How to Teach Opinion Writing
In this post, I share 5 tips for How to Teach Opinion Writing and provide details about the Opinion Writing Units resources I have created for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students. Be sure to download 3 FREE opinion writing graphic organizers !
The Common Core writing domain focuses on three big types of writing: informative, narrative, and opinion writing. Each genre serves a unique purpose and follows a specific structure in which we must explicitly teach our students. In my last post I shared tips and resources for teaching Informative Writing and today I’m excited to move on to Opinion Writing.
Opinion Writing is one of my favorite genres to teach. Young students have opinions on just about EVERYTHING and they usually aren’t afraid to share them!! For this reason, they find the genre highly engaging!
Today I’m sharing 5 tips for teaching opinion writing, as well as a valuable resource that has everything you need to bring opinion writing into your kindergarten , first grade, or second grade literacy centers!
Tips for Teaching Opinion Writing
1. read opinion writing mentor texts .
Before you can ask your students to write in a genre that is new to them, you must first immerse them in it. So to begin your unit, you’ll want to share examples of opinion writing with your students. These mentor texts provide students with excellent examples of opinion writing.
As you read them aloud, highlight the way the author structures their writing. Identify the author’s topic or opinion and point out the reasons he or she gives to support their opinion. All of these things will help students better understand what type of writing we are asking them to do.
When you’re picking opinion mentor texts to share with your students there are a few things to consider . First, do you (the educator) think it is excellent? Second, is it easy for your students to understand? And finally, is it relevant to the type of writing you are teaching? If you answer “Yes!” to all three, then you’re good to go!
To help you out I’ve created a list of excellent mentor texts you can use when teaching opinion writing to kindergarten, first, or second grade students.
A List of Opinion Writing Mentor Texts:
- Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann Orloff
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
- Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
- Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
- The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan
I’ve saved all these titles on one board so you can easily take a closer look at these mentor texts. Click here to see this list on Amazon.
2. Model Your Own Opinion Writing
I know I say this a lot, but it’s worth repeating…. MODEL, MODEL, and then once again MODEL what you expect your students to do! It is a tremendously powerful instructional tool!
When teaching opinion writing you’ll first model how to choose a topic. When you generate ideas you can ask yourself, “What do I know all about?” “What do I care about?” “What do I wish other people believed?”.
If these questions feel too broad for your students you can use simple “would you rather” questions to get your ideas for an opinion piece. For example, “Would you rather have a dog or a cat?” This could lead to the topic, “Dogs are the best pet.” Keep it simple and choose a topic that is relatable to your students.
Next, model how you plan your writing using a graphic organizer. Show them how you open with a topic sentence that states your opinion. Next, come up with your supporting reasons. End with a closing sentence that restates your opinion.
Model how you use the graphic organizer to guide you as you write out your full piece.
Finally, reread your work aloud and show students how you catch silly mistakes such as spelling, capitalization or punctuation errors. You can also show how you add additional supporting reasons to make your writing more persuasive to the reader.
3. Use Anchor Charts
You want your students to know that when they write an opinion piece they are sharing their own opinion. They are not sharing true facts. Take time to review the difference between facts and opinions. Create an anchor chart that defines fact vs. opinion.
You’ll also want to review language that is specific to the genre. Remind students of the linking or transitional words that connect their opinion to their reasons.
Finally, you’ll want to create an anchor chart using the writing you model. This will serve as another example of excellent opinion writing. As a class, add labels to identify the topic sentence, supporting reasons and the closing sentence in your shared writing.
All of these anchor charts can be posted in your writing center. Encourage your students to refer back to them and use them as support as they write their own pieces.
4. Allow students to edit and share their writing
Provide a good writers checklist at your writing center. For opinion writing you’ll want the checklist to include items such, “Do I have a topic sentence that clearly states my opinion?” “Do I have supporting reasons ?” and “Do I have a closing sentence?”, as well as reminders to check for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.
You can also create a rubric specific to the genre. Model how you use it to assess your own work and how it can be used to provide feedback to others.
