Curriculum › English Language Arts ›Grade 3

Grade 3 English Language Arts · Level 4, Build Strong Sentences, Paragraphs, and Opinions

State an Opinion and Support It with Reasons

Write or construct a clear opinion and support it with relevant reasons, facts, examples, or text evidence.

How the lesson starts: State an Opinion and Support It with Reasons

1. The Pond Council

   Welcome to Lily Pond, where frogs settle big questions at the Pond Council. Kofi the frog wants a trampoline lily pad. Mayor Tilly is a wise old tortoise. First, she wants a clear opinion!

2. Opinion signal words

   A clear opinion answers the question and tells what the writer thinks. It often uses signal words like I think, should, or best. A question is not an opinion, because it only asks. A fact is not an opinion, because anyone can check it.

3. Let's find the opinion

   The question is: should the pond get a trampoline pad? Kofi writes four sentences. The pond has twelve lily pads. A fact. What would we jump on? A question. Trampolines are bouncy. Another fact. I think our pond should get a trampoline pad. That one tells what Kofi thinks!