.
  • Develop a narrative about a silly superhero with extraordinary power.
  • Create a funny dialog between a parent and a child.
  • Develop a narrative about a funny and unexpected event that happened to you.

10 5th Grade Poetry Writing Prompts

The following are ten writing topics for 5th graders seeking poetry writing prompts:

  • Write a poem about your favorite season.
  • Imagine you are a raindrop falling from the sky. Write a poem describing your journey.
  • Write a poem about a place that makes you happy.
  • Choose an object in the room and write a poem about it.
  • Write a poem about a dream you had.
  • Create a poem that includes the words “whisper,” “twist,” and “moon.”
  • Write a poem about a memorable moment with a friend.
  • Describe a beautiful sunset in a poem.
  • Write a poem about the ocean and all its wonders.
  • Create a poem about your favorite animal.

10 Prompts for 5th Grade Fiction Writing

Opinion writing prompts 5th grade to help encourage critical thinking and self-expression in young students. Here are ten 5th grade writing prompt ideas to get them started:

  • Create a story about a mysterious package that arrives in the mail.
  • Develop a narrative about a person who can time travel.
  • Create a story about a magic tree that grants wishes.
  • Imagine being lost in the forest and creating a story about your adventure.
  • Develop a narrative about a group of friends who discover a hidden treasure.
  • Create a story about a person who can talk to animals.
  • Create a narrative about a family vacation gone wrong.
  • Imagine you could shrink to the size of an ant. Develop a narrative about your adventures.
  • Create a story about a person who wakes up one day with superpowers.
  • Develop a narrative about a group of people stranded on a deserted island.

10 5th Grade Animal Writing Prompts

Here are ten writing ideas for 5th grade for animal-themed assignments:

  • If you could be any animal for a day, which animal would you choose and why?
  • Create a narrative told from the point of view of a bear family as they emerge from their hibernation period.
  • Describe the life of a whale in the deep sea.
  • Write a persuasive essay on why zoos are important for conserving endangered animals.
  • Describe the life of a squirrel gathering nuts for winter.
  • Write a fictional story about a fox trying to outsmart a group of chickens.
  • Describe the life of a butterfly from caterpillar to butterfly.
  • Write a research paper on the migration patterns of birds.
  • Describe the life of a lion in the savannah.
  • Write a poem about the beauty of nature and the animals that live in it.

10 5th Grade Emotion Writing Prompts

Here are ten prompts for 5th grade writing prompts About Emotion:

  • Describe a moment when you experienced a strong sense of self-satisfaction and accomplishment.
  • Describe a moment when you felt scared and how you overcame your fear.
  • Create a narrative about a character who overcomes a difficult challenge.
  • Describe a time when you felt happy for someone else.
  • Write a letter to your future self about your dreams and aspirations.
  • Describe a time when you felt angry and how you managed your anger.
  • Develop a narrative about a character who learns the importance of forgiveness.
  • Describe a moment when you felt grateful for something or someone.
  • Write a poem about the different emotions that people feel.
  • Describe when you felt sad and how you coped with your sadness.

10 Journal Writing Prompts for Fifth Graders

The following are ten suggestions for 5th grade journal prompts to use:

  • Describe an instance where you successfully conquered a challenging obstacle.
  • Describe a moment when you felt proud of yourself and why.
  • Write about a place that is special to you and why it is important.
  • Describe a time when you helped someone else and how it made you feel.
  • Write about your favorite book and what you learned from it.
  • Describe an instance where you made a mistake and what you learned from it.
  • Write about a person who inspires you and why.
  • Describe a time when you felt grateful for something or someone.
  • Write about your favorite hobby and why you enjoy it.
  • Describe when you tried something new and what you learned from the experience.

When choosing 5th grade journal topics, consider selecting prompts that encourage students to explore their interests, emotions, and experiences in a safe and supportive environment.

10 5th Grade Descriptive Writing Prompts

Here are ten topics to consider when looking for descriptive writing prompts for 5th grade:

  • Describe your favorite outdoor place and explain why it is special to you.
  • Write a descriptive paragraph about a delicious meal you recently enjoyed.
  • Imagine you’re walking through a spooky forest. Describe what you see, hear, and feel.
  • Describe the view from your bedroom window. What can you see in the distance?
  • Write a paragraph describing a character from your favorite book. What do they look like, and what makes them interesting?
  • Describe your dream bedroom. What colors would you use, and what kind of furniture would you have?
  • Imagine you’re on a deserted island. Describe the island and the environment around you.
  • Write a paragraph describing a memorable moment from a family vacation.
  • Describe a special item you keep in your room. Why is it important to you?
  • Imagine you’re in a bustling city. Describe the sights, sounds, and smells you experience.

