Unit Plan 10 (Grade 5 ELA): Launching Opinion Essays
Grade 5 opinion writing unit: craft clear claims, choose strong reasons with evidence, use linking words, and tailor tone and logic for a defined audience.
Focus: Clear claims, reasons, audience awareness
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing, Reading Informational, Speaking & Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Writers kick off an opinion cycle by learning to state a clear claim, choose logical reasons, and consider their audience. Students analyze mentor essays to see how claims are introduced and how reasons are supported with text evidence. They’ll plan using a simple Boxes & Bullets outline, weave in linking words, and practice persuading through discussion before drafting. By Friday, each learner will craft an introduction with a strong claim, outline two reasons anchored in evidence, and draft body paragraphs that use cohesive links aimed at a specific audience.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Introduce a topic and state an opinion (claim) appropriate to task, purpose, and audience (W.5.1a).
- Support the claim with logically ordered reasons developed with facts and examples drawn from sources; quote/paraphrase accurately (W.5.1b, RI.5.1).
- Use linking words/phrases/clauses to connect the opinion with reasons and to create flow (W.5.1c).
- Engage in collaborative discussions to test reasons and evidence, building on others’ ideas (SL.5.1).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 5
- W.5.1a–c, RI.5.1, SL.5.1
Success Criteria — student language
- My claim is clear, focused, and appropriate for my audience.
- Each reason is backed by a specific piece of evidence (quote or paraphrase with attribution).
- I use linking words (because, for example, in addition, therefore, as a result) to connect ideas.
- In discussion, I cite the text and respond to peers’ points respectfully.