Opinion Response Essays

Opinion Response Opinion Response EssaysEssays

For Mr. Kay’sFor Mr. Kay’s

WORLD HISTORY and WORLD HISTORY and

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AMERICAN GOVERNMENT classesclasses

Opinion Response Opinion Response EssaysEssays

Why, oh why, do we have to do Why, oh why, do we have to do THIS ???THIS ???

YOUR GRADEYOUR GRADE will depend in some part will depend in some part

on how well you do on these. on how well you do on these.

These will be graded as These will be graded as assessments::

Score point 4’s will be equivalent to Score point 4’s will be equivalent to 20 points20 points




MORE IMPORTANTLY…MORE IMPORTANTLY…Doing opinion response essaysDoing opinion response essayshelps to develop your helps to develop your reading, writing, and critical thinking

skillsskillsSocial studies Social studies classes in the future will classes in the future will begin to look more and more like begin to look more and more like EnglishEnglish classes. classes.

If the Common Core continues to If the Common Core continues to prevail as the basis for subject area prevail as the basis for subject area standards, English and social studies standards, English and social studies will be linked together as never before.will be linked together as never before.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

What if I don’t care about the Common What if I don’t care about the Common Core?Core?

Note the “mission statement” beneath the Note the “mission statement” beneath the logo:logo:

““PREPARING AMERICA’S STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE & CAREER”PREPARING AMERICA’S STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE & CAREER”

•You will be expected to do this kind of essay in almost every college You will be expected to do this kind of essay in almost every college course you will take.course you will take.

•Even if you forego college for a more immediate career, you will be Even if you forego college for a more immediate career, you will be COMPETING AGAINST students who will have these skills once Common COMPETING AGAINST students who will have these skills once Common Core is more fully implemented.Core is more fully implemented.

•Why not be better readers, writers, and critical thinkers ?

Opinion Response Opinion Response Essays…Essays…

Test your Test your reading proficiency reading proficiency equally equally as much as they test your as much as they test your abilities as abilities as a writera writer

Help you to become Help you to become better informed better informed about current events—events of about current events—events of national and international importnational and international import

By requiring you to disagree with By requiring you to disagree with another writer’s opinion, ask you to another writer’s opinion, ask you to think critically think critically about these issues about these issues

Can cultivate a better sense of Can cultivate a better sense of empathyempathy—“the ability to see the world —“the ability to see the world through the eyes of another”through the eyes of another”

How to write excellent or How to write excellent or better opinion response better opinion response

essays…essays… Score point 1 papers – the majority of these – the majority of these

papers did not follow instructionspapers did not follow instructions Score point 2 papers – the majority of these – the majority of these

papers were too brief or undevelopedpapers were too brief or undeveloped Score point 3 papers – a good level of writing – a good level of writing

proficiency; these papers are often not as serious proficiency; these papers are often not as serious or as well-planned/thought-out as they could beor as well-planned/thought-out as they could be

Score point 4 papers – only one or two in a – only one or two in a class, indicates a superior ability to write, will be class, indicates a superior ability to write, will be interested to see if this can be demonstrated interested to see if this can be demonstrated consistentlyconsistently

Dealing with the problem Dealing with the problem of of

NOT FOLLOWING NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONSINSTRUCTIONS

• Be sure to include the following at the top of each opinion Be sure to include the following at the top of each opinion response you write: response you write:

• your name, class hour• “title of article” • date article ran in WSJ

• Choose an article from the Choose an article from the OPINION section of The Wall Street Journal. (generally located in the last 3 to 6 pages of the first/A section)(generally located in the last 3 to 6 pages of the first/A section)

• Be sure that you write an opinion response in which you Be sure that you write an opinion response in which you

DISAGREEDISAGREE with the opinion expressed by the writer of the with the opinion expressed by the writer of the article you have selected and readarticle you have selected and read

• Do NOT Do NOT rewrite, re-cap, summarize, or explain what the article rewrite, re-cap, summarize, or explain what the article meansmeans – do as much of – do as much of your own original writing your own original writing as possible to as possible to share your opinion about an issue with those who will read share your opinion about an issue with those who will read your essay. your essay.

• The goal is to The goal is to CONVINCECONVINCE your readers that your opinion is your readers that your opinion is right or more valid, and that the other writer’s opinion (in the right or more valid, and that the other writer’s opinion (in the article) is wrong or misguided.article) is wrong or misguided.

Dealing with the problem Dealing with the problem of of

TOO BRIEF or UNDEVELOPEDTOO BRIEF or UNDEVELOPED

• If you’ve only written 3 sentences or filled up less than ¼ of the page, your response is almost certainly too brief or undeveloped.• Consider what sort of evidence

will best support the statements that collectively express your opinion in your response.

• Personal experience

• Evidence from the text itself

• Evidence from outside sources

(NOTE: Each of these has its strengths and weaknesses.)

1. 1. Personal experiencePersonal experience

• Use personal experience as examples to: • demonstrate why you interpret the text the way

you do• why you react the way you do• why you agree or disagree

• Example sentence: • I strongly disagree with Tannen’s first point based on my own

high school experience, especially in my History class.