Encourage Fifth Graders in Becoming Writers

Writing is a significant skill that is essential for communication, expression, and personal growth. As highlighted in an article published by UCONN , writing prompts play a crucial role in engaging students’ interest in a particular topic and encouraging them to write thoughtfully and creatively. While effective prompts should introduce and limit the writing topic, they should also provide clear instructions about the writing task. It is imperative to equip 5th graders with resources and guidance to help them develop their writing skills. 

Educators and parents can provide 5th grade journal prompts and creative exercises to assist students in exploring various forms of writing and finding their unique voice. Additionally, feedback and constructive criticism can help students improve their strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, teaching 5th graders to write improves their academic and personal lives by promoting self-expression, creativity, and critical thinking.

Fifth Grade Writing Prompts for Developing Young Writers

Teacher Teaching in Classroom

5th-grade writing prompts can be a powerful tool for parents and teachers to help students develop their writing skills and creativity. By providing a starting point for writing, prompts can help students overcome writer’s block and find inspiration for their ideas. The prompts in this collection cover a wide range of topics and genres, encouraging students to explore their interests and experiences through writing.

“A well-crafted writing prompt can spark creativity and lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and the world around us.” – Laura Robb

Parents and teachers can inspire students to develop regular writing habits and enhance their skills by utilizing 5th grade journal prompts. According to an article published by the Journal of Instructional Research , both approaches of writing i.e. direct and indirect, have positive effects on students’ writing abilities. This article dived into exploring these approaches for promoting writing. The direct approach focuses on teaching writing skills explicitly and providing feedback on children writing. The indirect approach, on the other hand, emphasizes creating a supportive environment that encourages writing.

We can motivate students to write on a variety of topics, experiment with different writing styles, and share their work with others. By nurturing a passion for writing, we can help our students become confident, creative, and effective communicators. Why not give these prompts a try and see where they take you? Let’s encourage our young writers to unleash their creativity and express themselves through the power of writing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are these prompts suitable for all 5th class students.

These 5th grade writing prompts are designed to be accessible to most students, but they may need to be modified or adapted for students with special needs or English language learners.

How can I implement these ideas into my lesson plans?

Creative writing prompts 5th grade to use it for anything from journal entries to class discussions. Teachers can also have their students use these as a springboard for creative thinking and topic development.

Can these prompts be used for other grade levels?

Yes, many of these prompts can be adapted for other grade levels depending on the level of complexity and difficulty. Teachers can also modify the prompts better to fit the interests and abilities of their students.

essay writing for grade 5 students

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75 Creative Fifth Grade Writing Prompts (Free Slides!)

Get them excited to write every day!

What three qualities do you think are most important in a friend? Why?

Fifth grade is such an exciting time! For many kids, it’s the last year of elementary school, and so many exciting things lie ahead. Fifth graders have accumulated some interesting stories to tell by now, and they’re building stronger writing skills. These fifth grade writing prompts encourage kids to imagine, explain, persuade, and reveal—improving their writing abilities day by day.

If you’d like even more upper elementary writing prompts, check out the Would You Rather questions we post regularly on the Daily Classroom Hub . Kids will get a kick out of these, for writing or discussion!

(Want this entire set of fifth grade writing prompts in one easy document? Get your free PDF or Google Slide bundle by submitting your email here .)

1. How important is it to finish what you start?

1. How important is it to finish what you start?

2. What does it mean to be honest? Give one solid example of what honesty looks like.

What does it mean to be honest? Give one solid example of what honesty looks like.

3. What three qualities do you think are most important in a friend? Why?

What three qualities do you think are most important in a friend? Why?

4. Since fifth grade is the top grade in elementary school, should fifth graders get special privileges? If so, write in detail about one privilege you think they should get. If not, why not?

Since fifth grade is the top grade in elementary school, should fifth graders get special privileges? If so, write in detail about one privilege you think they should get. If not, why not?

5. Vincent van Gogh said, “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” Describe one of your favorite places in nature in detail.

Vincent van Gogh said,

6. Are fifth graders old enough to babysit little kids? Why or why not?

Are fifth graders old enough to babysit little kids? Why or why not?

7. Write about three qualities that make a good leader.

Write about three qualities that make a good leader.

8. Should teachers assign homework? Why or why not?

Should teachers assign homework? Why or why not?

