LESSON 4.1 Introduction to Opinion Writing
Specific Expectations
- use appropriate strategies to discover the meaning of unfamiliar idiomatic expressions encountered in their reading
- explain the purpose and uses of opinion pieces (e.g., to justify a point of view; to persuade; to convince);
- construct a series of paragraphs, clearly stating an opinion in the opening paragraph and supporting it in subsequent paragraphs with clear, sufficient, and convincing reasons
- identify the behaviours and attitudes they need to promote their own learning
- explain how the ability to read, write, listen, and speak effectively can help them to succeed at school, at work, and in their personal lives
- use appropriate strategies to locate information in different types of texts,
quote and/or cite information from sources accurately, and acknowledge all sources of ideas and information used in written work;
- describe, orally and/or in writing, personally relevant texts they have read and their responses to them
Learning Goals: By the end of this lesson you will be able to
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Identify and express a clear point of view on a selected issue.
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Organize ideas and supporting evidence to plan an opinion essay.
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Provide real-world examples that support our arguments.
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Recognize opposing viewpoints (counterarguments) and develop appropriate rebuttals.
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Use complete sentences to clearly express and explain our ideas
- Choose and clearly state my opinion on a given topic.
- Provide three strong arguments that support my opinion.
- Support each argument with a relevant real-world example.
- Identify a logical counterargument that someone might have.
- Develop a clear rebuttal that responds to the counterargument.
- Use full, clear sentences to explain each idea in my outline.
- Organize all parts of my opinion essay plan using the required format.
How to Write a Thesis Statement