Opinion Writing

Grade 2 Daily Lesson Plans Aligned To

Writing About
Reading
by

Lucy Calkins

(Schwartz, Marron and Dunford, Heinemann, 2013)

Mary Wagner 2014

Bend I

Letter Writing:
A Glorious Tradition

Session 1
I. Minilesson:
Writing Letters to Share Ideas about Characters
A. Gist of the Lesson
In this session, youll teach students that writers are often inspired by
their reading and reach out to others to share their ideas about
characters. (manual, page 2)

B. Connection
1. Invite the students to gather in the meeting place with you,
bringing a book* from the classroom library that contains one of
their favorite characters.
2. Have the children consider the different types of letters that they
have either received or sent:
a. persuasive
b. thank you
c. apology
d. to grandparents
e. to teacher
f. to principal
g. to friend
3. Emphasize that there is one kind of letter that is your (the
teachers) favorite kind of letter: a letter about books.
4. Introduce some familiar books, telling students that they involve
some of your favorite characters:
a. Henry and Mudge
b. Ruby the Copycat
c. Pinky and Rex

2. Tell students that letters about books are so great because they
allow you to continue thinking about the characters even though
the story is over.

C. Teaching Point
Today I want to teach you that writers who love stories (which is
most writers!) often write letters to each other about favorite
characters. One thing writers often do in these letters is explain their
opinion about these characters. (manual, page 5)

D. Teaching
1. Show the students a copy of a book with a character that you
enjoy. (The authors selected Mercy Watson from Mercy Watson to
the Rescue, so that is the character I will be focusing upon in this
lesson, as well.)
2. Remind students that you had asked them to bring a book with a
favorite character with them to the meeting place, and that you
did so, also.
a. Tell students that you selected this book because Mercy
Watson is one of your favorite characters.
b. Highlight some of the things that Mercy Watson does in the
story, being sure to give several opinions about the character
as you do so.
3. Explain that you were a little disappointed when you were finished
reading the story because you had come to think of Mercy Watson
as a friend, and now that you were done with the book, you
thought that you would miss hearing about her adventures.
4. Tell students that you can continue your connection to a favorite
character by writing a letter about that characterand that in
your letter, you can share some of your opinions about the
character with the friend you are writing to.
5. Model thinking about how to begin writing a letter.

a. Indicate that you could begin by writing an introduction

(such as the following):
i. Dear Readers in Class ___,
Do you love reading books with funny characters? Well
then youll love to read about Mercy Watson. She is
HILARIOUS! Shes a pig who lives in a house! (manual,
page 5)
ii. Ask for the students to provide details about Mercy
Watson, reminding them that they have learned in the
past how details are helpful for readers.
iii. Add detail sentences suggested by the student, such as
the following:
1) She gets to eat buttered toast, too.
2) Mercy even has her own bed, in her own roomin
her own house!
b. Recount what you did so far in the writing of the letter (and
create an anchor chart, if desired: Writing an Opinion Letter
about a Favorite Character):
i. Think about your opinions about the character. (Look
through the book for reminders, if needed.)
ii. Introduce the book and the character to the reader.
iii. Make a statement that includes an opinion.
iv. Tell details to explain that opinion.

E. Active Engagement
1. Remind students that they brought a book with them that
included a favorite character.
2. (Refer to the anchor chart as you) Ask the students to look
through the book and consider what opinions they could state
about the main character.
3. Have the students talk with their writing partners about their
opinions. Encourage them to use details to accompany each opinion.

4. Listen to the student conversations so you can contrast two or

more statements about the same character. Highlight that it is
ok if two students think two opposite things about the same
character.

F. Link
1. Tell students that their day today will be spent writing letters to
each other, sharing opinions about their favorite characters in
their letters.
2. Remind students that they have already talked about some of
their opinions with their writing partners (see the Active
Engagement portion of this session) which is helpful, because now
they can use those ideas in their writing.
3. Encourage students that whenever they write a letter that tells
someone their opinion, they should begin by writing the opinion, then
writing specific examples about it.
4. Send the students back to their work places to begin writing.