2. 2. Evidence from the Evidence from the text itselftext itself

• Cite specific phrases or sentences (or the lack of them) from the text itself to support your

• explanation of the text• analysis of the effectiveness of the text• to support why you agree or disagree

• Use this kind of evidence to question the credibility, credentials, or authority to speak on the issue of

• The source itself – the Wall Street Journal• The writer of the article

3. 3. Evidence from other Evidence from other sourcessources

• Acceptable to bring in ideas and information from other texts or online sources of information

• Your prior knowledge (i.e., what you have learned in other subject area classes)

• No research is required for this assignment, but don’t be afraid to discuss the issues with adults in your life or to learn more about the issues online

• Informally cite sources if you do use or borrow material from other sources

Dealing with the problem of Dealing with the problem of

NOT AS SERIOUSNOT AS SERIOUS ororAS WELL-PLANNED ORAS WELL-PLANNED OR

THOUGHT-OUT AS IT COULD THOUGHT-OUT AS IT COULD BEBE• These responses tend to suffer from beingThese responses tend to suffer from being

LOPSIDEDLOPSIDED

DOGMATICDOGMATIC• They rely too much on They rely too much on one kind of evidenceone kind of evidence• They ask questions they leave unanswered or They ask questions they leave unanswered or

make statements not supported by make statements not supported by anyany kind of kind of evidenceevidence

• They do NOT They do NOT match the style match the style of the article to of the article to which their response is directedwhich their response is directed

A Question of Style – A Question of Style – FORMALFORMAL or or INFORMALINFORMAL ? ?

Take the following test to seehow well you understand the differences:http://dissc.tees.ac.uk/Writing/Style/wordstyletest.htmhttp://dissc.tees.ac.uk/Writing/Style/wordstyletest.htm

Using the Rubric…Using the Rubric…• Rubric title: Rubric title: SBAC Informative-Explanatory Writing Rubric Grades 6-12SBAC Informative-Explanatory Writing Rubric Grades 6-12• Scores are based by measurement in three to five areas:Scores are based by measurement in three to five areas:

• Statement of Purpose/Focus and OrganizationStatement of Purpose/Focus and Organization• Statement of Purpose/FocusStatement of Purpose/Focus• OrganizationOrganization

• Development: Language and Elaboration of EvidenceDevelopment: Language and Elaboration of Evidence• Elaboration of EvidenceElaboration of Evidence• Language and VocabularyLanguage and Vocabulary

• Conventions Conventions (aka grammar)

• These areas are arranged in order of importance in weighing the final These areas are arranged in order of importance in weighing the final score of the student’s writing—therefore, a student’s ideas and their score of the student’s writing—therefore, a student’s ideas and their organization are most important; followed by how they use evidence organization are most important; followed by how they use evidence and language to support their ideas; followed lastly by grammatical and language to support their ideas; followed lastly by grammatical considerationsconsiderations

Some Other RulesSome Other Rules

First of all, choose an article with a First of all, choose an article with a topic that we feel we can most topic that we feel we can most effectively write about…effectively write about…

For example: Obamacare,

domestic violence in the NFL, orthe decline of penmanship.

Then we use this STRUCTURE to write Then we use this STRUCTURE to write our essay:our essay:

OpeningOpening

BodyBody

ConclusionConclusion

OpeningOpeningIn this part we write a presentation of In this part we write a presentation of the issue and our opinion.the issue and our opinion.

This part of the essay shouldn’t be too This part of the essay shouldn’t be too long; it’s long; it’s only a brief introduction to only a brief introduction to the topic that we will then treat in the the topic that we will then treat in the next section, the body.next section, the body.

The longest part of our response will The longest part of our response will be developed in the next part, the be developed in the next part, the body.body.

BodyBodyIs the longest part of the essay. Is the longest part of the essay.

In the body of the essay we have to In the body of the essay we have to convince the reader, giving specific convince the reader, giving specific reasons and facts to support our reasons and facts to support our opinion (this is why it’s the longest opinion (this is why it’s the longest part).part).

And to finish our opinion essay, we And to finish our opinion essay, we must write an effective conclusion. must write an effective conclusion.

ConclusionConclusionIt’s the part where we sum everything It’s the part where we sum everything up and (almost always) restate our up and (almost always) restate our opinion.opinion.

As in the opening, the conclusion does As in the opening, the conclusion does not have to be too long—a single not have to be too long—a single complex sentence or two or three complex sentence or two or three sentences at most.sentences at most.

Some last words of Some last words of adviceadvice

You can use a separate sheet of You can use a separate sheet of paper to do a scheme—a list of paper to do a scheme—a list of the ideas that you are going to the ideas that you are going to talk about in your essay. Using talk about in your essay. Using this scheme, you should be able this scheme, you should be able to better organize your opinion to better organize your opinion response and present your ideas response and present your ideas in the most effective sequence.in the most effective sequence.

THE ENDTHE END

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Opinion Response Essays