Supported Opinion Paragraph Purpose for Writing To state

Supported Opinion Paragraph • Purpose for Writing • To state an opinion and provide evidence to support it • To persuade your audience of your point of view

Paragraph Format—You need… 1. A topic sentence which states your opinion 2. At least 3 sentences with supporting details and explanations that back up your main reason 3. A concluding sentence that restates your opinion using different wording, and summarizes the main ideas in the supporting sentences

Topic Sentence • State your opinion clearly • Include the reason that you feel the way you do Example Question: “Do you think uniforms should be worn in high school or not? ” Example Topic Sentence: I think uniforms should be worn in high school because they reduce anxiety about clothes.

Supporting Details… • Can include facts, statistics, quotations, anecdotes, examples etc.

Supporting Details What are 3 reasons you think that this person might say to support their topic sentence? In other words, what are 3 different reasons uniforms might reduce anxiety about clothes? FYI - (You don’t have to believe it to come up with an idea) Example Topic Sentence: I think uniforms should be worn in high school because they reduce anxiety about clothes.

Linking Words… • To begin with, first of all, second, third, finally, in conclusion • These words help to signal the reader that you are making a new point or that you are ending your paragraph by summarizing everything you have said

Structure Topic Sentence—restate the questions and then state your opinion First of all + main reason + 1 st supporting detail with explanation Second + main reason + supporting detail with explanation Third + main reason + supporting details with explanation Concluding Sentence—restate opinion in different words and summarize supporting ideas. Answer the question “So What? ” by making a connection to the reader.

Example I believe that physical education should be mandatory in school as it promotes healthy living. First of all, physical education promotes healthy living by increasing fitness levels. As you become more fit, your strength and endurance improves. Secondly, physical education leads to a healthier life because it encourages students to think about making better food choices such as increasing the fruits and vegetables in their diet. Thirdly, physical education promotes healthy living because exercise helps reduce stress which makes it easier to do well at school. In conclusion, high schools should make physed a requirement because it can really help students become stronger and healthier both physically and mentally.

Writing Steps 1. Brainstorm your ideas—use brainstorming map Supporting detail Topic—your opinion + reason Supporting detail

2. Paragraph Outline Topic Sentence (restate questions then state your opinion related to the topic) ______________________________________________________________ First of all… + main reason + 1 st supporting detail with explanation _______________________________ Second… + main reason + 2 nd supporting detail with explanation _______________________________ Third… + main reason + 3 rd supporting detail with explanation _______________________________ • Concluding sentence (restate your topic sentence in a different way and summarize supporting details. Answer “So what? ” by making a connection to the reader on a personal, local, or global level) • (In conclusion…) _______________________

3. Good Copy Good copy should be: i. typed ii. double spaced iii. 12 point font iv. Times New Roman v. Have a title vi. Upper right corner include (name, date, teacher, class) vii. Page numbers