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
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