Get My Fifth Grade Writing Prompts!

What are your favorite fifth grade writing prompts? Come share your ideas on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, check out 50 fifth grade math word problems of the day ., you might also like.

essay writing for grade 5 students

101 Exciting 4th Grade Writing Prompts for 2023 (Free Printable!)

Use them for journal writing, essay topics, and more! Continue Reading

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5th grade writing

by: Jessica Kelmon | Updated: August 4, 2022

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Your fifth grader’s writing under Common Core Standards

By now, your child knows that writing is a process that requires research, feedback, and revision. This year, kids are expected to respond to others’ prompts for improvement and learn how to evaluate their own work, too.

Super study skills

In fifth grade, taking notes becomes an essential academic skill. Fifth graders use books, periodicals, websites, and other sources to do short research projects. Kids learn to use several sources to investigate a topic from different angles — both on their own and as part of group work with peers. Your child should keep track of all the sources they use and note what they learn, the name of the source, and the page number or url so they can find it again to create a source list or bibliography later. A big step in your child’s research process this year: taking the time to review, categorize, and summarize or paraphrase the information they’ve learned. What did your child find out about the animal’s habitat from each source? Sorting evidence into categories and summarizing information will help your fifth grader with the planning, writing, and revising stages of their writing project.

Can your 5th grader get organized to write an essay?

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Revise, rewrite

By now, your child should understand that writing is a process requiring several steps: planning, first draft, revisions, editing, and publishing or sharing work. Your child’s planning work should include reading and rereading, taking notes, finding additional sources, discussing how new knowledge fits into what your child knew before, visually organizing the information they plan to include, and determining the best way to clearly present their evidence as a cohesive set of points. After the first draft is written, the teacher and other students will offer feedback: asking questions to elicit new details, suggesting ways to clarify an argument, or pressing for new sources of information. Don’t be surprised if there are a few rounds of revisions this year: it’s how your child’s writing gets stronger. If revisions aren’t enough to improve your child’s writing, then this year your child may be required to rewrite the piece or try a new approach . Once the structure and contents are set, final edits are the time to perfect spelling and grammar. All this work on one writing assignment is meant to help your child think of writing as a multistep process so they can evaluate their work and see that — if it’s not up to snuff — they should keep trying until it is.

Fifth grade writing: opinion pieces

Your child’s opinion pieces should start by clearly stating an opinion about a topic. Then, kids should set up and follow a logically ordered structure to introduce each reason they’ll offer in support of their opinion. Their reasons should be supported by facts and details (a.k.a. evidence), and your child should use linking words, such as additionally, consequently , and specifically to connect evidence-backed reasons to their opinion. Finally, kids should close their argument with a well-articulated conclusion that supports their original opinion.

Fifth grade writing: informative writing

Logic reigns when evaluating your fifth grader’s informative writing. The purpose of this type of writing is to convey facts and ideas clearly. So a logically ordered presentation of supporting points is, well… quite logical. Your child should clearly introduce the topic and present related information in the form of a few clear, well-thought-out paragraphs. Kids should draw on facts, definitions, concrete details, quotes, and examples from their research to thoroughly develop their topic. To clearly connect their research, fifth graders should use advanced linking words (e.g. in contrast, especially ) to form compound and complex sentences that convey their points. Remember that your child’s presentation matters: making use of subject headings, illustrations, and even multimedia to illustrate points is encouraged whenever they make your child’s work more logical and clear. Then, to wrap it up, your child should have a well-reasoned conclusion.

Check out these three real examples of good 5th grade informational writing: •” How to save water ” •” Saving a Resource ” •” Water Saveing ”

Can your 5th grader write an informational essay?

YouTube video

5th grade writing: narrative writing

A narrative is a story. Whether inspired by a book, real events, or your child’s imagination, your child’s story should start by introducing a narrator, characters, or a situational conflict. Fifth graders will be asked to use classic narrative devices like dialogue, descriptive words, and character development. Your child should be able to show how characters feel and how they react to what’s happening. Finally, the events should unfold naturally, plausibly bringing the story to a close.

Grammatically correct

By now, your fifth grader should have a solid understanding of the parts of speech. This year, your child should learn to use and explain the function of conjunctions (e.g. because, yet ), prepositions (e.g. above, without ), and interjections (e.g. Hi, well, dear ). Kids should also start using correlative conjunctions (e.g. either/or, neither/nor ). What’s more, students learn to form and use the past, present, and future perfect tenses ( I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked. ). With this tense mastered, fifth graders will be expected to use various verb tenses to convey a sequence of events and to recognize and correct any inappropriate shifts in tense.