II. Conferring and Small Group Work:

Spreading Writing Energy
A. 1-to-1 or Small Group Conferring
Your primary goal today is to encourage and excite the students,
offering bits of advice along the way. You may also wish to:
1. Use student names in connection with specific positive
characteristics you notice in their writing.
2. Watch carefully to see how capably the students use details along
with their opinion. (This is the focus of Session 2, so if students
are capable with it already, that session may need to be adapted.)
3. Watch for student writing trends.

B. (Whole Group) Mid-Workshop Teaching:

The Structure of a Letter
Reiterate (using reference to a particular students question, if
possible) the structure of a letter.
1. Greeting: is at the beginning of the letter that identifies the
recipient of the letter.
2. Closing: is at the end of the letter and identifies who the letter
is from; begins with a capital letter, followed by a comma.

III. Share:
Getting Letters to Readers
1. Ask students to return to the meeting place with their pen, letter
and the book that they had brought with them earlier.
2. Tell students that after writing a letter, it is, obviously,
important to be sure that the letters are given to a reader.
3. Suggest that the letters written today could be given to those
who read the books in which those characters are found.
a. Model how the students can fold their letters to fit inside
of an envelope, then ask them to do the same.
b. Show the students how to fit the letter inside the
envelope, and then tuck the flap inside of the envelope,
emphasizing that the envelope should NOT be licked and
sealed shut.
c. Distribute an envelope to each student, have them put
the letter in, and then tuck the flap inside.
d. Have the students write the title of their book on the
front of their envelope.
e. Ask the students to place their envelopes in their book as a
surprise for its future readers, and then return the
books to their places in the classroom library.

4. Congratulate the writers on their hard work during the session.

Supplies Needed:
Books that include favorite classroom characters, such as Henry
and Mudge, Pinky and Rex, Ruby the Copycat, etc.
A touchstone text that has been read to the students prior to
this session (The authors use and later expand upon the book,
Mercy Watson to the Rescue, by Kate DiCamillo.)
(Suggested: Paper and markers for creating an anchor chart:
Writing an Opinion Letter about a Favorite Character)
Books selected by the students that contain their favorite
character. **
Lined writing paper of various sizes and numbers of lines to match
varying writer handwriting and stamina.
Envelopes for each student (some may need more than one)
* The manual indicated here and throughout the rest of this unit is Writing About Reading, written
by Schwartz, Marron and Dunford; edited by Lucy Calkins, Heinemann, 2013)
**The authors suggest that students be given time to consider a book from home, but in order to
place a note inside of each for future readers, it seems to make better sense to have them use
only books from the classroom library.
You may wish to select a student to help you with a short skit for Session 2 and to give her/him a
copy of the script to practice with you prior to that time. See Fishbowl Skit: Session 2, Page 14
Appendix II and/or in the manual for more information.
The authors reference these touchstone texts throughout this unit that you may wish to read
ahead of time:
Mercy Watson to the Rescue (Kate DiCamillo) (2-3 copies will be needed in Session 3)
Poppleton (Book 1) (Cynthia Rylant)
Pinky and Rex and the Bully (James Howe)
Stink and the Incredibly Super-Galactic Jawbreaker (Megan McDonald)
Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea (Cynthia Rylant)
Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake (Cynthia Rylant)
Book from the Magic Tree House series (Mary Pope Osborne)

Anchor
Charts

Writing an Opinion Letter about

a Favorite Character
1. Think about your opinions about the
character. (Look through the book for
reminders, if needed.)
2. Introduce the book and the character
to the reader.
3. Make a statement that includes an
opinion.
4. Tell details to explain that opinion.

Anchor Chart: Writing an Opinion Letter about a Favorite Character, S1P6

Uncovering Our Opinions about

Books
Writers can study:
characters
favorite parts
pictures
(after the Mid-Workshop Teaching portion of Session 3, add:)

book or chapter titles

(after the Share portion of Session 3, add:)

front cover
(After

the Share portion of Session 9, add:)

lessons

Anchor Chart: Uncovering Our Opinions about Books, S3P21-23

Helpful Linking Words

(begin with the following point during the Share portion of Session 2)

Write your opinion, then add:

Because (then tell the reason)
(add the following point during the Share portion of Session 4)

For example (then give examples

from the book that ell more about
the situation)
(add the following during the Mid-Workshop Teaching portion of Session 9)

