Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
| Name |
Description |
| So . . . il Pick You! | This is a Project-Based Learning Project, intended for second grade. It can be adapted and changed for other grades. |
| Candy Homes | In this project based learning experience, students explore and sort different candies based on their physical properties and how they can be altered and changed. They will determine which properties of the candy would be most beneficial to build a successful home/structure. Students will create a model of their home using their chosen candy and support their choice by writing an opinion and preparing a presentation. |
| Charlotte’s Web: Point of View | In this lesson, students will work with their teacher and their classmates to read chapter one from the book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Students will be asked to take a close look at characters' actions and motivations. As a summative assessment, students will identify and agree with a specific character's point of view, supporting their opinions with text-based evidence. |
| Pop, Pop, Pop! | Students will research the effects of sugary drinks on their health. They will interpret data on a variety of beverages presented in the form of bar graphs and decide which beverages should be included in school vending machines to ensure students have healthy drink options. |
| The Great Kapok Tree: A Study of Theme | During these lessons, students will read The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry. They will learn about the importance of trees by learning new vocabulary, analyzing characters, and finding the theme of the story. |
| Do You Have An Opinion? | Using the books Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett and A Pig Parade Is A Terrible Idea by Michael Ian Black, students will have an opportunity to practice writing opinion paragraphs. |
| Opinion Writing for an Author Study | In this lesson, students will listen to the stories Franklin in the Dark and Franklin Wants a Pet. Students will analyze story elements and story structure, which will assist them in writing an opinion piece about their favorite Franklin story. |
| Opinion Writing Using Sarah, Plain and Tall | Students will learn about opinion writing using a classic text, Sarah, Plain and Tall. Students will differentiate between fact and opinion and use a graphic organizer to plan an opinion piece about a favorite character. They will also use an editing checklist to peer review their written pieces before writing a final draft to share with the class. |
| Can We Ever Have Too Many Toys? | Using David Shannon's book Too Many Toys, students will practice writing an opinion paragraph. |
| Saving Seabirds | This MEA focuses on what and how human actives may impact ocean life and what actions students may take in protecting our ocean. The Supplemental Reading passage serves as a springboard to elicit students understanding of real issues around them. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| What a Pig! Character Traits from The Three Little Pigs | Students will practice identifying character traits from two classic fairy tales. They will then find evidence from the text to support those traits. Students will complete the lessons by choosing a character and a trait to write about in an expository paragraph. |
| All Mixed Up | In this lesson students will listen to a reading of the story of The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle and discuss the story. After the discussion, students will write their own opinion piece about an animal they would like to be and why. |
| Taking the "Worry" out of Wemberly | In this lesson, students will read the story Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes. Students will identify and discuss some of Wemberly's worries and share their opinion about them. The lesson will conclude with the students writing an opinion piece about Wemberly's school experience. |
| Choosing a Host City for the Olympic Games | In this model eliciting activity, students are asked to help the International Olympic Committee rank prospective host cities for upcoming Summer Olympic Games. Students are provided with data about a list of applicant cities and then must rank the cities and write a proposal to the IOC explaining their rankings. At the end of the MEA, the students will write an opinion piece for the International Olympic Committee that tells their final decision about which city should be the next host of the Summer Olympic Games. |
| A Bat Adventure | In this lesson, students will describe how characters in a story respond to events and challenges after reading the story, Stellaluna. Students will answer comprehension questions pertaining to the story and demonstrate an understanding of key details. In addition, students will write an opinion piece in which they will introduce a topic, state an opinion, provide reasons to support their opinion, and end their writing with a closing statement. |
| Officer Buckle Can Help Our Schools! | After reading, Officer Buckle and Gloria the students will be given a problem showing different ways safety problems have been solved at area schools. Through ranking, they will have to determine which manner was the most effective. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Give Me Your Opinion | Would you rather ride in a spaceship or on a submarine? This is the question the students will ponder as they write an opinion piece, taking it through the writing process. |
| A Past Hero: Reading and Writing about Martin Luther King, Jr. | This lesson uses nonfiction texts about Martin Luther King, Jr. to give students the opportunity to understand his life and why we still honor him today. Students will create a graphic organizer that uses adjectives to describe Martin Luther King, Jr. and use the information gained from reading the texts to support their descriptions. For their final assessment, students will write an opinion piece describing Martin Luther King, Jr. providing examples from his life that fit those adjectives. |
| Chrysanthemum, A Special Name | In this lesson students will listen to the story of Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Students will discuss how teasing can be hurtful and examine how characters respond to major events. To culminate this learning, students will write an opinion piece about the story including supporting reasons, transition words, and a conclusion. |
| The Moral of the Story | In this lesson, students will be introduced to several fables. They will learn the characteristics of a fable and learn that the lesson of a story is called the moral. Students will have the opportunity to idenify the moral of a fable and write an opinion piece about it. |
