Dive into the Common Core with Opinion Pieces

The big transition to the Common Core State Standards is already in process, and if you’re like most teachers, you are just a little bit intimidated by the challenge of becoming familiar with the new guidelines. Let’s dive right in and get started with one of the most important writing standards in the CCSS: Opinion Pieces. These used to fall under the label of "Persuasive Letters or Compositions"; something with which any fifth or sixth grade teacher is very familiar. Moreover, it’s an area that begins as early as second grade, and continues right on through senior year of high school. Thus, it’s a great place to start getting acquainted with Common Core.

Opinion Pieces Teach Learners to Competently Communicate 

The ability to effectively express an opinion in writing, in an organized way and defend it against counter-arguments is a valuable skill in our modern world. Pupils will need this skill in almost any career they pursue. 

I think you will find this to be a very worthwhile process to go through with your kids, and when you’ve completed this initial assignment, you can pat yourself on the back. You will have successfully implemented a thoroughly CCSS-based project/series of lessons addressing not one, but several of the CC standards, and you’ll likely be energized to delve into more!

The standards addressed with Opinion Pieces are the following:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1-a-d   

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

b. Provide logically-ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.

c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).

d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

 7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

These are in addition to the standards dealing with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

I would like to stress at the outset that my suggestions about this topic will be left sufficiently broad, so as to leave the possibilities open to adaptation to almost any of the grades 2-12. You are experts and will understand how to adapt the ideas to your particular grade level.

Research Projects Provide Opportunities for Digging Deeper

I strongly suggest that you require at least some research component along with writing. For fifth grade, this would be CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RBPK-7, which is “Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.”

This is your ticket to bringing Opinion Pieces to a much higher academic level. Your students will not just state their opinion of a given subject; their writing will reflect deeper understanding gleaned from research on the topic. Before you recoil in horror at the idea of these opinion pieces suddenly turning into month-long projects, remember that the term research is very broad, and here we are definitely focusing on short research projects.

You can make these projects as elaborate and involved as you wish, but I suggest you simply ask learners to do some basic research. This could mean conducting a survey, or looking at two or three web sites, check through a book or two at the library, or reading a magazine article or two. For second grade, pupils could use a kids magazine article, plus look at one chosen web site. For seventh grade, it could be two nights’ homework taking notes from various sites, plus reading short sections from a particular book. The idea is that they explore their topic a little and present a viewpoint that they’re prepared to defend with evidence.

Topic Selection is an Important Skill for Writers 

There is a wide range of topics that would fit this assignment well. Though this depends on grade level, you’d be surprised how even the simplest topic could be adapted to use at almost any grade level by adjusting the degree of sophistication and detail required. For lower grades, it’s a fun idea for the kids to argue something that affects their relationship with their parents, teacher or school; for higher grades, more sophisticated topics are appropriate.  Here are a few ideas:

• Should kids be able to choose their own bedtime?
• Is homework really beneficial, or should it be eliminated?
• Should the legal driving age be lowered? (Or, for high school kids, the drinking age)
• Why I should get a higher allowance.
• Should the school day be longer?
• Are school uniforms a good idea?    

The subject or topic can be infinitely varied and can be adapted to almost any area or degree of sophistication:

• Is recycling really effective?
• Should space exploration be government-supported or privatized?
• Are genetically altered foods potentially dangerous, or is it all hype?  
• How could the US government have better handled their dealings with Native American tribes?

While some of these are obviously more suited to older or younger children, all of these areas- including the bedtime question- are rich areas for research. Each topic has many sources available for arguing all sides. Perhaps more importantly, there is enough research material available to provide background information which the pupils can use to support their argument.

Research Materials Can be Found (Adapted) for Any Classroom Situation

This obviously depends on your situation and what technology you have available:

• Do you have a few computers/iPads in your classroom?
• Do you have access to a computer lab?
• Do you have a well-stocked school library?
• Do your students have full internet access at home?
• Do a fair amount of your students have the use of iPads, Ipod Touches, Kindle Fire devices?

