Curated OER
It's a Matter of Opinion
Dissect the parts of an advertisement with your class. Middle schoolers discuss advertisements and locate the hook in them. Then, they create an advertisement for a business, in which they include the name of the business, an...
Curated OER
What's My Point: Persuasive Writing
Why do readers need to know an author’s purpose? How do you figure out what that purpose is? Guide your pupils through a series of activities that show them how to identify various techniques and structures used in persuasive writing....
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing - Anticipating Opposing Views
Persuasion, when used effectively, is a powerful and effective tool. In groups, young writers develop a persuasive letter about something that they would like their parents to allow them to do. Then, independently, they use proper...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing
Use a quick bell-ringer to interest your class in the art of persuasion. They brainstorm where they find examples of persuasion in their lives and identify who is trying to persuade them. Then they either fish through magazines or look...
Curated OER
Giving Thanks for Food and Farms
Sarah Stewart’s The Gardener and Food from Farms by Nancy Dickmann display the importance of community farms. After reading these short picture books, class members draw connections between farms and the food we eat each day. As a...
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing -- Commercial Style
Learners create persuasive TV commercials for common products. They develop a list of products, write the script for a commercial, and act-out and videotape the commercial to present to the class.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Why I Refuse to Say I "Fight" My Disability
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Why I Love a Country That Once Betrayed Me
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Writing an Opinion Based on Facts From a Text
Students will plan a paragraph that states their opinion and cites evidence to justify their opinion about an informational text. This lesson uses biographies since students can easily be able to write down factual information from the...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Identifying and Writing Opinions About Clouds Using Clue Words
It is important to teach learners the difference between facts and opinions. This is the groundwork for getting students to think critically when analyzing a piece of text. This lesson will help to lay the foundation for opinion writing....
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Dress Code and Me
Make learning relevant as students express their opinion about the school dress code. Students will write an opinion letter to our Superintendent sharing their opinion of the dress code. The guided practice is about the teacher dress...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Letter to the Lunch Ladies
This lesson really allows readers to express their opinion regarding an issue that affects them - the lunch menu! Students will be guided through the writing process and then will write a convincing opinion piece by stating their...
iCivics
I Civics: Mini Lesson: The Incumbent Advantage
Young scholars will learn about the electoral advantage that favors incumbents and the benefits and drawbacks of reelecting members of Congress.
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate Cash Courses
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether students should or should not get paid to attend class. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate Password Protected
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether or not schools have the right to monitor what students post online. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate Cell Phone Scramble
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text debating whether students should or should not be allowed to use cell phones in class. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate Battle of the Binge
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text arguing for and against competitive eating contests. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Read Works
Read Works: News Debate Phone Patrol
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the police being able to search through cell phones without a search warrant. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Argument Papers
A series of six screencast lessons explaining the process of argumentative writing. The first [4 min. 22 sec.] focuses on overall structure and purpose. The second [6 mins, 18 secs] explains how to state a claim. The third [6 min. 3...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Respond to Student Writing: Cell Phones
Use an interactive rubric to evaluate areas of strengths and weaknesses in a student's essay on cell phone use in schools. Then compare your responses to another teacher's.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Excerpts From Leviathan
A learning module that begins with "Excerpts from Leviathan" by Thomas Hobbes, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Life Isn't Fair Deal With It" by Mike Myatt
A learning module that begins with "Life Isn't Fair-- Deal With It" by Mike Myatt, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "Should Girls Be Allowed to Play High School Football?" by Josh Bean
A learning module that begins with "Should Girls Be Allowed to Play High School Football?" by Josh Bean, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or...
Education.com
Education.com: W.3.1 Worksheets: Write Opinion Pieces on Topics or Texts
[Free Registration/Login Required] Links to 24 worksheets and graphic organizers that can be downloaded and printed. Each worksheet focuses on skills highlighted in standard W.3.1: Write