Opinion Essay Essentials

Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade Writing

by Maggie Knutson July 27, 2017

Opinion essays have a structure that is fairly easy to dissect. This lesson includes an anchor essay which
students will mark up, a mixed-up essay outline for them to sort, and a web for them to organize ideas for their
own essay.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify the parts of an essay and generate ideas in their own graphic organizer.

Materials and preparation

Class set of Opinion Essay: Anchor Paper

Class set of Opinion Essay: Mixed Up Essay
Class set of Opinion Essay: Idea Map
Whiteboard or chalkboard
Scissors
11x14 or other large-sized construction paper

Attachments

Opinion Essay: Anchor Paper (PDF)

Opinion Essay: Mixed Up Essay (PDF)
Opinion Essay: Idea Map (PDF)

Introduction (10 minutes)

Ask students to work with a partner or with a table group and consider how they would respond if the
principal said they were going to take recess away. Change this issue out with a different one if it doesn’t
apply.
They will have strong feelings, but direct them to generate a list of reasons for their position.
Share responses and decide on three main reasons as a class. Write them on the board.
Tell students that they just created an outline for an opinion/persuasive essay.
Discuss possible titles for the essay. Examples might include: "Recess: A Key to Learning," "Recess is
Good for Kids," and "Why Recess Shouldn’t Be Disposable."

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (15 minutes)

Distribute the worksheet Opinion Essay: Anchor Paper.

Go over the instructions and read the essay together.
As a class, follow the steps on the bottom. Students will mark up the essay, identifying each of the parts.
Add additional explanation about each of the parts as needed.

Guided Practice (20 minutes)

Distribute scissors, construction paper, and glue.

Distribute the worksheet Opinion Essay: Mixed Up Essay.
Go over the instructions together and then support students as they assemble the essay outline.

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 Students will arrange the strips in a variety of ways. Having the freedom to do this will help them think
about how the ideas are related and organized.
Review the correct arrangement using the answer key, discussing discrepancies if needed. The order of
topics or details is not important — only that they are grouped correctly.

Independent working time (10 minutes)

Distribute the worksheet Opinion Essay: Idea Map.

Students will practice generating a hierarchical structure of information by creating a web of their own.
You may choose to have students actually write an essay based on this idea web.

Differentiation

Support

Give clues for the Mixed Up Essay activity by providing one or more of the topics or getting them started
with the title.

Enrichment

Instruct students to write an opinion/persuasive essay based on their idea web.

Instruct students to examine the structure of other nonfiction texts. How is it similar? How is it different?

Assessment (5 minutes)

Provide three details and have students write a reasonable topic that they would support if arranged in a
paragraph.

Review and closing (5 minutes)

Discuss: How is the structure of an opinion/persuasive essay different from the structure of a
narrative/story?

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 Name: Date:

+ Opinion Essay: Anchor Paper +

Read the essay. The essay has an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs (in bold) and
a conclusion paragraph. After reading the essay, follow the directions to identify the parts of
an opinion essay.
Video Games as Learning Tools

Think about the last time you were in a class. Were you and your fellow students excited and engaged? Was
it challenging but not too frustrating? If yes, then you’re lucky, but it’s not realistic to expect one teacher to
maintain this for every student, all day long. Video games that are designed to help teach school subjects
can be a huge asset in the classroom, improving engagement and learning for everyone.

Video games are designed to have features that make learning fun. Just like other kinds of games,
players are challenged with a problem to solve, a goal or purpose. Sometimes there are other
features like a limited amount of “lives” or time to complete the mission. There are unexpected
surprises in games, like sound effects, great art, and fun themes. The thrill of winning or losing keeps
learners on the edge of their seats!

Video games improve learning. They can focus on all kinds of different academic skills that boost
learning, including reading, writing, math, geography, science, and social/emotional skills. In games,
learners don’t sit idly by and answer questions in video games, they manipulate characters and
resources, and make choices. When games are designed around academic skills, learners will play the
game and engage with the skill, perhaps without even knowing it. Games can be designed to
encourage higher level thinking like analyzing, collaboration, and problem solving.

Last, education video games can really help kids who struggle. In many classrooms there is a
pressure to look smart and never get the answer wrong. Video games do just the opposite. When you
“fail” at a video game it’s just seen as part of the process. You learn from it and try again, without the
whole class watching. Most games move at the pace of the learner, whereas teachers usually move
the class at one speed, with some finishing early and some never completing the work. When a
student clicks “done” or moves the character to the next screen the game progresses, so the speed of
the learning is in the student’s hands.

Video games are a great learning tool. There are drawbacks, like cost of computers and finding educational
games that are high quality, but considering the many benefits for learners, those can and should be
overcome. Teachers and principals should find ways to integrate video game learning into students’ school
experience.

1. Circle the hook.

2. Circle the sentence that is the Main Idea, or Thesis. This is what the
writer wants the reader to understand and believe.
3. Put a rectangle around each of the three Supports. HINT: The body
paragraphs each have a main topic.
4. Underline Supporting Details in each of the body paragraphs.
5. Circle the two Counter Points. +
6. Underline the So What with a squiggly line.

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Name: Date:

Opinion Essay: Mixed Up Essay

The ideas in opinion essays follow a pattern, or structure, to
make it easier for the reader to follow along. All essays start with a big idea, or thesis.
Big Idea/
The supports persuade the reader to agree with you by offering reasons.
There are usually three supports and each of those supports provide Thesis
details, or evidence.

In the last paragraph of an opinion essay the writer mentions any

counterpoints that someone might use to disagree with the Support Support Support
big idea and tells why they aren’t true, valid, or important.

Last is the so what. This is the statement that tells what the
reader thinks should happen with this issue.

The strips below are mixed up ideas that are the skeleton
of an opinion/persuasive essay. Cut them out and arrange them
into big idea, supports, and details. Then put the counterpoint
and so what at the bottom. Glue them on a piece of construction Counterpoints:
paper in a way that shows the structure of the ideas. So What:
Your arrangement might look something like the diagram above.

Reading takes too much time away from other things.

You have to imagine scenarios that you have never thought of before.
Reading is good for your spirit.
You have to imagine different places, sometimes ones that aren’t even real.
Reading too much makes you sedentary.
You have to visualize what’s happening in the story and imagine what the characters look like.
You learn new words.
Reading exercises your imagination.
You learn about lives of places and people who are different from you.
You can learn about what’s happening in the world.
When your life is stressful it can take you away to another world.
Reading stories about other people’s struggles is inspiring.
Reading makes you feel connected to the human experience.
You learn things through reading.
Reading is good for you.
People should read regularly in order to have a healthy and active mind.

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at education.com/resources
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 Name: Date:

Opinion Essay: Idea Map

A graphic organizer can help you map out your main ideas and details.

Use the idea web below to make your own web outline.
1. Pick a topic - an issue that you care about.
2. Write your main idea, or thesis, in the middle.
3. Generate three supporting ideas and write them on the “support” branches.
4. Write two or three details that give additional information about each support at the end of each branch.
These should be details that provide evidence or persuade the reader.
5. Think of two counterpoints - reasons that oppose your view.
6. Write your “so what.” What do you think should happen with this issue?

Each topic and set of details will become a paragraph when you begin to draft your essay.

TOPIC: DETAILS

SUPPORTING IDEA #1

THESIS

COUNTERPOINTS

SO WHAT
SUPPORTING IDEA #2

SUPPORTING IDEA #1

Find worksheets,
Copyrightgames, lessons & more
© 2017 Education.com LLC Allat education.com/resources
Rights Reserved
© 2007 - 2019 Education.com
More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets