Opinion Paragraph

This week in reading class we focused on writing an opinion essay.  We began the lesson by looking at an example from our text series which was a great model for what the students would be doing.

The students were then given the question:

Should our school get rid of physical education?

This really got them thinking!  There were some strong opinions about this topic and it was great to see the students feel passionate about what they were writing.

We went through each step of the writing process beginning with prewriting.  In order to support an opinion, some facts and reasons are needed.  We used the chrome books to do a little research and complete a graphic organizer.

Once the research was complete, we moved on to the next steps in our writing process, drafting.  We began class by looking at a second example of an opinion essay and discussing the parts of that essay. We talked about what that author did and how she organized her ideas.  The students then spent time writing their drafts.

  

The following day in class it was time to revise and edit.  We again began by looking at a model and editing together.  The students then spent time peer editing.  Most were able to edit with two or three of their peers.  They enjoyed reading each other's ideas and helping each other during this process.

The students then rewrote their draft with all of their new edits.  They took it home to edit with a parent (thank you for your help at home with this!)

The last step of the process was to publish.  The students used their second draft and wrote their final copy in their neatest handwriting.

When we return to school next week students will be reading their paragraphs to the class.  Another important part of writing is sharing with others and speaking to a group.  The students are excited to share their opinions with each other!