Check out this related worksheet: •  Active and passive sentences

More sophisticated language

This year your child will: • Regularly refer to print and online dictionaries, thesauruses, and glossaries to spell challenging words correctly. • Use academic vocabulary words in writing. • Use more nuanced descriptions (think advanced synonyms and antonyms). • Master homographs (e.g. understand that bear means the animal and to support or carry). • Employ common idioms, adages, and proverbs (e.g. “born yesterday”; “the early bird gets the worm”; “failure teaches success” ) • Interpret figurative language like similes (e.g. “light as a feather” ) and metaphors ( “it’s a dream come true” ).

This year, your child will learn to use commas after a sentence’s introductory segment (e.g. Earlier this morning, we ate breakfast .), to set off the words yes and no in writing (e.g. Y es, we will ; and no, thank you ), to set off a question from the rest of a sentence (e.g. It’s true, isn’t it? ), and to show direct address. (e.g. Is that you, Mike? ) Your child will also use commas to separate items in a series. (e.g. I want eggs, pancakes, and juice .)

Your child should also be taught how to consistently use quotation marks, italics, or underlining to indicate titles when citing sources in reports and papers.

Check out these related worksheets: •  Punctuating a paragraph • Simile or cliche? •  Homophones and homographs

And it’s live!

The final step in writing this year? Publishing! Once all the hard work (the research, planning, writing, revisions, edits, and rewrites) are finished, your fifth grader’s ready to publish. Many classes will experiment with printing work or publishing it on a blog, website, or app. While teachers should be there for support, your child should be doing the work. The point is to learn keyboarding skills (2 full pages is the goal for fifth graders) and to interact and collaborate with peers. This could mean, for example, that your child reads a classmate’s published work online and either comments on it or references it when answering a question in class.

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Essay for Class 5

Essays in english for class 5.

English can be a challenging language; however, with practice, children can improve their writing skills, and one important tool to help them improve their English is reading and English essay writing for class 5. 

An essay is a short piece of writing about a specific topic, which includes information about the topic along with the writer’s opinions, sometimes. Often, an essay is used in academics to test a student’s knowledge on a specific subject, apart from being served as a way of encouraging students to develop their writing skills.

Writing essays also helps children communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively. To write good essays in English for class 5, students must know the correct structure, use proper grammar and vocabulary, and ensure the writing is well-organized, which they will learn in this article.

Here are a few types of essays, each serving its purpose and function.

Narrative Essays - They detail a story from a particular point of view and include a set of characters, a location, a good plot, and a climax to the story. This type of essay includes the use of fine details. 

Descriptive Essay - A descriptive essay describes a topic in great detail. Use of imagery is widely used in this style of essay. 

Expository Essay - This essay explains an idea by giving information and an explanation, along with a variety of viewpoints on the subject being discussed.

Argumentative Essay - In this essay, the writer is trying to convince the reader about an opinion or point of view. There is a use of facts and data to back up any claims made within the essay.

English Essay Format for Class 5

1. introduction.

Overview of the topic

Attention-grabbing headline and introduction

Maximum 100 words

Present your arguments in a chronological order

Systematic flow

Two or more short paragraphs; not more than 100 words each

3. Conclusion

Summarising the main topic and subtopics

Lesson learnt or moral, if applicable

List of Essay Topics For Class 5

Given below is a list of some popular essay topics for class 5. Reading these essays on Vedantu will help the students develop their essay-writing skills. They can also practice these topics to become proficient in essay writing for class 5.

My Mother Essay

Education Essay

Social Media Essay

Science Essay for Students in English

Newspaper and It’s Current Value

Children’s Day

Republic Day

Writing Tips for Essay for Class 5

Here are some common tips that class 5 students should remember before they begin writing essays in English for class 5.

Always first outline your thoughts in rough and then start essay writing for class 5. 

Before beginning, ensure that you have understood the essay topic for class 5.

There should always be an interesting and appropriate title to the essay to draw attention and pique the curiosity of the reader.

An ideal essay should be between 300-500 words. 

An essay with concise information in simple-to-understand language, is the best, as complicated and difficult words break the reading flow of the reader.

Ensure that your essay doesn’t contain any grammatical mistakes, as it distracts the reader from the main content.

We hope this informative article on essays for class 5 must have helped you know the importance of essay writing in English and that you will start writing essays now. Download the PDFs by clicking on the links provided to start practising essay writing for class 5.