One reason
Also
And
Another reason

Anchor Chart: Adding Evidence to Clarify Your Opinion, S2P18, S4P34-35, S9P70

Beginning an Opinion
Letter to a Friend
1. Think about who you are writing to.
2. Consider whether or not the person you are
writing to has read the book.
a. For readers who have read the book:
i. Picture yourself talking to the person you
are writing to.
ii. Begin to tell about the part that you
would really talk about if you were really
sitting together.
b. For readers who have not yet read the book:
i. Tell the name of the main character. (OR)
ii. Explain a little bit about the main
character. (OR)
iii. Explain a fact related to the title of the
story (who, what, when, where, why, or
how Mercy Watson did her rescuing).
iv. (Anything else?)

Anchor Chart: Beginning an Opinion Letter to a Friend, S5P39-40

Make It Stronger, Longer

and More Convincing
Introduce the book.
Write your opinion.
Give reasonsuse because
Give evidence from the bookuse For
example
Talk to your audience.
(Add this part at the end of the Share portion of Session 7.)

Use juicy story words.

(Add this part during the Link portion of Session 9.)

Back it up! Use the book to prove it!

(Add this part at the end of the Connection portion of Session 13.)

Use quotation marks around exact

words.
Anchor Chart: Make it Stronger, Longer and More Convincing, S7P50, 56

Juicy Story Words

Title
Chapter
Main Character
Character
Setting
Plot
Example
Dedication
Title Page
Anchor Chart: Juicy Story Words, S7P55

Writers Use What They

Notice to Spark New Ideas
This makes me think
The thought I have about this
is
I wonder why?
What is important here?

Sentence Prompts: Writers Use What They Notice to Spark New Ideas, S8P61

Writers Refer to Their Books To

Correctly spell the names of the
books title, author and character(s)
Remember the story.
Retell parts as evidence.
Uncover new details.
Develop new ideas and opinions.

Anchor Chart: Writers Refer to Their Books To S8P63

Lessons from Pinky and Rex

Bullies can be mean.
Its embarrassing when a bully
attacks you.
Bullies can make you unsure of
yourself.
You should be able to like any
color you want.

Anchor Chart: Lessons from Pinky and Rex S9P73-74

We Use Capitals in Our Writing for

The beginning of a sentence.
It was getting later.
The first letter in persons name.
Mercy Watson
The first letter in all the words in the title
of a place or business.
New York City
Hudson Books
All the letters in a word to show that the
word is loud or important.
CRASH!

Anchor Chart: We Use Capitals In Our Writing forS10P78

Extras Writers Can Add

Decorations that share a fun detail from the
book.
Big words that take up a lot of the page.
Pictures of the covers of all the books in the
series.
Words written in fancy fonts or fonts that
match what they mean.
Words and letters made out of pictures.
Chapter titles that are jokes.
Maps that go with the story.
Pictures that go across pages.

Anchor Chart: Extras Writers Can Add, S11P87-88

Introducing Your Quotes

For example, in the book it says

On page___, you can read

The author writes it like this

(manual, page 107)

Anchor Chart: Using a Quote? S13P107

Exploring the Lay of the Land

Look at:
The front cover
The blurbs on the back cover
The table of contents
The chapter titles
The pictures

Anchor Chart: Exploring the Lay of the Land S14 P115-116

Using Punctuation
(Use for the first sample sentence)

What Does it Look

Like?

()

What Should We Call

When Can We Use It?
It?
1. To say more about the
dash
writing that comes
before it.
Before and after
parentheses
giving away a
little secret.
When you want
to say something
smirky.

(Add the following for the second sample sentence)

What Does it Look

Like?
,

What Should We Call

It?

When Can We Use It?

comma

To give the
reader a pause.
To separate
items in a list

Anchor Chart: Using Punctuation, S15P121-122

Introductions and Conclusions Can Have

Introductions

Conclusions

title and author

award name
sneak peek

questions

final words

quotes
suggestions
pop-out words:
bold, underlined,
capitalized

Anchor Chart: Introductions and Conclusions Can Have S16P133

A Writers Goal-Setting Process

Set Goal

Meet
Goal

Test New
Strategies

Anchor Chart: A Writers Goal Setting Process S18 P148-149

Graphics Courtesy of:

www.mycutegraphics.com