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AFTER READING
OBJECTIVES
Genre Write Your Opinion
Writer’s Craft Persuasive Words
Writing Trait Sentences
  • Identify the characteristics of writing your opinion.
  • Write an opinion using persuasive words.
  • Focus on sentences.
  • Use a rubric.
ELL
Sentences Read imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences aloud to English learners, using tone to show how these sentences add excitement to writing. Add think-aloud comments to explain how punctuation helps readers understand sentences.
Writing Trait
FOCUS/IDEAS The writing
focuses on a specific viewpoint and support for it.
ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS
The opinion is organized so that the important ideas get readers' attention.
VOICE The writer has an
informed, original voice.
WORD CHOICE The writer uses
persuasive words to express
an opinion.
SENTENCES Sentences of
different lengths and kinds
are used to express an
opinion.
CONVENTIONS Grammar and
mechanics are excellent, including use of adjectives that compare.
DAY 1
Model the Trait
DAY 2
Improve Writing
DAY 3
Prewrite and Draft
DAY 4
Draft and Revise
DAY 5
Connect to Unit Writing
READING-WRITING CONNECTION
  • How My Family Lives in America is a nonfiction essay about different cultural heritages that three families brought to America.
  • How My Family Lives in America expresses the opinions of the writers and the people described in the essay.
  • Students will write an opinion that uses different kinds of sentences with persuasive words.
MODEL SENTENCES Discuss Writing Transparency 22A. Then discuss the model and the writing trait of sentences.
Think AloudThe author has written an essay expressing an opinion. The reader's attention is drawn through questions posed at the beginning. The author provides persuasive descriptions, along with facts, to support the opinion.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 22A
with | without Answers
WRITER'S CRAFT
Persuasive Words
Display Writing Transparency 22B. Read the directions and work together to choose persuasive words.
Think AloudPERSUASIVE WORDS Tomorrow we will write an opinion expressing our thoughts about the best place to live. I will need to draw in the reader's attention using persuasive words to convince the reader of my opinion. I will use words such as best, most, worst, and adjectives ending in –est.
GUIDED WRITING Some students may need more help recognizing persuasive words. Show them some letters to the editor or editorials from magazines for young people that include persuasive words. Work with students to identify persuasive words.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 22B
with | without Answers
READ THE WRITING PROMPT
on page 191 in the Student Edition.
How My Family Lives in America describes traditions such as special foods.
Think of a kind of food that you have strong feelings about.
Now write an opinion about that kind of food, using persuasive words.
Writing Test Tips
  • State your opinion clearly in the first paragraph.
  • Use descriptions, examples, and facts to support your opinion.
  • Use persuasive words that appeal to readers' feelings.
GETTING STARTED Students can do any of the following:
  • With a group, discuss different places to live.
  • Students can offer experiences about different places and homes they may have lived in.
  • Create a concept web with the title Places I Would Like to Live in the center circle.
EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST
  • Does the opinion focus on a specific place or kind of place to live and its positive traits?
  • Does the opinion use persuasive words to convince readers?
  • Are adjectives that compare used correctly?
  • Are homophones spelled correctly?
See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 180–185.
Revising Tips
Sentences
  • Try to use compound sentences as well as
    simple sentences.
  • Mix long sentences with
    short sentences.
  • Include questions, commands, and exclamations, as well as statements, to hold
    readers' interest.
PUBLISHING Students can present their opinions as speeches to the class. Some students may wish to revise their work later.
ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students' work.
Week 1
Editorial 169g–169h
Week 2
Write Your Opinion 193g–193h
Week 3
Ad 219g–219h
Week 4
Answer a Question 243g–243h
Week 5
Story Review 275g–275h
Persuasive Letter
PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT
Write a letter asking a parent to let you travel to another country, dress in a special way, or eat a particular food. Think of reasons why you should be allowed to do what you ask.
APPLY
  • A persuasive letter tries to convince a reader to think or act a certain way. It uses facts, reasons, and examples to make a point.
  • Formulating and stating an opinion is an important part of writing a persuasive letter.
Writing Workshop   Write Your Opinion
Trait of the Week
Sentences
 
   
Close  
Writing Trait Rubric  
Rubric 4 3 2 1
Sentences
Clear, interesting, unique sentences;
excellent variety of sentence structure
Clear sentences; variety of sentence
structure
Some sentences clear; limited variety
of sentence structure
Most sentences unclear; no variety of
sentence structure
Exceptional sentence variety in opinion
Some sentence variety in opinion
Needs more sentence variety in
opinion
Little or no sentence variety in opinion