Give students the opportunity to share their writing with others! Pair students with partners and let them read their pieces to each other. Encourage them to provide feedback using the editing checklist and the rubric as a guide.
5. Provide Daily Opportunities for Students to Write
As with all things, writing takes PRACTICE! Students need dedicated instructional time to learn the skills and strategies necessary to become effective writers, as well as time to practice what they learn. When you think about your daily instructional schedule, make sure you are giving your students ample opportunities to practice their opinion writing through whole-group instruction, small groups and/or independent practice in writing centers.
Opinion Writing Unit For Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Students
Today I’m excited to share with you the details about my Kindergarten Opinion , 1st Grade Opinion , and my 2nd grade Opinion Writing units! I love them because they have ALL the resources you need to give your students the practice they need to master opinion writing.
These units were developed with standards-based research specific to each grade. You can use them within whole class or small group instruction, or as a literacy center activity where students can practice opinion writing independently!
What’s Included in these Opinion Writing Resources?
The kindergarten , first grade , and the second grade opinion writing resources each include information to help you unpack the unit and a mini-lesson you’ll teach to give your students a review of opinion writing. You’ll get a list of suggested mentor texts and online resources, printable anchor charts, graphic organizers, seasonal writing prompts, and conversational task cards to help get kids to share their opinion on different topics.
Kindergarten Opinion Writing Unit
Kindergarteners will probably need a review of fact vs. opinion so the kindergarten resource includes a printable fact vs. opinion anchor chart . You’ll also get charts with opinion writing sentence starters to help them organize their reasons and thoughts.
The kindergarten seasonal writing prompts come with traceable sentence stems and picture supported vocabulary word bank to assist young writers in brainstorming ideas and spelling words while writing.
Finally, you’ll get an editing checklist that is specific to opinion writing but also appropriate for the kindergarten level.
First Grade and Second Grade Opinion Writing Units
The first and second-grade resources include fact vs. opinion and linking words anchor charts that provide review and help them organize their ideas.
To help first and second-graders practice writing you’ll get 28 “Would You Rather” seasonal conversational opinion centers and 24 writing prompts. That’s more than enough to keep kids engaged in sharing their opinions all throughout the year!
The prompts are both PRINTABLE & DIGITAL. The digital version has been PRELOADED for you, with 1 click add them to your Google Drive or upload them to SeeSaw.
Each seasonal prompt printable paper includes a story-specific vocabulary bank to provide spelling assistance and help students get ideas for reasons to support their opinion.
Finally, you’ll also get a self-editing checklist and rubric that have both been made specifically for opinion writing. This rubric can be used as a self-assessment tool or as a guide for peer feedback.
I love these writing units because they can be used in so many different ways. They offer opportunities for students to practice opinion writing as a whole class, in small groups, as a literacy center activity, for homework, or as a meaningful activity for when they have a substitute teacher!
FREE Opinion Writing Graphic Organizers
Are you ready to begin Opinion Writing in your classroom? To help get you started, I am happy to offer you 3 FREE Opinion Writing Graphic Organizers! You can download them here .
The ability to state one’s opinion and support it with persuasive reasons is a valuable academic and LIFE skill! I hope the information and resources I’ve shared today will help to bring stronger opinion writing instruction and more meaningful practice to your kindergarten, first and second-grade classrooms!
Be on the lookout for my next post that will focus on the final genre… Narrative Writing! I’ll share information and tips for teaching narrative writing, as well as give you details about my Narrative Writing Units for kindergarten , first and second-grade students!
-shop this post-
– PIN for LATER –
FIND WHAT YOU NEED
Teaching resources.
BLISS IN YOUR INBOX
COPYRIGHT © 2024 · TERMS AND CONDITIONS
All Formats
Resource types, all resource types.
