Lesson Summary: [Core: Write 1] Students identify supporting statements that give reasons and evidence for opinion pieces. Then students write supporting statements for their opinions. Advanced students write statements to support opposing opinions. Struggling students work together to identify reasons and evidence that supports opinions.
Lesson Objectives:
The students will know…
· the difference between facts and opinions.
· how supporting statements give reasons and factual evidence make opinions more persuasive.
The students will be able to…
· identify supporting statements in opinion pieces.
· use supporting statements to provide factual evidence and reasons for their opinions.
Learning Styles Targeted:
Visual / Auditory / Kinesthetic/Tactile
Pre-Assessment:
Have students take a piece of scratch paper and write the words fact and opinion on it. Then have students give a brief definition of each of these words. Note which students have trouble defining facts and opinions.
Whole-Class Instruction
Materials Needed: Opinion pieces from newspapers and children’s magazines such as book and movie reviews, letters to the editor, and advertisements with lengthy claims; Opinion Piece Starters*; pencils and paper
Procedure:
Presentation
1) Ask volunteers to define the terms fact and opinion (An opinion is a statement that is a believed to be true. A fact is a statement that can be proven true.) Tell students that facts can be used to persuade others to share an opinion.
Guided Practice
2) Display or project an opinion piece such as a book or movie review, and ask a student to read it aloud.
3) Initiate a discussion about supporting statements by asking first, “What opinion is expressed in this piece?” Then ask students to identify factual statements that support the opinion.
4) Discuss how each statement gives reasons, an example, or factual evidence that supports the opinion. Have students read and evaluate the supporting statements of other reviews.
5) Display or project a letter to the editor or an advertisement with lengthy claims.
6) Have a volunteer read the piece, and have the students classify each sentence as being factual evidence, reasons, or beliefs about the opinion expressed. Have students read and evaluate the supporting statements of other letters and advertisements.
7) Have students compare the use of factual evidence used in reviews and advertisements. Discuss which opinion pieces are more persuasive.
Independent Practice
8) Have students choose an Opinion Piece Starter*.
9) Tell students to write supporting statements for the opinion.
10) Then have students gather in small groups to discuss their supporting statements. Have students discuss if supporting statements give factual evidence, reasons, or beliefs.
Closing Activity
11) Tell students that some schools have gone to a four-day week with each of the four days an hour longer than before the change. Have students write a sentence that supports either going to a four-day week or is against the change. Tell students to turn in their papers as exit slips from class.
Advanced Learner
Materials Needed: Paper and pencils; Opinion pieces from newspapers and children’s magazines such as book and movie reviews, letters to the editor, and advertisements with lengthy claims
Procedure:
1) Give each student an opinion piece.
2) Have students write statements to support an opinion that opposes the opinion expressed in the piece.
3) Allow time for student to present their statements of support for the opposition to the class.
Struggling Learner
Materials Needed: An opinion piece from newspaper or children’s magazine such as book or movie review, and an advertisement with a lengthy claim
Procedure:
1) Tell students that some people think that 5th graders should not have free play recess time. Other people think that it is important to give 5th graders breaks from class. Ask each student to give his or her opinion about this issue and to make a statement that supports that opinion. Then have students discuss the supporting statements and decide if they give factual evidence or reasons for the opinion.
2) Have students vote on the issue and discuss which side of the issue was more persuasive and why.
3) Next, have a student read a book or movie review. Lead a discussion on the type of supporting statements made in the review and how persuasive the review is.
4) Then have students read and evaluate the supporting statements of an advertisement. Have students compare the use of factual evidence used in reviews and advertisements. Discuss which opinion pieces are more persuasive.
5) Allow time for student to present one of their analyses of an issue to the class.
*see supplemental resources
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