Fall 2017

Finishing Opinion Paragraph Plan/Strengthening Opinion Paragraphs

Field Study Teacher: Misty Smith School: Florida Mesa Elementary
Grade Level: 5th Number of Students in Class: 19
Unit: Paragraph Writing: Finish Opinion Paragraph Plan/Strengthening Opinion Paragraphs
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
Day, Date, and Time of Lesson: September 28, 2017 from 1:00 pm to 1:50 pm

1. Objective(s):
I can Practice growing ideas, making a claim, collecting and organizing supportive evidence for
that claim, and laying out evidence in a logical fashion for readers.

2. Colorado Academic Standards:

Content Area: Reading, Writing, and Communicating

Grade Level Expectations: Fifth Grade
Standard 3: Writing and Composition

3.2: The reclusive writing process creates stronger informational and persuasive texts for a
variety of audience and purposes.

a. Write opinion piece on topic of texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information. (CCSS.W.5.1)

i. Include cause and effect, opinions, and other opposing viewpoints in persuasive writing.

ii. 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. (CCSS: W.5.1a)

iii. Provide logically ordered reasons using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., consequently,
specifically). (CCSS: W.5.1c)

3.3. Conventions apply consistently when evaluating written text.

c. Expand, combines, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/ listener interest, and style.
(CCSS: L.5.1.f) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience (CCSS: W.5.4)

Primary Performance Indicators:

RWC 3: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point f view with reasons and
information that:

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A. Introduce a topic 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 opinions and reasons using words, phrases, and clauses.
D. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

RWC 5.A: With some guidelines and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

RWC 4.A: Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related
information logically.

Supporting Performance Indicators

RWC 5.C: Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing.

3. Learning Target(s):
I can identify and explain what topic sentences are. I can write a topic sentence based on two
types of topic sentences: Conjunction Statements (And, But, Or,) and Occasion and Position
Statements.

4. Assessment:
- Students will complete the planning template from the previous writing time.
-Students will begin rough drafting their opinion paragraph based on that plan.

Key Vocabulary:
Opinion
Evidence
Counter Argument
Topic
Main Idea
Conclusion

5. Materials:
- print outs of their GoogleDoc planning template
- Planning sheets
- ELA Journals (provided by the students)
- Pencils
- Laptops/ Computer (This to provide accommodations for students who need Talk to Text to

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complete their work.)

6. Introduction/Anticipatory Set:
Teacher will re-introduce the planning template as a worksheet.

7. Essential Questions or Big Picture Statement:

How can we plan and write an opinion paragraph?

8.
Introduction:
- Teacher will review and re-introduce the planning template worksheet.
- Teacher will show how the GoogleDocs students worked on yesterday translates to
the worksheet.
- Teacher will tell students the expectations for the task of the day.
- After reviewing the planning template, teacher will review the learning expectations
with students before releasing students to work.

Direct Instruction (Planning Template):

- Teacher will demonstrate how the GoogleDoc example fits into the worksheet version
of the plan template.
- Once students are released to work, teacher will conference with students who show
signs of struggling or need encouragement for deeper thinking.
- Students will complete their GoggleDoc plans for their paragraph.
- Teacher will provide printouts of students’ GoogleDoc plan for students to work from.
- Afterwards, students will begin working on their rough drafts of their opinion
paragraph in their ELA journals.
Closure:
- Teacher will give notice for students to wrap up their work.
- Teacher will point back to the objective and ask students to rate themselves from 1-5 if
they have met the objective for the day and write one thing that they think is the most
important in the day’s lesson.
- Students will write their responses on a post it and put it on their number on the Show
What You Know poster in the room.

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