- Rating Count
- Price (Ascending)
- Price (Descending)
- Most Recent
Free 3rd grade rubrics
The Shocking Truth About Betta Fish Informational Reading Passage & Test Prep Qs
Plants Reading Passages & Questions with Graphic Organizer Writing Activities
3rd Grade Math Mega Bundle -Quizzes, Boho Vocab Posters, Test Reviews - Eureka
Easter Reading Comprehension Passage & Questions 3rd Grade Activities
Common Core Writing Rubrics FREE for Grades 1-4
Forms of Energy Robot Project l Science, Writing, and Art
FREE Narrative Writing Checklists | Rubrics | All Ages | Editing Assessment
Oral Reading Fluency Posters and Fluent Reader Checklist
Writing Rubric for Primary Grades
Reading Paired Passages Comprehension Questions Test Prep 3rd Grade
Recount, Narrative, Persuasive and Report Writing Editing Checklists
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy Quick Reference Sheets for {Analyze, Evaluate, Create}
How to Write A Paragraph
Personal Narrative Rubric
Art Rubric for grading Art Projects
- Word Document File
Writing Rubric - Expository, Argumentative, Narrative (Common Core)
FREE Tools for Interactive Notebooks
Informative Writing Rubric - Explanatory Self Editing Template - 3rd-5th FREEBIE
FREEBIE Interactive Notebook Grading Rubric (All Subjects)
Social Studies/Science Research Project Rubric Upper Elementary
FREEBIE Oral Presentation Rubric
Writing graphic organizers, rubrics, and handouts FREEBIE SAMPLE
Book Review Rubric Editable (FREE)
Text Based Writing | Cell Phones Passages and Writing Prompts 3rd Grade
Social Skills Rubrics: Self-Esteem Pack Freebie
Oral Reading Fluency Rubrics for Grades 2-6
Daily and Weekly Behavior Chart
Tools For Writers: Peer Editing Checklist, Feedback Rubric, Reference List
- We're hiring
- Help & FAQ
- Privacy policy
- Student privacy
- Terms of service
- Tell us what you think
IMAGES
COMMENTS
a be photocopied for classroo use 214 b Luc Calins and Colleagues fro the Teachers College Reading and Writing roect riting Pathways Performance ssessments and earning Progressions, rades eineann ortsouth Rubric for Opinion Writing—Third Grade Grade 1 (1 POINT) 1.5 PTS Grade 2 (2 POINTS) 2.5 PTS Grade 3 (3 POINTS) 3.5 PTS Grade 4 (4 POINTS) SCORE
opinion and reasons Attempts to provide a concluding statement or section Provides adequate support/evidence for the writer's opinion that includes the use of sources, facts, and details Uses correct and varied sentence structures most of the time. Uses strong, grade-level appropriate word choice most of the time.
Grade 3: Opinion Writing Rubric DRAFT. Writes opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. 4 - Exceeds. 3 - Proficient. 2 - Approaching. 1 - Beginning. Understanding. Demonstrates a deep understanding of content. Shows a solid understanding of content.
Opinion Writing Rubric: Grade 3 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. 4 - Advanced 3 - Proficient 2 - Developing 1 - Beginning Reading Comprehension A RI.3.1 Demonstrates a deep understanding of the topic or issue by developing an insight-ful opinion supported by logical reasons and well ...
Microsoft Word - Grade 3.docx. Idea Development, Organization, and Coherence. This trait examines the writer's ability to effectively establish a point of view and to support the opinion with reasons from the text(s) read. The writer must form an opinion from the text(s) in his/ her own words and organize reasons for the opinion (from text ...
Opinion Writing Rubric Language and Writing 4 3 2 1 Writes for a variety of purposes Writes opinion pieces on familiar topics or texts. Focus The response has a clear focus on identifying the topic and stating an opinion. The response focuses on identifying the topic and stating an opinion. The response generally focuses on
3rd Grade Opinion Text-Based Writing Rubric (Continued) W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. W.3.1b convincingly W.3.1c and phrases (e.g., (Ideas & Content) The writing: skillfully addresses the prompt/task with a clear, focused, engaging response. skillfully provides 2 or more reasons that ...
This rubric is aligned with the CC Writing Standards; Opinion/Persuasive writing for Grade 3. Use this with your writing assignments and assessments or utilize one of our common core writing templates. Media PDF. Download.
