Opinion Writing Unit:

Writing About Reading-Pen Pal Letters (Remote Learning)

Teacher: Miss Nemec

School: Orchard Park, Remote
Subject Area:Writing
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
Date: 4/20/2021

Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS) Addressed:

W.2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, using
linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide
a concluding statement or section.

RL.2.7 Use information gained from illustrations and words in a print or digital text
to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Objectives:

Students will write a letter that shows their opinion of a book and use 2 details to support their opinion.

Anticipatory Set:

-The teacher will ask students “What is your favorite part of reading a really good book?”
● Students will do a “think-pair-share” in a break-out room to discuss the question.
● We will come back and discuss our answers as a class.
● I will tell the class “my favorite part of reading a really good book is getting to share the book
with my friends!”

- The teacher will share her screen and present the 3 questions:
● What am I learning today?
● Why am I learning this?
● How will I know I learned it?
○ As a class, we will answer the first question: “Today we are learning how to form an
opinion about the books we love and support our opinions with details from the book.”
○ We will save questions 2 and 3 for the closure of the lesson.
*Remind students to be thinking of these questions throughout the lesson

a. Procedures:

Purpose: Today we will get to form an opinion about a book and share our thoughts with a pen pal!
 Instruction: The teacher will explain the activity: “Today you are going to write a letter to your pen pal
about a book you love. You are going to share your opinion and then support your opinion with details
from the book”.
● As a class, we will review how to uncover our opinions.
● Then, we will review the writing checklist for opinion writing.

*Once the activity has been explained, students will have the opportunity to ask any questions.

Guided Practice:
● I will display and read the letter I wrote about Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin. I will
share my opinion that “Those Darn Squirrels is a very silly book” .
○ This is a text all students in the class are very familiar with.
● After reading the letter together, we will use the writing checklist to go through the letter and
make sure I have included each element of opinion writing.
● Students will notice that I only included 1 detail from the text to support my opinion instead of
2. Together we will search through the book and find another reason why Those Darn Squirrels
is a “silly” book.

Independent Practice: Students will work independently and write their letter to a pen pal, sharing
their opinion on a book they love.

● First, students will choose the book they are writing their letter about.
● Next, they will start planning their letter across their fingers and think to themselves:
○ What is my opinion of this book?
■ They can use the “Uncovering Opinions about Books” poster to remind
themselves what they can form an opinion on.
○ What is one detail from the book that supports my opinion?
○ What is a 2nd detail from the book that supports my opinion?
● Then, students can begin writing their letter.
○ The opinion writing checklist will be displayed on the teacher’s screen so students can
reference back to what needs to be included in their letter.

*If students finish writing their letter early, they can read through it and begin editing independently.
They will focus on spaces between words, punctuation at the end of sentences, and capital letters at the
beginning of sentences.
● Editing Checklists are kept in students’ writing folders

b. Closure:

-Answer the following questions as a class:

● Why am I learning this?
○ To learn how to share my opinion
○ To better understand a book I am reading
○ To share my thoughts on a book with my friends
 ● How will I know I learned it?
○ I was able to check yes on each section of the opinion writing checklist.

Follow up: During block time, students will read over their letters and edit with their “Editing
Checklists”. Once the teacher has approved their letter, students will use Flipgrid to record themselves
reading the letter. This recording will then be sent to their virtual pen pals.

c. Brain Compatible Learning Strategies:

○ Brainstorming/Discussion
○ Visuals
○ Stories
○ Technology

Plan for Differentiated Instruction:

Basic Level:
Students at the basic level will write their opinion letter with some teacher assistance. A small
group of students will work in a breakout room with the teacher. The teacher will help them
brainstorm ideas for writing. Once they are on the right track, they will begin working
independently, but be provided with help from the teacher when needed.

Intermediate Level:
Students at the intermediate level will write their opinion letter with minimal assistance.

Advanced Level:
Students at the advanced level will write their opinion letter with no teacher assistance.

Assessment (i.e. Formative, Summative, or Feedback Mechanism)

-The students will be assessed based on a 7 point rubric after turning in their letter.

7. Resources:

● Opinion Writing Checklist

● Letter Writing Paper
● Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin
● Units of Study in Opinion, Information and Narrative Writing, A Workshop Curriculum, Grades
K-5 by Lucy Calkins