FAQs on Essay for Class 5

1. Where can I find free essay topics for class 5 to practice?

Students can head to Vedantu’s website to avail a plethora of free essay-writing topics for all classes. Students can click on the respective topics to download the free PDFs of essay topics and can practice whenever they want. 

2. Write the names of some popular essayists for kids.

Some famous essayists are: Mark Twain, Maya Angelou, Charles Lamb, Leo Tolstoy, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Gene Luen Yang, Beatrix Potter, C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, etc.

3. What is the purpose of writing an essay?

The purpose of writing an essay is for kids to express their ideas, thoughts, and opinions on a specific topic and improve their writing skills.

4. How to start writing an essay for beginners?

To start writing an essay, students must first choose a topic of their choice and can ask a teacher to provide them with one. Start with penning down your thoughts in the form of points. Then write a short and interesting introduction, followed by the body content. End the essay with a summarising conclusion. Remember to check your essay for spelling and grammar mistakes.

5. What are the characteristics of an essay in English?

An essay is short in length, like a short story. 

An essay can cover a wide range of subjects, no matter how short.

It is used as a tool for the expression of a writer's personality, as an essay is the representation of the writer's view on a subject.

Can You Convince Me? Developing Persuasive Writing

essay writing for grade 5 students

  • Resources & Preparation
  • Instructional Plan
  • Related Resources

Persuasive writing is an important skill that can seem intimidating to elementary students. This lesson encourages students to use skills and knowledge they may not realize they already have. A classroom game introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want) and making persuasive arguments. Students then choose their own persuasive piece to analyze and learn some of the definitions associated with persuasive writing. Once students become aware of the techniques used in oral arguments, they then apply them to independent persuasive writing activities and analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques.

Featured Resources

From theory to practice.

  • Students can discover for themselves how much they already know about constructing persuasive arguments by participating in an exercise that is not intimidating.  
  • Progressing from spoken to written arguments will help students become better readers of persuasive texts.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
  • 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

Materials and Technology

  • Computers with Internet access  
  • PowerPoint  
  • LCD projector (optional)  
  • Chart paper or chalkboard  
  • Sticky notes  
  • Persuasive Strategy Presentation
  • Persuasion Is All Around You  
  • Persuasive Strategy Definitions  
  • Check the Strategies  
  • Check the Strategy  
  • Observations and Notes  
  • Persuasive Writing Assessment

Preparation

Student objectives.

Students will

  • Work in cooperative groups to brainstorm ideas and organize them into a cohesive argument to be presented to the class  
  • Gain knowledge of the different strategies that are used in effective persuasive writing  
  • Use a graphic organizer to help them begin organizing their ideas into written form  
  • Apply what they have learned to write a persuasive piece that expresses their stance and reasoning in a clear, logical sequence  
  • Develop oral presentation skills by presenting their persuasive writing pieces to the class  
  • Analyze the work of others to see if it contains effective persuasive techniques

Session 1: The Game of Persuasion

Home/School Connection: Distribute Persuasion Is All Around You . Students are to find an example of a persuasive piece from the newspaper, television, radio, magazine, or billboards around town and be ready to report back to class during Session 2. Provide a selection of magazines or newspapers with advertisements for students who may not have materials at home. For English-language learners (ELLs), it may be helpful to show examples of advertisements and articles in newspapers and magazines.

Session 2: Analysis of an Argument

Home/School Connection: Ask students to revisit their persuasive piece from Persuasion Is All Around You . This time they will use Check the Strategies to look for the persuasive strategies that the creator of the piece incorporated. Check for understanding with your ELLs and any special needs students. It may be helpful for them to talk through their persuasive piece with you or a peer before taking it home for homework. Arrange a time for any student who may not have the opportunity to complete assignments outside of school to work with you, a volunteer, or another adult at school on the assignment.

Session 3: Persuasive Writing

Session 4: presenting the persuasive writing.

  • Endangered Species: Persuasive Writing offers a way to integrate science with persuasive writing. Have students pretend that they are reporters and have to convince people to think the way they do. Have them pick issues related to endangered species, use the Persuasion Map as a prewriting exercise, and write essays trying to convince others of their points of view. In addition, the lesson “Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues” can be adapted for your students as part of this exercise.  
  • Have students write persuasive arguments for a special class event, such as an educational field trip or an in-class educational movie. Reward the class by arranging for the class event suggested in one of the essays.

