Second graders have an opinion on most everything and they are not afraid to share them!!  For this reason they find opinion writing highly engaging!  We did many learning activities to help us share our opinions in writing.  We read many examples of opinion writing through mentor texts.  Some of our favorites were Stella Writes an Opinion, Not Norman,  The Perfect Pet and Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late.   As we read, we discussed how the authors structure their writing. The students Identified the author’s opinion and the reasons he or she gives to support that opinion.  Next we learned about O.R.E.O. (opinion, reason, explain, opinion).  This is a writing format that helps students with opinion writing.  First they state their opinion, then they give a reason for that opinion.  They explain why the reason is valid and finally they conclude with a restatement of their opinion.  We have an O.R.E.O. on an anchor chart in our classroom for students to refer to.  Then we practice, practice, practice!  I model examples of opinion writing.  They worked together in small groups brainstorming reasons to support their opinions.  One such activity was choosing their favorite dessert.  They grouped themselves by the season they liked most, then came up with reasons and explanations to support their opinion.  There was some wonderful cooperative learning going on!

We then used an opinion writing sample to recognize the sentences that stated the opinion, gave reasons for the opinion and used explanations and examples to support the opinion.  The students color coded each sentence.  What a great job they did!