It’s My Opinion

• Display the list of animals for students to view, using an interactive whiteboard, document camera, projector or chart paper.
• Read the list of animals aloud to your class, then choose your favorite.
• Write your opinion about your favorite animal on a poster-size What's Your Favorite Animal? organizer, or on a worksheet being displayed using an interactive whiteboard, document camera, or projector.
• Model thinking of and writing out three reasons behind your favorite animal choice.
• Reread your opinion and reasons together, and ask your students if your reasons convinced them that your choice was the best. Listen to any responses.
• Take any questions your class may have.

• Display another blank What's Your Favorite Animal? organizer.
• Call on a volunteer to help you choose another favorite animal from the list.
• Ask a different volunteer to give an opinion about the animal. If your student struggles, ask others for help. Write the opinion on the organizer.
• Then ask three students, one at a time, to give you a reason to support the opinion. Write each reason below the opinion.
• When completed, reread the opinion and reasons aloud.
• Ask your class if the opinion and reasons make sense. Do the reasons support the opinion? Listen to any responses.

• Before working independently, ask students if they understand how to form an opinion and support it with reasons.
• Hand a copy of the What's Your Favorite Animal? organizer to each student.
• Have your students choose a different animal from the list and write their opinion with three convincing reasons. If they have another animal in mind that isn't on the list, that's fine.
• Ask if there are any questions.
• Instruct your students to take out a pencil and begin writing.

Enrichment

• Have advanced students choose any topic to write an opinion and three convincing reasons.

Support

• Allow students who need additional support write one reason to support their opinion.

Measuring understanding and assessment can be observed and completed during independent work time and closing.

• As students are working independently, walk around and check in with each student. Observe if students are writing their opinions and reasons correctly. Help any students having difficulty.
• Record your observations.
• If additional time is needed for assessment, make observations and notes during closing too.
• Please note the 20 minutes for assessment is during independent work time.

• Divide class into pairs.
• Instruct students to read their animal opinion and reasons to their partner.
• Give students a few minutes to share and ask questions.
• Next, select four students to share their opinion and reasons with class.
• To end the lesson, ask students to define opinion, reason, and convincing.