Student Assessment / Reflections

  • Compare your Observations and Notes from Session 4 and Session 1 to see if students understand the persuasive strategies, use any new persuasive strategies, seem to be overusing a strategy, or need more practice refining the use of a strategy. Offer them guidance and practice as needed.  
  • Collect both homework assignments and the Check the Strategy sheets and assess how well students understand the different elements of persuasive writing and how they are applied.  
  • Collect students’ Persuasion Maps and use them and your discussions during conferences to see how well students understand how to use the persuasive strategies and are able to plan their essays. You want to look also at how well they are able to make changes from the map to their finished essays.  
  • Use the Persuasive Writing Assessment to evaluate the essays students wrote during Session 3.
  • Calendar Activities
  • Strategy Guides
  • Lesson Plans
  • Student Interactives

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

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

  • Print this resource

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essay writing for grade 5 students

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! 

Five paragraph essays - Start with simple paragraphs!

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.

Five paragraph essays - organize and write 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!

essay writing for grade 5 students

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.

Five paragraph essays - introduction paragraphs

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.

Five paragraph essays - teach 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 Five paragraph essays

Example of a full five paragraph essay

essay writing for grade 5 students

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:

essay writing for grade 5 students

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.

Make grading five paragraph essays easier!

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:

essay writing for grade 5 students

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:

essay writing for grade 5 students

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!

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FREE Grade 5 Reading and Writing Worksheets

We have 5 sets of free grade five reading and writing worksheets for free download below. These are full sets of resources to help grade 5 students (or other grades depending on reading levels) to practice some of the common core literacy skills needed at this grade. They come with tasks and activities included.

These Grade 5 worksheets include the reading passages needed to complete the task meaning they can be used as a stand alone activity or resource and there is no need for additional resources. As they are printable they can be laminated and used repeatedly.

We have five sets of grade five reading and writing worksheets here . the titles are listed below. You can click on the Title to jump to the relevant worksheet set.

Grade 5 Reading and Writing: A Haunted House

Grade 5 reading Worksheets

This Grade 5 reading resource includes a short story about a girl and her class who find an old run down house and decide to go inside to explore. It has a both a simple true and false set of questions and a set of comprehension questions to go along with the story.

Proofreading worksheet grade 5

It then asks students to brainstorm and discuss with their classmates and teacher to come up with the outline of their own haunted house story. Once completed they can try to write their own short story on the worksheet included. This can be used as both a process writing or free writing exercise.

If using these grade 5 reading and writing worksheets in process writing then proofreading plays a large part of that process. Proofreading is a skill that is valuable throughout a students school years. , and the exercise included is a simple introduction to the skills needed to develop proofreading abilities.

Also in Grade 5 students should be developing and expanding their vocabulary , especially with adjectives. We have a simple picture to vocabulary exercise within these grade 5 reading and writing worksheets to help with this on page 3.

As well as adjectives, Adverbs should be being introduced in Grade 5 and 6 . There is a sentence construction exercise included that asks students to write a sentence but include an adverb in each one.

Grade 5 Reading and Writing: The Stupid Crocodile

Grade 5 Reading Comprehension Worksheets – A Stupid crocodile

This grade 5 reading and writing worksheet is a levelled spin on a Aesop fable. We have called it the Stupid Crocodile. it has a short story about a deer and crocodile and has a focus of teaching adjectives and sentence construction to grade 5 students.

The first post-story task asks students to identify the adjectives for the word cloud (we also have worksheets aimed at grade 5 for both adverbs and adjectives if needed on the links) and a reading comprehension task which is designed to be be fairly simple.

Proofreading worksheet grade 5

Where other grade 5 reading and writing worksheets in our collection have a strong focus on the writing aspects, we have made this set a little simpler. We do have a guided writing exercise but it is heavily scaffolded with example texts and keywords included.

However, the more difficult task is the proof reading exercise on page 4 of these reading and writing worksheets set. Although it will be a vital skill later on in school, at grade 5 proofreading is a relatively new concept. We have included examples of what to look for but there will still need to be some teaching of this concept at this school grade level. There are 10 errors on the text, and in case you are new to teaching proofreading we have a tip below 🙂

Proofreading Tip: Reading aloud makes it easier to spot mistakes in texts, when we read in our head our brains often act like auto correct on your phones, and we skip over the mistakes without seeing them.

We finish the set with one last guided reading exercise ( just 100 words) with some tips and ideas above to help. One idea, if your class is of a level is to make each student a teacher and give them each others work to mark and correct. however, for this exercise we would encourage students to leave out their names to avoid embarrassment. You can use a numbering system if you wanted to .

