Focus Question: What is opinion writing?
Part 1
Make two statements, one an obvious fact and the other an opinion. “I made two statements. One is a fact and one is an opinion. Which is which? What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?” (A fact is a truth, a reality, a real or true thing or idea. An opinion is a view, a belief, or judgment of something. A fact is provable, an opinion is not.)
Write an opinion on a large piece of paper. For example, “Broccoli is the best vegetable.” “Is this statement a fact or an opinion?” (an opinion) Divide the paper into two columns, labeled “agree” and “disagree.” Have students write their names on sticky notes. Taking turns, students place their sticky notes in the column indicating their position on the statement. Once each student has had a turn, examine the results as a large group. Ask students to volunteer their reasons for voting the way they did.
Next, break students into small groups according to the position they chose, for or against broccoli. In these small groups, ask students to write a list of reasons to support their claim that broccoli is or is not the best vegetable. Introduce the concepts of claim and support. “Your claim is your opinion or position on an issue, and you need to use logical reasoning and facts to support it, to show that it is an opinion worth having.” Give them approximately 15 minutes to complete this activity. “Your list should be full of logical reasons or facts and details you know that support your opinion.” Then ask each group to share its list. Have students vote as a class on the top three reasons for and against broccoli being the best vegetable; write the reasons on a separate piece of paper and save them for future use.
Part 2
“Who can tell about a time when you had a strong opinion about something?” Have students think and share with partners and share with the class.
Review the definitions of audience and opinion and build on students’ understanding of fact versus opinion. “Writing that is meant to communicate the way the writer thinks is called ‘opinion writing.’ The audience is the person or people who might read this opinion. To make sure the audience understands, the writer must keep it in mind. For example, you would write using different word choices if you were writing to a friend versus a parent or teacher. You should make your writing address your audience appropriately. In opinion writing, you should give logical reasons and details to support your opinion, or use other people’s research to support the way you think. Let’s look at an opinion essay written by a student.”
Read the short sample essay (LW-5-1-1_Sample Essay.doc) to the class. It may be beneficial to give each student a copy of the essay or have it posted for class viewing. Once the class has read the essay, take a few minutes to analyze it. Ask the following questions:
- “What is the author’s opinion, claim, or position statement?”
- “Who is the author’s possible audience?”
- “What logical reasons and facts/research does the author give to support his/her opinion?”
- “What counterargument, opposing point, or opposite opinion does the author address?”
When finished, begin to transition to independent writing by asking, “What are some things about which you have a strong opinion? Which sport is the best? Which subject in school is the best? Do you feel that bullies should face tougher consequences? Do you think that your family should donate to a certain charity?” Write down about five ideas. Then have students independently write a list of things they have a strong opinion about (passions). Provide time to share students’ lists. These lists will be used in future activities.
Part 3
Read the book I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, but stop on the page where Alex signs, “Alex the Financial Wizard.” “What does Alex have a strong opinion about?” (getting an iguana) “Who is Alex’s audience?” (Mom) “What do you think of Alex’s reasons for getting the iguana?” Go through each point and have students determine whether they are logical reasoning or factual.
“Alex not only has an opinion, but he is trying to convince or persuade his mother to agree with him. He uses emotional appeals to try and persuade her in addition to logical facts, reasons, and details. Emotional appeals are a technique used in persuasive writing; they are reasons that try to make the reader feel a certain way. Emotional appeals are not fact based, they are emotion based. What is an example of an emotional appeal that Alex uses?” (If I don’t take it, he goes to Stinky and Stinky’s dog, Lurch, will eat it. You don’t want that to happen, do you?) “In our writing, we are only going to focus on supporting our opinions with logical reasoning, facts, and details. We are not trying to persuade, we are just building a well-supported opinion.”
Have students write one sentence that states their opinion as to whether Alex should get an iguana. After they decide, have them write a bulleted list of support made of logical reasoning and facts. Students should share their response with a partner when finished. Read students’ responses as a check for understanding and provide feedback. Then read the end of the story.
Part 4
“Today we’re going to review what we’ve learned so far about opinion writing. I am going to give you a sheet of paper to help you with prewriting your opinion paper.” Hand out copies of the Opinion Writing—Prewriting activity sheet (LW-5-1-1_Opinion Writing-Prewriting.doc). “Using your list, decide which topic you’d like to write about. Complete the prewriting paper using your idea.”
Have students select one of the items from the list of things that they have a strong opinion about. Have them write a sentence about that idea. They should identify a possible audience and write two or three sentences that use logical reasoning or facts that support their opinion. Evaluate students’ prewriting organizer to check for understanding and provide feedback.
Language Skills Mini-Lesson
Provide students with tools they will use in their opinion writing by teaching the following mini-lesson.
“When you eventually write a draft of your opinion paper, you will include reasons that support your opinion. Good writers will also give a counterargument, which is a reason why someone may disagree with them. Then the writer will refute the counterargument, which means to give a response to that point to try and make it invalid, less important, or easy to dismiss. For example, if you were writing a paper about your opinion that broccoli is the best vegetable, you may admit in your paper that ‘some people may say that broccoli is smelly,’ and then you could refute this point by saying ‘but cauliflower is much stinkier.’ You are listing a counterargument or reason that some people may disagree with you, and then you are showing how it is not a valid point or not a good argument. Because you will do this in your opinion paper, you will most likely use the conjunction, but. We are going to learn more about this word and how to use it correctly in your writing. Let’s listen to this word being used in some sentences from the story I Wanna Iguana.” Read these sentences again to the class.
“I know you don’t think I should have Mikey Gulligan’s baby iguana when he moves, but here’s why I should.”
“I’m glad you’re so compassionate, but I doubt that Stinky’s mother will let Lurch get into the iguana’s cage.”
“Tarantulas are quiet too, but I wouldn’t want one as a pet.”
“I know I have a brother, but he’s just a baby.”
Write these sentences for the class. “Let’s define the word but. What part of speech is it?” (a conjunction) Write out conjunction for students. “What do conjunctions do? What is their job in sentences?” (Conjunctions connect words, groups of words, or sentences; they show connections between ideas.) Write this definition for students. “There are other conjunctions besides the word but, such as or, and, so, and many others. Let’s just talk about the conjunction but and its very important job in sentences.
“Reread the sentences. In these sentences, what happens after the word but?” (After but, a contradicting or opposite point is made.) Talk students through each of the sentences and explicitly demonstrate this. “Good writers use but to signal to readers that an opposite point or reason is coming next. But helps readers prepare to read an opposite view from how the sentence began. Let’s practice doing this. Fill in these sentence frames with a statement that is opposite from how the sentence began.”
I really like to take naps, but __________.
Normally the playground is full at lunchtime recess, but __________.
He understands that the math worksheet seems simple, but __________.
They would like to help, but __________.
She doesn’t go there often, but __________.
Extension:
- Provide students with magazine ads, newspapers, and other materials containing opinion writing. Have students find examples of opinion writing and identify the audience, the message being communicated, and the reasons and facts used as support.
