Opinion Writing Lesson

     One of our fourth grade teachers asked me to help the students with writing an opinion essay.  The CCGPS states - ELACC4W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and the students are to refer back to the text.  She said they were having difficulty with this task.  I found a website that had a good handout/structure, "Write An Opinion Essay" http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/magazines/scope/pdfs/SCOPE-011011-REPRO-19.pdf
I liked the format, which I used loosely!

    The problem was coming up with something we could read fairly quickly that would provide us with something to have an opinion on!  I came up with several subjects (texting and driving, political candidates, European exploration in the new world, Japanese internment camps in WWII, etc).  Finally...a eureka moment!  Pick out a short book to read and one just jumped into my mind (having used it before), Why War Is Never a Good Idea by Alice Walker.

I read the book to the class and created a t-chart (on a large dry erase board) and told them that they would agree or disagree with the statement. Then they gave me specific reasons if they agreed with the idea (that war is never a good idea) that referred back to the text.  Some of the students disagreed and gave me good reasons which I also recorded.