Building Strong Opinions

Overview

This four-day sequence supports Year 3 students to form, explain, and write a simple opinion. Students first build topic knowledge through discussion and shared texts, then plan and draft a persuasive paragraph about either the best holiday place or device use at home. The teacher works with a high-needs group while other students use the same clear planning routine independently.

Learning intentions

• WALT form an opinion and give reasons for it.
• WALT use notes and a simple organiser to plan a paragraph.
• WALT write an introduction, reasons with examples, and a conclusion.
• WALT reread and improve our writing for a reader.

Success criteria

• I can clearly say whether I agree or disagree.
• I can give at least two reasons and explain each one.
• I can use an example or detail to support my opinion.
• I can write an introduction, linked reasons, and a conclusion.

Curriculum links

• Planning and drafting: build knowledge about a topic through reading, relevant experiences, and discussion.
• Planning and drafting: ensure students have enough knowledge about a topic to plan and write.
• Writing across the first three years: use simple organisers to plan a single-paragraph text.
• Writing across the first three years: use notes to record key ideas during planning.

Resources

• the four-day opinion writing slide deck
• the opinion writing planning and drafting worksheet
• Agree/disagree paddles
• Whiteboard and markers
• Shared short texts, photographs, or teacher-prepared information about beaches, bush holidays, and device use
• Word bank cards or displayed sentence stems
• Coloured pencils and highlighters
• Headphones or text-to-speech option, if available

Day 1 — Build knowledge and choose an opinion (45 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Engage. Open the hook and agree/disagree slides and show contrasting images of a beach and the bush. Students use paddles to respond to: “Where is the best place for a holiday?”
2. 7–17 min · Read and discuss. Teacher shares a short, age-appropriate text or photographs about both places, pausing to clarify vocabulary and ask, “What did we learn?” Students listen, turn and talk, and contribute facts.
3. 17–25 min · Model opinion talk. Teacher models: “I think the beach is best because I can swim. For example, I can play in the waves.” Highlight opinion, reason, and example. Students rehearse a sentence with a partner.
4. 25–38 min · Group planning. Students choose beach or bush and complete the first section of the opinion choice and reasons page. The teacher works closely with the high-needs group, offering two choices, pictures, oral rehearsal, and scribing where needed. Other students record key words independently.
5. 38–45 min · Share and check. Students share one reason. Teacher checks that each student has a clear choice and at least one relevant reason.

Day 2 — Plan and draft a persuasive paragraph (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Revisit. Return to the opinion structure slides. Students orally repeat the pattern: “My opinion is… because… For example…”
2. 5–15 min · Teach paragraph structure. Teacher jointly constructs a paragraph: introduction stating the opinion, two reason sentences, examples or details, and a conclusion. Identify linking words such as because, also, for example, and finally.
3. 15–25 min · Guided planning. Students complete the remaining boxes on the paragraph planning page. Teacher supports the high-needs group with a reduced frame: opinion, reason one, reason two, conclusion. Check ideas through one-to-one questioning.
4. 25–40 min · Independent drafting. Students write a single paragraph from their plan. The teacher remains with the high-needs group for shared writing, gradually releasing each sentence. Independent writers use the model and word bank without waiting for teacher support.
5. 40–45 min · Read aloud. Students whisper-read their paragraph to check that it makes sense. They underline their opinion and circle one reason.

Day 3 — Apply the structure to a new issue (45 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Engage. Use the device-use hook slides to pose: “Do parents or siblings spend too much time on their devices?” Students respond with paddles and explain their choice to a partner.
2. 7–17 min · Build balanced knowledge. Teacher shares simple scenarios or short information about useful and unhelpful device use, including communication, learning, sleep, exercise, and family time. Students sort ideas orally as helpful, unhelpful, or “it depends”.
3. 17–25 min · Model substantiation. Teacher models the difference between “Devices are bad” and “I think too much device time can be a problem because it may reduce family time. For example, people might miss talking at dinner.” Discuss how the example supports the reason.
4. 25–38 min · Plan independently or with teacher. Students complete the device-use planning page. The high-needs group works with the teacher using picture prompts, sentence starters, and oral recording before writing. Other students generate two reasons and one example for each.
5. 38–45 min · Formative conference. Teacher hears each student state their opinion and one supporting reason. Students improve any reason that is too general by adding “For example…”

Day 4 — Draft, revise, and publish (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Success-criteria review. Display the drafting and editing slides and students explain what a strong opinion paragraph includes.
2. 5–12 min · Teacher model editing. Model revising a short paragraph by checking a capital letter, full stops, clear opinion, linking words, and an example. Think aloud: “Does this detail prove my reason?”
3. 12–30 min · Write and revise. Students draft or complete their device-use paragraph using the final drafting and editing page. Teacher runs a focused workshop with the high-needs group, reading each sentence aloud, checking one criterion at a time, and using speech-to-text or scribing where appropriate.
4. 30–39 min · Partner response. Pairs read their writing and use the success criteria to give one specific praise and one helpful suggestion. Students make one improvement; partners may listen rather than read aloud.
5. 39–45 min · Celebrate and assess. Selected students share paragraphs. Students complete a short oral or written reflection: “My opinion is… My strongest reason is… because…” Teacher collects writing for next-step teaching.

Assessment

• Listen during paddle responses, partner talk, and conferences for a clear opinion, relevant reason, and supporting example.
• Check planning sheets for topic knowledge, recorded key ideas, and a logical sequence.
• Assess final writing for introduction, at least two supported reasons, conclusion, linking words, and basic sentence conventions.

Differentiation

• Support the high-needs group through a predictable visual sequence, reduced writing load, oral rehearsal, picture prompts, sentence frames, teacher scribing, speech-to-text, and frequent checks for understanding.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly options: read all instructions aloud, use a clear sans-serif font, avoid dense text, provide coloured overlays or tinted paper if helpful, allow audio/text-to-speech, and assess ideas separately from spelling.
• Provide EAL learners with images, gestures, word banks, partner rehearsal, and repeated sentence patterns before independent writing.
• Extend confident writers by adding a third reason, acknowledging another viewpoint (“Some people think…, but I think…”), and using a stronger concluding sentence.