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Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons

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Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1A CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1B

Basics on the topic Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons

Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons simply explained using video and practice exercises

Transcript Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons

"Thanks for the pizza Ernie! How did you know that crickets and moths are my favorite toppings!?" "And the crunch in the crust was just right! Your homemade pizza tastes WAY better because it's extra special!" "Oh golly Jane, that's nice of you to say!" But I didn't..." "I have to tell ALL of my followers how FANTASTIC this pizza was!" "DONE! Ready to hear my blog post about your pizza Ernie?" "Sure! I just hope it's not too cheesy..." "Ernie makes the best pizza, and I really enjoyed each and every slice. I love his pizza!" "Thanks Jane, but don't you think your followers might want to know WHY you liked my pizza?" Let's help Jane improve her blog post by learning about... Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons. An opinion is a person's thoughts or views on something. When writing an opinion... first, state your opinion. Next, provide reasons that support your opinion based on the topic or text. Supporting your opinion with reasons is important because it gives the reader evidence that supports your view. AND it is as simple as asking yourself: why do I feel this way? Jane will use THIS graphic organizer to help list the reasons why she likes Ernie's pizza! Jane already wrote her opinion, which states the main idea, and her closing sentence. Let's help Jane add some reasons that support her opinion! The first reason Jane stated was that the pizza had her two favorite toppings: crickets and moths. Next, she said there was just the right amount of crunch in the crust... so we'll add that as her second reason HERE. Last, she explained that homemade pizza tastes better because it's extra special... so we'll list this as her last reason, before the closing sentence. With her opinion, reasons, and closing sentence completed... Jane can put all of them together into a small paragraph! While Jane adds the finishing touches, let's summarize. Remember,(...) When writing an opinion... first state your opinion. Next, provide reasons that support your opinion based on the topic or text. Supporting your opinion with reasons is important because it gives the reader evidence that supports your view. AND it is as simple as asking yourself: why do I feel this way? We can use a graphic organizer to help state our opinion, reasons, and closing sentence! "I've already got three hundred likes! My followers want to know your recipe,(...) this next post could break the internet!" "Sure thing Jane, start by turning the oven on." Ernie:]"Next, take the frozen pizza out of the box." "Then, put it in the oven... and just wait patiently!" "Ernie! You never told me I was eating a frozen pizza! I thought it was homemade!" "OH I forgot the most important step: (...) make sure to enjoy it after it's done cooking!" Ernie, could you PLEASE show me how you made my pizza?! I really want to know the secrets behind the best pizza I've ever had!" "Sure thing Jane, start by turning the oven on and walking to the freezer. Next, take the box out and open it to remove the frozen pizza. Use scissors VERY CAREFULLY to open and remove it from the plastic, set it on a pan, and put it in the oven. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and just wait patiently!" "Ernie! You never told me I was eating a frozen pizza! I thought you made it homemade!" "Whoops! Must've slipped my mind, (...) OH and I forgot the last step: make sure to enjoy it after it comes out of the oven!"

Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learned? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video Stating an Opinion and Supporting with Reasons .
  • Why should you support an opinion with reasons?

    Hints

    Reasons can also be called evidence.

    Reasons explain why an author feels the way they do and can be used as evidence to support a view.

    There is one correct choice to select.

    Solution

    You should support an opinion with reasons to give the reader evidence that supports your view.

  • Label the parts of the paragraph.

    Hints

    Opinion writing begins with you stating your opinion.

    Reasons explain your view.

    The reasons are found in the middle of the paragraph.

    Solution

    An opinion-writing paragraph should first state your opinion, followed by three supporting reasons, and end with a closing sentence.

  • Reasons to support an opinion.

    Hints

    Helping words such as should are used to state an opinion.

    Look carefuly to see which reasons support which opinion.

    Solution

    The correct answers are below:
    Schools should have more art classes.

    • These classes reduce stress, spark creativity, and inspire kids.
    Students should not have homework*.
    • It is boring, feels like extra work, and takes up too much time.
    Soccer is the best sport.
    • It is played by communities all around the world, teaches teamwork skills, and reminds you to try your best.
    Homework should be optional.
    • Projects are fun, extra practice can be helpful, and students should have more choices.

  • Which opinion is best supported by the reasons?

    Hints

    Are the supporting reasons for or against traveling?

    Are the supporting reasons saying that traveling is inspiring or not inspiring?

    Solution

    The opinion that is best supported by the reasons is: Everyone should try traveling.

  • Highlight the reasons that support the opinion.

    Hints

    How does Jane feel about technology?
    What is Jane's opinion about technology?
    Highlight the opinion in green.

    There are 3 reasons that support the opinion.

    Solution

    The opinion is highlighted in green and the reasons that support the opinion are highlighted in violet.

  • Put the sentences of the graphic organizer into the correct order.

    Hints

    The first step in opinion writing is to state an opinion. Which is the opinion that is stated about soccer?

    The last step in opinion writing is to include a closing sentence.

    There are three supporting reasons to go in the middle. Which one will be the second reason?

    Solution

    A graphic organizer can be helpful with opinion writing because it can help plan ideas. The correct order of the sentences for the graphic organizer is:

    • Soccer is the best sport!
    • To begin, soccer is an active sport, so it is excellent cardio exercise.
    • Secondly, soccer requires strategy, so it is a challenging mental exercise.
    • Also, soccer is a team sport that teaches people to work together.
    • Soccer is played all around the world and is for everyone!