Holistic Opinion Writing Rubric Grades 3 -5 . Score Purpose, Focus, and Organization Evidence and Elaboration Conventions 4 The response is exemplary and reflects original writing throughout that directly addresses the topic. It has a clearly stated opinion and is focused on the audience and purpose of the task.
opinion is clear, and the focus is mostly maintained for the purpose and audience. adequate use of transitional strategies with some variety to clarify relationships between and among ideas. adequate introduction and conclusion. adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end; adequate connections between and among ideas.
Look at a third-grade opinion rubric. Select a topic and write three short essays about it. Write one essay that clearly qualifies as an excellent essay; one that meets the requirements of a good essay, and one that is a poor essay. This will not take long because third-grade essays are usually not very long. 2.
Tips for Teaching Opinion Writing. 1. Read Opinion Writing Mentor Texts. Before you can ask your students to write in a genre that is new to them, you must first immerse them in it. So to begin your unit, you'll want to share examples of opinion writing with your students. These mentor texts provide students with excellent examples of opinion ...
This opinion writing rubric is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts in 3rd grade. It can be used as both an analytic and holistic scoring rubric. The writing is scored with a 0,1,2,or 3 depending on how close or how far away students are to meeting grade level expectations.
Uses strong, grade-level appropriate word choice. Demonstrates command of grade-level conventions of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling,; errors are minor and do not interfere with understanding of the text. 3 Approaching Attempts to introduce a topic that is focused, clearly stated, and strongly maintained
Third Grade Opinion Writing Rubric (1.5 PTS = Below) (2.5 PTS = Basic) 3.5 PTS = excels STRUCTURE SCORE Created using information from Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project from Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing 2013 (firsthand: Portsmouth, NH).
Third Grade Narrative Writing . CCR Anchor Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. ... Third Grade Opinion Scoring Rubric . 4 (Exceeds Grade Level) 3 (Meets) 2 (Nearly Meets) 1 (Does Not Meet) Purpose/ Opinion . CCSS*: W ...
Holmquist's Homeroom. This is a set of 3 writitng rubrics/checklists that can be used to assess Narrative, Opinion, and Informative Writing. The rubrics are geared toward 3rd grade writing standards. These rubrics are in a checklist form. Students either have completed the checklist item correctly or they haven't.
This W.3.1 third grade opinion writing unit includes lesson plans, writing prompts, writing papers, rubrics, graphic organizers, and assessments perfect for making your Opinion Writing unit a breeze. In 3rd grade, students must introduce topic or text, state their opinion, supply one reason, and provide a sense of closure.10 Lessons-There are 10 lesson plans, which can be spread out over the ...
Texas STAAR Argumentative/Opinion Writing Rubric - Grades 3-5. The argument/opinion is clearly identifiable. The focus is consistent throughout, creating a response that is unified and easy to follow. A purposeful structure that includes an effective introduction and conclusion is evident. The organizational structure is appropriate and ...
Rubric for Opinion Writing—Third Grade Grade 1 (1 point) 1.5 pts Grade 2 (2 points) 2.5 pts Grade 3 (3 points) 3.5 pts Grade 4 (4 points) score STRUCTURE Overall the writer wrote her opinion or her likes and dislikes and said why. Mid-level the writer wrote his opinion or his likes and dislikes and gave reasons for his opinion. Mid-level
Description. Use these 3rd grade writing rubrics for narrative, opinion, and informative pieces. This resource includes 9 rubrics in 3 different options. Choose from student friendly, teacher friendly, and time saving rubrics. Plus each rubric is based on the Common Core Standards. Try these rubrics with genre-based writing prompts for ...
Grades 3-5 Informative-Explanatory Rubric Grades 3-5 Opinion Rubric Grades 6-8 Informative-Explanatory Rubric Grades 6-8 Argumentative Rubric Writing Guides The Writing Guides are included in the test environment with each prompt as a reminder to students of key pieces from the rubric to include in their essays as they are planning, writing ...
Provided in this FREE download, you will get1. PowerPoint presentation that will introduce your students to the parts of a paragraph, how it is structured, and why it is important. 2. Sample lesson plans- It is intended to be taught over several days- about five 30 minute blocks over 1 week.3.