Grade 5 Writing: A Letter of Complaint

Grade 5 Writing worksheet complaint letter

Letter writing has been introduced in basic forms since grade 3, however from grade 4 onwards it becomes more focussed. Different text types are introduced included formal letters. Commonly students will be asked to write a letter of complaint. We have a set of grade 5 reading and writing worksheets that cover this in detail here.

Proofreading worksheet grade 5

There is a background story discussing the reasons why the Lee family are writing letters of complaint , and it follows up with a reading comprehension exercise and a set of comprehension questions.

We then include a page of guided writing, it asked grade 5 students to write one of the letters of complaint within the short story and includes key words to help them . This is a scaffolded activity if your students need it, as the next writing exercise is a free writing tasks.

The larger writing task can be used as a free or process writing exercise and asks students to think of an issue in their home or school that they want to complain about ( hopefully not the teacher!) This can be discussed as a whole class if needed, or students can write individual letters that could then be presented to the class or put up as a display in the classroom.

The final task is another sentence construction exercise using a mixture of more complex vocabulary.

Grade 5 Reading and Writing: The Lizard and Sparrow

Grade 5 reading and writing

This set of grade 5 reading and writing worksheets is another spin on a famous Aesop fable called the grasshopper and the ant. If your fifth graders are of a higher reading level you could also include the real story in the lesson and we have included some options for writing with different pairs of animals to show you how that could be implemented as well.

The story is fairly simple and covers the ‘ ‘morals” of teamwork, honesty revenge, and planning. Although you can choose your own focus, or even ask students what they think the moral of the story is.

As with the other grade 5 reading and writing worksheets on this page we also have a true and false comprehension exercise, and more difficult reading compression set of questions , some of which look for a little empathy and higher order thinking in their answers.

Reading and Writing Grade 5

We also ask students to think a little about the grammar involved in the story with a quick adjective exercise and an antonym exercise (although we don’t use the grammar term) , you could introduce as the task as opposites)

This exercise asks students to finish a story using some of the words we have given (and some of their own) once completed it should have the opposite meaning to the original.

The final task is a little more tricky for grade 5 students. it doesn’t deal in the absolutes that so many stories at this level do it needs a little nuance and thought to be applied. Instead of sharing or not sharing food, the beetle and the ant work together occasionally, or sometimes, or now and then…

However if this is too much for your students, or you don’t like the idea, the words at the top can be used just as a suggestion and they can use the writing exercise to write their own version using the two previous versions as a template or as guidance.

Grade 5 Reading and Writing: Mid Autumn Festival

mid autumn festival reading and writing worksheet

I was based for a significant amount of my teaching career in Hong kong, so indulge me for trying to share a little of the culture of the place. This set of five grade 5 reading and writing worksheets cover some of the traditions, history and customs around this Asian celebration.

mid autumn festival reading and writing worksheet

The reading passage covers the mythology behind the mid autumn festival and the story of the God and Goddess of heaven Chang-Er and Hou Yi. The reading has been levelled so a fifth grader should be ok with it, and it comes with True and False Questions, and some more complicated reading comprehension questions following that.

Then these grade 5 writing worksheets asks students to read a short passage about a family activity on Mid Autumn, and then use that as a guide to write about another family. They have both the guide passage and a word bank to help them. (may be useful if the students have no idea what Mid Autumn festival is! )

Following on from this we have included a grade 5 free writing activity . They still have their guide and key words from the previous task but this asks them to describe what they do ( or would do) at Mid Autumn with their family.

The worksheets finish with a sentence construction activity and some simple vocab they should have learnt from the worksheet set.

Grade 5 Common Core Literacy Skills: Overview

There are websites entirely dedicated to the common core standards for grade 5 , so i don’t want to reinvent the wheel with these, however we have a table below to help with fitting these grade 5 reading and writing worksheets into the common core standards, and a mini description of what they are . We have chosen the most relevant of the common cores literacy standards for grade 5 here,

However if you want detailed information on the common core literacy standards they you can check out here for the official site. we have taken 5 of the more common core standards and cross referenced them here.

Below the table we have included some links to other resources we have that are designed, or suitable for grade 5 students. Feel free to dip into those as you need.

Finally and other resources.

Grade five is a great year to teach, they are full of the enthusiasm of youth and have not entered the dice roll of the teenage years! We have countless resources for these levels which you can explore here. We have included a few grade 5 English worksheets below to get you started but there any many more to discover as well.

