Write an opinion piece with text evidence, varied sentences and careful spelling, then revise and edit it with feedback

Learning goal: Write opinion pieces that include an introduction with a clear topic sentence; a stated opinion; reasons supported by evidence or examples from the text(s); a concluding statement; an organizational structure that supports the writer's purpose; linking words and phrases; relevant vocabulary; sentence variety; and grade-level phonics-based spelling. With gradually fading adult support, plan, revise and edit the writing to improve clarity, organization and conventions, using feedback from adults or peers. This lesson teaches Ohio's 2026 English language arts standard, first implemented in the 2027-28 school year.

The source text. Opinion writing at this level is built on reading. Use the article "Where Does the Rain Go?" from the connected lesson on details and inferences. Its key information: hard surfaces such as roofs and parking lots do not let water soak in; runoff flows into storm drains that in many towns lead straight to a stream; runoff carries litter, oil, soil and fertilizer; and a rain garden is a shallow planted bowl that holds runoff so it can soak into the ground. At the invented Maple Street School, the sidewalk puddle got smaller after three storms once a rain garden was planted, and the students wrote that one garden will not fix a whole town's runoff.

Writing prompt: Should our school build a rain garden? Write an opinion piece for the principal and parents, supported by evidence from the text.

The nine parts of an opinion piece. (a) The introduction has a clear topic sentence that tells the reader what the piece is about; it can be the first sentence, or it can follow a sentence that draws the reader in. (b) The opinion is stated plainly: "Our school should build a rain garden." (c) Each reason explains why, and each reason is supported by evidence or examples from the text: a quotation or a fact with its source named. (d) A concluding statement returns to the opinion and leaves the reader with a final thought or request. (e) The organizational structure supports your purpose: introduction, one paragraph for each reason, conclusion, so the principal can follow your thinking. (f) Linking words and phrases connect opinion and reasons: because, for example, in addition, also, therefore, as a result. (g) Relevant vocabulary comes from the topic and makes you sound informed: runoff, storm drain, hard surfaces, soak into the soil. (h) Sentence variety keeps the reader interested and shows how ideas connect: mix short and long sentences, simple sentences ("Runoff is a problem."), compound sentences joined with and, but or so, and complex sentences with because, when or although; and begin sentences in different ways. (i) Grade-level phonics-based spelling means you spell words using the patterns you have learned: split fertilizer into fer-ti-li-zer; hear the vowel-r in fer and zer and the long i in the open syllable li; build pollution from pollute + -ion: drop the e, and the t of the base word joins -ion, so the ending -tion sounds like /shun/ (ti spells /sh/).

Original model opinion piece — A Garden That Drinks the Rain (written in the voice of an imagined fourth grader whose school's front walk floods after heavy rain; in your own piece, use a condition you have actually observed)

Every time it storms, rain pours off our school roof and races across the parking lot. Our school should build a rain garden to catch that water. A rain garden would help our stream and teach students about science.

First, a rain garden would keep dirty runoff out of the stream. The article "Where Does the Rain Go?" explains that runoff "picks up whatever lies on the hard surfaces," including "oil dripped from cars" and fertilizer. In many towns, storm drains carry that water "straight to a nearby stream or river without cleaning it first." Because a rain garden holds the water so it can soak into the ground, some of that dirt and oil would be trapped in the soil instead.

In addition, a rain garden could solve a problem we can see. For example, the students at Maple Street School measured a puddle that covered their sidewalk, and after they planted a rain garden, the puddle "was smaller each time." Our front walk floods after heavy rain, too. Although one garden cannot fix a whole town's runoff, as the article admits, it could make our own walkway safer.

Therefore, I urge the principal and parents to support a rain garden by the front entrance. It would drink the rain that our roof cannot, and it would show every student how a small change can protect a stream.

How the model shows each part. The first sentence hooks the reader and the second is the topic sentence and opinion. Two body paragraphs each hold one reason with quoted evidence. The linking words First, Because, In addition, For example, Although and Therefore guide the reader. Relevant vocabulary (runoff, storm drains, soak into the ground) appears throughout. Sentence variety: a short simple sentence ("Our front walk floods after heavy rain, too."), a complex sentence starting with Because, another with Although. The last paragraph is the concluding statement: it returns to the opinion with a request ("I urge the principal and parents to support a rain garden") and leaves a final thought, and it adds no new reason. The model also admits a limit from the text, which makes it more believable than claiming a garden will "stop all flooding."

Plan, revise, edit with feedback. Plan with a four-box organizer: opinion, reason 1 with evidence, reason 2 with evidence, conclusion. Draft without worrying about perfection. Revise for clarity and organization: Is each reason clear? Is the evidence really from the text? Are the paragraphs in a sensible order? Ask a peer or adult for feedback that names one strength and one question. Edit for conventions: capitals, punctuation (including quotation marks around exact words from the text) and spelling. Revising changes ideas and organization; editing fixes conventions. Fading adult support: at first an adult leads the conference and suggests changes; later a peer gives feedback using a checklist and you decide what to change; by the end of the year you use the checklist on your own draft and ask for feedback only where you are unsure.

Worked example 1 — Strengthen a reason with text evidence. Draft: "A rain garden is good because it helps nature." Revised: "A rain garden would help the stream because, as the article explains, it 'holds the water for a while so it can soak into the ground instead of racing to the drain.'" The revision names the specific benefit and supports it with evidence from the text.

Worked example 2 — Add sentence variety. Choppy draft: "Runoff is dirty. It goes in the drain. The drain goes to the stream. That is bad." Revised: "Runoff is dirty. When it flows into a storm drain, it can travel straight to the stream, so oil and litter end up in the water." The revision keeps one short sentence for emphasis and combines the rest into one longer sentence that is both complex (it begins with When) and compound (so joins two clauses), showing cause and effect.

Worked example 3 — Spell by patterns while editing. The draft has "fertlizer," "polushun" and "parkinglot." Split fertilizer into fer-ti-li-zer and write each syllable; build pollution from pollute + -ion (drop the e; the t joins -ion); parking lot is two words. Check the corrections in a dictionary.

Worked example 4 — Use peer feedback. A peer writes: "Strength: your quotes are from the article. Question: why would the principal care about the puddle?" The writer revises by adding, "Our front walk floods after heavy rain, too," which connects the example to the principal's school. The writer then edits by adding quotation marks around the article's exact words.

Opinion planner (representation task): Fill a four-box plan for your own answer to the prompt (you may argue for or against). In each reason box, copy one piece of evidence from the text with its paragraph number, and write a linking word you will use.

Feedback and revision record: Exchange drafts with a partner. Your partner uses the nine-part checklist, writes one strength and one question, and marks any sentence that could be combined. Revise, then edit, and keep both drafts.

Independent performance: Write a complete opinion piece of four or five paragraphs in response to the prompt or to another question about a text you have read in class. Success criteria: My introduction has a clear topic sentence and my opinion is stated. Each reason is supported by evidence or examples from the text, with exact words in quotation marks. My conclusion restates the opinion. My paragraphs follow a clear structure and use at least four linking words. I use topic vocabulary. My sentences vary in length, type and beginning. I spell by syllables and patterns and check doubtful words. I revised for clarity and organization and edited for conventions after feedback, and I can show both drafts.