If learners have access to this kind of technology, then tell them to use it.  But for those who do not have access, or maybe only one computer or iPad in the classroom, I suggest you provide the research material. Select four or five topics for the kids can choose from. Print out packets of material/info from various web sites for each topic. (approximately 6-8 pages)  Give these packets to your students so they can use them for research. If possible, have them each use at least one book for research. 

If you’re prepared with material for four or five topics, you have the advantage of being able to select for your pupils some worthwhile sites and material. I suggest, however, that some of this material be not all that great. After all, one of the most important skills they must learn is to be discriminating in which sources they trust. For lower grades, it’s probably best to stick to all good information, but for fifth grade and up, by all means include some sites/materials that are not valid or reputable sources, so the kids can get experience weeding these out.

You will need to make sure your kids know how to take proper notes. If you haven’t covered this yet, a mini-lesson would be a good idea, as would be instruction on highlighting, plagiarism, outlining, and bibliographies. 

Project Organization Greatly Contributes to a Successful Opinion Piece

• Discuss the idea of Opinion Pieces, and maybe show examples (such as editorials from your local paper.) Discuss the fact that the writers are attempting to influence and persuade others to their point of view, and that this is a very important skill that really matters. Stress that for Opinion Pieces, they are expected to take a position and argue their case.
• Pick one topic that lends itself well to your particular grade level/class, pass out (or have them create) a graphic organizer that is suitable for diagraming pros and cons (easy to find; there are dozens available and any quick online search will give you lots of options.)
• Have a discussion of the pros and cons. As you proceed, show pupils how to complete the graphic organizer. The purpose of this is to get them thinking about both sides of the question and to organize their thoughts on paper. They’ll be doing this for their own topic very soon. (You might wish to have the graphic organizer printed on both sides of the paper, so that they have the model of the one they just completed available as a guide when they complete their own. Having said this, my own preference for higher grades is to allow them to use any method of graphic organizer they choose; by this time they have most likely been exposed to several versions.
• I like to stress the idea that in order to make your case well, you need to acknowledge, understand, and knock down the opposing arguments. And just like a skilled attorney will not wait for counter-arguments to come out, but rather will introduce them him/herself in order to defuse them, so will a good opinion piece. The degree to which you require them to do this depends on the grade level. I teach fifth grade. My students are definitely able to work with opposing arguments and deal with trying to attack them. The higher the grade level, the more learners are expected to address and answer various counter-arguments. This is part and parcel of the secondary school CC standards concerning opinion pieces.
• Brainstorm topics (or present the available ones if you’re pre-selecting topics for your class), and instruct pupils to select their topic- which does NOT have to come from the list you’ve just generated- you want to give them as much choice as is reasonable and appropriate for the assignment. The list is to stimulate ideas, or for those who can’t come up with a topic on their own.  

Note: you may decide to have students work in partners. This has both advantages (which include helping you to manage limited computer access in the classroom, and getting kids talking and discussing the topic) as well as its disadvantages.

Word Flow Using Phrases and Clauses

As you discuss the writing parameters for their opinion piece, an area of importance you may want to stress is reminding your class to use phrases, and clauses. According to the standard, pupils should make their writing flow. This can be accomplished by employing words like consequently and specifically. You will also want to stress the importance of a strong conclusion. When writing an opinion piece, the author does not want to leave the reader doubting his beliefs, or questioning his case. 

At this point, I would proceed with the editing/revising process you favor. For me at fifth grade, this means that first we work with our rough drafts. Then we begin an editing process that includes self-edit, peer-edit, teacher-edit (opt.), and then final version.

The potential follow-ups for this assignment are many: oral presentations, debates, or news shows. As a writing/research assignment, this is a worthwhile and beneficial project. And for you, it will be a real boost for your confidence level in implementing the CCSS.

Good luck!