Lesson plan
Supporting Opinions with Style
Learning Objectives
Your class will state an opinion with descriptive reasons in complete sentences.
Introduction
(5 minutes)
- Tell your class about something you love. For instance: "I love chocolate ice cream."
- Explain that this is an example of an opinion, or an idea that you believe.
- Next, give three reasons, or explanations, that support your opinion. For example: "I love chocolate ice cream because it’s completely refreshing, so sweet, and amazingly smooth."
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(5 minutes)- Display the Supporting My Opinion Organizer Teacher Model to illustrate your example.
- Note how each reason (A, B, and C) you gave uses an adjective (completely, so, amazingly) and a descriptive noun (refreshing, sweet, smooth).
- Explain how using adjectives and descriptive nouns adds descriptive style to their sentences.
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Have your class brainstorm a list of adjectives and descriptive nouns on a poster size T-chart.
- Ask class volunteers for additional reasons to like chocolate Ice cream, using an adjective and a descriptive noun.
- List the class’ additional reasons on a pre-prepped poster version of Supporting Opinions with Style chart with “I love chocolate ice cream” written in the opinion section.
- Show how the Supporting Opinions with Style Organizer teacher model and class models are mapped out, using the poster version.
Independent working time
(15 minutes)- Arrange your students in pairs or groups of three.
- Tell your class that they will be writing an opinion and supporting sentences with descriptive style.
- Explain your class work time rules and expectations.
- Answer any clarifying questions about the assignment.
- Tell your students to start working.
Differentiation
Enrichment:
- Challenge these students to use varied sentence starters for their opinion sentence. Examples include: "I adore chocolate..." "My fantasy dessert is chocolate..." "Chocolate ice cream is simply the best because…"
- Write their sentences in paragraph form.
Support:
- Refer students to the Opinions with Style Organizer teacher model, class model and T-chart listing of adjectives and descriptive nouns as they decide on which adjectives and descriptive nouns to use.
Technology Integration
Document projectors may greatly enhance presentations for providing poster-sized versions of lesson support materials.
Assessment
- Walk around during student work time to ask your students leading questions. Great examples include: "What other adjectives might work here?" "Do you think this is the best descriptive noun?"
- As you check in with students, look to see that they are using adjectives, descriptive nouns, and complete sentences.
- Time for assessment is embedded into independent work time and review and closing.
Review and closing
(10 minutes)- Have student volunteers to share their Opinion Writing Topic Sentence Organizers.
- Ask your students to volunteer feedback on student presentation strengths and examples of descriptive style.
- An example of a positive feedback sentence starter could be, "I really enjoyed how you..." or "I like how you showed descriptive style when you..."
- Answer any clarifying questions.
- Collect finished work.
Related learning resources
Supporting Opinions with Style
Lesson plan
Supporting Opinions with Style
Your students’ organization and prewriting skills will shine as they introduce their topic, state an opinion, and list three supporting reasons.
3rd grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Narrative Writing
Workbook
Narrative Writing
Prepare for a world of writing with this packet of exercises, tools and tips. Students learn a few ways to spice up writing, like sensory words, action verbs, supporting details, and point of view.
3rd grade
Reading & Writing
Workbook
Compound Sentences with Sentence Frames
Worksheet
Compound Sentences with Sentence Frames
Your students will write compound sentences with the support of sentence frames.
3rd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Expanding Sentences with Coordinating Conjunctions
Worksheet
Expanding Sentences with Coordinating Conjunctions
Children will practice expanding simple sentences into compound sentences in this simple grammar worksheet.
3rd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
