OPINION/ARGUMENT WRITING

Reading Resource Specialists’ Meeting

March 21, 2012

SHIFT IN WRITING INSTRUCTION

Common Core State Standards call for a new focus on writing opinions and arguments

Instruction should be a balance Informational, Narrative, and Opinion Writing

STANDARD ONEPROGRESSION OF SKILLS

State an opinion

State an opinion, supply a reason

State an opinion, supply reasons

STANDARD ONEPROGRESSION OF SKILLS

Provide reasons that support the opinion

Provide reasons supported by facts and details

Provide logically ordered reasons supported by facts and details

STANDARD ONEPROGRESSION OF SKILLS

-Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence (credible sources)-Acknowledge opposing claims

WHAT’S YOUR OPINION?

Children have opinions or certain beliefs.

They must have an understanding that their words/ideas matter and have power.

Teach them that they can support their beliefs or opinions with facts or evidence.

WRITING AN OPINION

An opinion is an idea that a person or group holds to be true.

Can be based on someone’s feelings, what they’ve heard, or what they have been told (REASONS)

Does not necessarily have to be supported by facts or evidence

WRITING AN ARGUMENT An argument is a claim that is supported with

concrete, real-world EVIDENCE (articles, books, reports, statistics etc) related to topic.

Research is required- implies author is knowledgeable of the topic

Writer explains and defends their position or opinion

Writer refutes the opposing position

Reader can agree or disagree

Formal in tone

EXPRESSING AN OPINION

Letters (Persuasive) Book Reviews, Movie Reviews, Restaurant

Reviews Speeches, and more!!!! I like this

book!My favorite part is…

PERSUASIVE LETTERS

First, expose students to many examples of this

form of writing.

Mentor TextModeled WritingShared Writing

MENTOR TEXT “If anim

als ca

n

do it, th

en so

can w

e!”

Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin

MENTOR TEXT

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague

MENTOR TEXT

I Wanna Iguana by Karen Orloff

WHAT’S MY PURPOSE?

Create a real purpose for writing Capture causes they can address Eventually move from personal wants/needs

to writing to participate in helping make the world a better place

Have students notice their environment and jot down ideas (view environment as a writer)

GENERATING IDEAS

What I Notice What I Think

MAKE IT POWERFUL

Best way to get what you are asking for or get your point across is by providing well thought out reasons

Reasons improve the quality of the writing

Guarantee that people will listen

Please, please, please! (Not Enough)

Dear Portsmouth Neighborhood Association,

I am a third grader at Clarendon Elementary school and I live in the Portsmouth neighborhood. I am writing to you to tell you about a problem I think our neighborhood should work on together. Every day I walk to school like most of the kids at my school and there are scary dogs that make me worried. Sometimes one of the dogs gets out of the yard and chases some kids. I want people to know that it is not okay for their dogs to get loose. I think the neighborhood association should help this problem by letting people know that they have to keep their dogs in their property.

There are a lot of good reasons to keep dogs in their yards. First, a dog that escapes might run away and then the owner will be sad. Also, a dog that is loose could get hit by a car and get hurt some other way. If the dog is mean then it could attack a kid or someone else’s pet, like a smaller dog or cat. The law says that if your dog attacks somebody then you can get in trouble or have to pay them money. Last, if there are mean dogs running around everywhere then people might think our neighborhood is a vicious wild animal park!

I think you will agree with me about these reasons. If you would like to contact me you can write back at the address on the envelope or you can call my teacher at the school. You can also use this letter in your newsletter so people will see what I’m saying.

ORGANIZATION

First state what you are asking for ( the what)

Second, state the reason or reasons that this is important (the why)

Add details to the reasons

Don’t forget appropriate transitional phrases

Sum it up! Maybe a possible solution

MINI STORIES

Children should have experiences with writing small moments

Listing may be a start, eventually move into a story of one particular incident

Create short anecdotes that may touch people (can be embedded into the argument to pack more punch)

Make sure it supports the claim or position

REVISING

Shift from being a writer to a reader Picture your audience

Do I start off warm and personal?

What do I want my reader to feel?

AIM FOR HONESTY!!!!

BOOK REVIEWS

A book review is a description and an evaluation of a book that you have read.

Book reviews inform future readers about books they may be interested in reading.

A book review can influence other readers by telling them a little bit about what the story is about, as well as if is is worth reading or not!

Book reviews DO NOT give away the ending or anything else that may spoil the book for someone else!

BEFORE THE BOOK REVIEW

Read deeply

Read a tiny bit, pause to get a picture in your mind

What do you notice in the text?

Say or write what you notice

WRITING A BOOK REVIEW

Give your book review a catchy title ( may describe your feelings about the book)

Tell the title and author of the book

Write an interesting introduction that will hook the reader

WRITING A BOOK REVIEW

Give a brief summary about what happens in the story (plot)

What was the story about? Who were the main characters? Did you have a favorite character? Why?

Tell about your favorite part and why (Opinion) Did you like the book? What was your favorite part of the book? Do you have a least favorite part of the book? If you could change something, what would it be?

Write an exciting ending/Any recommendations

Nothing Compares to a True Friend    

Do you want to read an amazing story about friendship?  Once you start reading, Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger, you will not be able to put the book down.  This story is packed with adventure and guaranteed to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.     This story begins when Amber Brown's best friend, Justin Daniels, tells her he is moving away.  Amber starts to imagine third grade without him and decides she is not going to let him leave.  The two friends work together to come up with ways to make Justin stay.  They are both determined to stay together.     My favorite part is when Justin and Amber team together and try to discourage a family from buying Justin's house.  They tell all kinds of lies about the house so that the family will not want to live there.  This is my favorite part because I liked how Justin and Amber worked together to try to keep each other close by.    

If this book doesn't make you laugh, nothing will!  It was fun to read about Justin and Amber.  You will be hooked and want to read more books in this series after reading this story. 

TRANSITIONING FROM OPINION TO ARGUMENT

You can turn your opinions into arguments by researching the subject in question.

Look for evidence to support a particular point of view - but also look at any evidence that may contradict your own opinions.

Be aware of the counter-arguments and be willing to keep an open mind about them.

You may also decide to change your opinions in the light of any new evidence.