Lesson 8: My Voice Matters: Expressing Opinions and Supporting Them
Learning Objectives:
- Students will be able to understand the concept of expressing opinions and providing supporting reasons.
- Students will be able to write clear and concise opinion statements using appropriate vocabulary.
- Students will be able to provide relevant reasons and examples to support their opinions.
- Students will be able to organize their writing in a logical and persuasive manner.
Materials:
- Whiteboard or chart paper
- Markers or pens
- Opinion statement sentence starters (see below)
- Transition words and phrases handout (see below)
- Various topics for discussion and writing (see suggestions below)
Procedure:
Part 1: Introduction (5 minutes)
- Greeting and Review: Greet students and briefly review previous lessons on descriptive and narrative writing.
- Introducing Opinion Writing: Explain that everyone has opinions about different things, and it’s important to be able to express them clearly and respectfully. Emphasize that opinions should be supported with reasons and examples.
Part 2: Modeling and Explanation (10 minutes)
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Sample Opinion Statements: Write a few sample opinion statements on the board using sentence starters (see below).
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Example:
In my opinion, learning English is important for young people in Cambodia. It opens up many opportunities for education, employment, and cultural exchange. For example, being able to speak English can help you get a better job, communicate with tourists, and access information on the internet.
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Explanation: Break down the opinion statement into the opinion itself and the supporting reasons. Explain that the reasons should be logical and relevant to the opinion.
Opinion Statement Sentence Starters:
- In my opinion…
- I believe that…
- I think…
- From my perspective…
- I agree/disagree that…
Transition Words and Phrases Handout:
- For example…
- Because…
- For instance…
- Therefore…
- In addition…
Part 3: Guided Practice (15 minutes)
- Brainstorming: Choose a topic relevant to the students’ lives (e.g., school uniforms, social media, environmental issues).
- Discussion: Facilitate a discussion where students share their opinions on the topic. Encourage them to give reasons for their opinions.
- Sentence Writing: Write down some of the students’ opinions on the board, helping them to rephrase them into clear and concise statements using the sentence starters.
- Reasoning: Guide students in generating supporting reasons for their opinions, using the transition words and phrases handout.
Part 4: Independent Practice (15 minutes)
- Writing Prompt: Choose one of the discussed topics or provide a new one.
- Instructions: Have students write a short opinion paragraph (3-5 sentences) expressing their opinion on the topic and providing supporting reasons.
- Differentiation: Offer different prompts for varying levels (e.g., “Do you think school uniforms are a good idea?” for beginners, “What are the benefits and drawbacks of social media?” for more advanced learners).
Part 5: Sharing and Feedback (5 minutes)
- Pair Sharing: Have students exchange their paragraphs with a partner and provide feedback.
- Volunteer Sharing: Invite volunteers to share their opinions with the class.
- Teacher Feedback: Provide overall feedback, focusing on the clarity of the opinion statement, the relevance of the reasons, and the use of appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures.
Topic Suggestions:
- Should students be allowed to use smartphones in school?
- Is it important to learn about Cambodian history?
- What is the best way to protect the environment?
- Are traditional Khmer clothes still relevant today?
Outro:
Expressing your opinions clearly and respectfully is an important life skill. Remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it’s important to be able to explain why you feel the way you do. Keep practicing and expressing your voice!
