Thirty Days to Unlock FCAT Writing Success - Polk County School ...

Week Four, Day Three:
You Have an Opinion, and You Want to be Heard!
Students will use questioning strategies to provide evidence to expand opinion statements with
concrete examples.
• Model a personal statement. [e.g. I am good at quilting.]
• Instruct students to write a sentence about something they are good at.
• Ask student volunteers to share their opening statements of opinion.
• Tell all students to “Prove It”: to prove their statement. Ask if they have any trophies, honors,
compliments, prizes or products. Show students by modeling. [e.g I was invited to exhibit
my quilts at our local public library.]
• Invite students to share their written proof to show possibilities to those who are slower in
responding.
• Then ask them “Who Says So?”, modeling with the teacher’s example. [e.g My friends and
family say my quilts are beautiful and ask me to make them one.]
This step adds detail and personalizes the example.
Extension:
• Students write a narrative vignette. A teacher model might begin: [Last year I made a quilt for my
sister’s baby. She loved it. . . . etc.]
Invite students to exchange with a peer or read aloud to the class.
• Finally, ask students to make a comparison. The teacher might model: [e.g. I’d rather make
quilts than crochet.]
Once more, students share.
Elaboration skills targeted in this lesson:
• DEFINITION: What do you mean?
• PROVE IT: Give a specific detail.
• AUTHORITATIVE QUOTE: Who says so?
• NARRATIVE VIGNETTE: Tell a one or two-sentence story.
• COMPARISON: Use an –er or –est word or a “rather than” sentence.
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