Adverb Worksheets – Grade 5 (With Adjectives)
Reflexive Pronouns Worksheets – Grade 5
Easily Confused Phrases in English – Grade 6

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essay writing for grade 5 students

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essay writing for grade 5 students

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Persuasive writing prompts for grade 5

Writing with a purpose.

These writing prompts ask students to write a persuasive essay for a particular audience . 

essay writing for grade 5 students

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essay writing for grade 5 students

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EL Education Curriculum

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  • ELA G5:M3:U2:L10

Writing an Opinion Essay: Planning

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 5
  • ELA G5:M3:U2

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
  • W.5.1a: Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer's purpose.
  • W.5.1b: Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  • W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • W.5.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
  • W.5.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
  • W.5.9b: Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]"").
  • SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
  • I can plan an essay that states an opinion and has reasons that are supported by facts and details. ( W.5.1, W.5.4, W.5.9b )
  • I can give kind, helpful, and specific feedback to my partner. ( W.5.5, SL.5.1 )
  • Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer ( W.5.1, W.5.4, W.5.5, W.5.9b )
  • Strategically pair students for the peer critique in the Closing with at least one strong reader per pair.
  • Review the Opinion Writing Checklist ( see the Tools page ).
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.A.1, 5.I.A.3, 5.I.A.4, 5.I.A.5, 5.I.C.10, 5.I.C.11, 5.I.C.12, 5.II.A.1, 5.II.A.2, 5.II.C.6 , and 5.II.C.7

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by referring to the Factors for Success anchor chart from Unit 1 to plan their essays, inviting students to draw on conclusions from the text-based discussion to form their focus statements, allowing time for discussion throughout the lesson, and explicitly reviewing the characteristics of opinion writing as a class.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to go from annotating the Model Essay: Branch Rickey in Work Time A to planning their own opinion essays with the graphic organizer in Work Time B without having seen this process modeled. Consider filling in the graphic organizer with components of the model essay in Work Time A, providing students with concrete examples to refer to during their planning (see Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Encourage students to use the focus structure from the Language Dive in Lesson 9, but it was _____, to write their focus statement, supporting students in using linking words and phrases to connect ideas. Challenge students to think of more than one way they could use this linking language to write their focus statement.

For heavier support:

  • Consider color-coding the text in the displayed Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer to match the corresponding information in the Painted Essay(r) template, signaling the information that goes in each section. For example, in the introduction paragraph box, the text "What context do you need to give to your reader?" would be color-coded red; "State your opinion:" would be green; all text in "Proof Paragraph 1" would be yellow; etc.
  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Students provide kind, helpful, and specific feedback during a peer critique of their opinion writing planning. As this familiar learning target is displayed, consider inviting students to share examples of this type of feedback from previous lessons and note their responses for visual display.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support a range of fine motor abilities and writing needs by offering students options for writing utensils. Also, consider supporting students' expressive skills by offering partial dictation of student responses.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Since peer review can be threatening to some students, continue to emphasize the benefits of peer review and feedback for all students. Make this activity relevant by reminding students that writers have editors who provide feedback for their writing through each step in the writing process, which improves their writing.

Key:  Lesson-Specific Vocabulary  (L);  Text-Specific Vocabulary  (T);  Vocabulary Used in Writing  (W)

  • states, support, specific, reason, evidence, use my strengths (L)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Academic Word Wall (begun in Module 1)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer (one per student and one to display)
  • Model Essay: Branch Rickey (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Directions for Opinion Essay (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
  • Opinion Writing Checklist (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
  • Colored pencils (green, yellow, blue; one of each color per student)
  • Preparing for a Text-Based Discussion: Jackie Robinson note-catcher (from Lesson 7; one per student)
  • Discussion Notes Form: Jackie Robinson (from Lesson 8; one per student)
  • Promises to Keep (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one per student)
  • "This I Believe: Free Minds and Hearts at Work" (text; from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Listening Closely: "Jackie Robinson: Royals to Obamas" note-catcher (from Lesson 4; one per student)
  • Factor for Success anchor charts (begun in Unit 1)
  • Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer (example, for teacher reference)
  • Sticky notes (two per student)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Directions for Peer Critique (from Module 1; one to display)
  • Peer Critique Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Language Dive I Practice: Model Essay: Branch Rickey homework (from Lesson 9; one per student)
  • Language Dive I Practice: Model Essay: Branch Rickey homework (example, for teacher reference)

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.

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