“As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given.”

“As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given.”

~ Mary Lou Retton

 In “I Escaped a Violent Gang” and “Dumb Crimes and Dumber Criminals” Ana, Jonathon, and Dwayne all made choices. Through discussions we have learned that there are good choice and bad choices. With every choice comes a consequence, good or bad. Think about a time in your life when you had to make an important choice. *Did it end with a positive or negative result? *How did your choice impact your life and the lives of others? *If you made a different choice in the same situation, how might the outcome be different? What lesson did you learn?

MAKING CHOICES5 paragraph essay assignment

1. Review what we have discussed in class about making choices.

2. Think about a time in your life when you had to make an important choice. Brainstorm some of the bad choices you have made.

3. Decide which of those bad choices you will write about.

Create a 5-square for your

specific choice for the

Making Choices 5 paragraph

essay

The first square will focus on getting the reader’s attention and stating the main idea of the essay.

Attention grabber - Get the audience thinking about making choices and how it relates to each one of us. 

Transition Sentence-A sentence explaining the importance of choices.

Thesis statement-It should state the choice that you will be writing about. 

The Middle Square:The Thesis

The second square will focus on the bad choice that you made.

Background: Give the audience some background and share the thought process you went through as you were trying to make the choice. Put your reader in the moment of your choice.

Why did you make that choice? Be sure to make your bad choice clear to your audience.

The Second Square:The Choice!

The Third Square :The Consequences

The third square will focus on the consequences of your bad choice.

Explain those consequences.

In The Fourth SquareThe What If?

The fourth square will focus on the possible outcomes of a different choice.

Outcome: How might it have been different if you had made a different choice in that same situation? 

Explain: How the outcome might have been different had you made a better choice. 

The Fifth Square:The Conclusion 

 The very last square of your 5-square represents your closing paragraph.

Impact: Include how/if the bad choice you made changed your life. 

Lesson: Share a sentence about the lesson you learned as a result of your choice. 

Thesis: Restate your thesis statement.

Paragraph 1 (Introduction): •Attention Grabber

•Thesis statement

Paragraph 2 (Body):

•Topic Sentence- Bad Choice

•Support with putting your reader in the moment. Give audience background and share the thought process you went through.

•Why was the decision

made?

•Closing Sentence

Paragraph 3 (Body):

•Topic Sentence- Consequences

•Support with explanation of your consequences.

•Closing Sentence

Paragraph 4 (Body):

•Topic Sentence- Different Outcome

•Support by explaining how how the outcome may have been different if you had made a different choice in that same situation.

•Closing Sentence

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion):

•Restate Thesis

•How has this decision changed you?

•Closing Sentence- Lesson Learned

Paragraph 1 (Introduction):

Paragraph 2 (Body): Paragraph 3 (Body):

Paragraph 4 (Body): Paragraph 5 (Conclusion):