graphic organizer for an opinion essay

There's probably no shortage of opinions in your classroom. All day, every day, your students are sharing their thoughts on a variety of subjects, from why green is their favorite color to why they despise broccoli (even though it's green). But while those opinions provide a great opportunity for you to get to know your students, they're not always well structured, persuasive, or backed up with facts. 

Teaching students to develop ideas and thoughts on important subjects, organize them, and then transform them into a strong, persuasive opinion takes time. Opinion writing is often complex and requires higher-order skills, such as evaluation and verification. Students must also understand the difference between fact and opinion—that facts can inform opinion, but not vice-versa—and that word choice is an important aspect of writing. All of this means that students can feel a bit overwhelmed when tasked with expressing their opinion, even though it's something they do every day. 

Graphic organizers are great tools to help students develop well-supported opinions and improve their powers of persuasion. An organizer can help students expand and shape their thoughts in ways that simplify the writing process—once students fill out the graphic organizer, it becomes a resource they can reference while composing their opinion piece.

Wondering which graphic organizers will be most helpful to your young opinion writers? Check out these 6 resources, perfect for any student looking to make a strong case:

1.  Opinion-Proof  (Grades 4–8)

This framework sheet helps students develop and use higher-order skills, such as evaluation, verification, and persuasion, to compose convincing arguments.

2.  Writing Graphic Organizer: Perfectly Persuasive  (Grades 4–6)

Use this graphic organizer to help students build persuasive writing skills as they write essays or letters to the editor.

3.  Fact/Opinion Glasses: Lesson Plan & Graphic Organizer  (Grades 1–3)

These glasses help students develop the most important skill when it comes to effective opinion writing: being able to see the difference between fact and opinion.

4.  Agree or Disagree? Graphic Organizer  (Grades 2–4)

Students learn how to express and support their agreement, or disagreement, with a character’s statement, opinion, or action.

5.  Your Opinion, Please (Leveled-Reading G/H): Guided Reading Response  (Grades 1–2)

With this graphic organizer, students can show off their understanding of a story by sharing their own points of view.

6.  Persuasive Essay (Nonfiction Writing): Leveled Graphic Organizers  (Grades 4–8)

It’s one thing to have an opinion, but can your students convince their classmates their thoughts are correct? This graphic organizer set can help!

To see more graphic organizers and gain access to thousands of printable and downloadable teacher resources that will help your kids develop the power of persuasion and other skills, log in or subscribe to  Scholastic Teachables  today!

Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and Research

Ask any student – essay writing is one of the most despised tasks of their educational career. Perhaps there is so much displeasure associated with the task because it’s perceived as too linear – there isn’t enough visual and creative appeal. But if you use graphic organizer for writing essays then you can make writing enjoyable – or at least less terrible.

Not only enjoyable but graphic organizers (or diagrams) can make the writing process a snap. They’ll help you think outside the box, draw conclusions you wouldn’t normally observe, and make the entire process faster and more efficient.

Why Use Graphic Organizers for Writing

The phrase “graphic organizer” is just a fancy way of saying “diagram” or “visual aid.” Basically, they are a visual representation of the information you’ve acquired in the research process. There are quite a few reasons why you should use them when writing essays or summaries.

• Helps you visualize your research and how elements connect with each other
• Enhance your essays, summaries and research papers with visual elements
• Track correlations between your thoughts, observations, facts or general ideas

When it comes to essay writing, the most common graphic organizers are webs, mind maps, and concept maps .

Using Webs for Brainstorming

Webbing is a great way to see how various topics are interrelated. This graphic organizer is particularly useful during the brainstorming step of the writing process.

A web can sometimes get a bit messy. Usually, there are lots of arrows to connect overlapping ideas. However, even with lines crisscrossing every which way, it is still a great way to visualize your thoughts. If you’re using an online diagramming software like Creately you can overcome some of this because we automatically arrange the object for you.

Once you’ve created a map to document all your ideas and establish connections, you can easily transition to other forms of diagramming to better organize the information.

For example if you’re writing a research paper about the food web of the Australian bushes you can start creating a food web diagram similar to the one below. This way you can easily visualize the web while writing the paper. This is a simple example but graphic organizers become even more important when the subject gets complex.

Although simple this example shows the importance of using graphic organizers for writing summaries. A comprehensive diagram pretty much does the summation for you.

Using Mind Maps as Graphic Organizers

Mind maps are a great way to depict a hierarchy. What is hierarchical organization ? The concept is simple: a singular topic dominates with each subsequent idea decreasing in importance.

Usually, the mind map starts with the thesis (or main idea) at the center.  From there, you can branch out with your supporting evidence.

Use this process to replace your traditional note taking technique – note cards, outlines, whatever. You’ll quickly realize a mind map is a great way to formulate the structure of your essay. The thing to note here is that the nature of the mind maps force you think about sub topics and how to organize your ideas. And once the ideas are organized writing the essay become very easy.

Above is a mind map of a research proposal. Click on it to see the full image or you can see the fully editable template via this link . As you can see in this mind map the difference areas of the research proposal is highlighted. Similarly when your writing the research paper you can use a mind map to break it down to sub topics. We have more mind map templates for you to get started.

Concept Maps

A concept map will help you visualize the connection between ideas. You can easily see cause and effect – how one concept leads to another. Often times, concept mapping includes the use of short words or phrases to depict the budding relationship between these concepts.

If you look closely you can see that its very similar to a mind map. But a concept maps gives more of a free reign compares to the rigid topic structure of a mind map. I’d say it’s the perfect graphic organizer for writing research papers where you have the license to explore.

By creating a concept map , you can also see how a broad subject can be narrowed down into specific ideas.  This is a great way to counter writers block.  Often, we look at the big picture and fail to see the specifics that lead to it.  Identifying contributing factors and supporting evidence is difficult. But with a concept map, you can easily see how the smaller parts add up to the whole.

Why Bother With Graphic Organizers?

If you already detest the writing process, adding another step might seem insane. However, there really are several advantages of using them.  If you haven’t already accepted the benefits of each individual diagram style, here are some more perks of graphic organizers in general:

• Quality essays are based on detail. No one is going to accept your opinions and reasoning just because you say so. You’ll need proof. And organizing that proof will require attention to detail. Graphic organizers can help you see that detail and how it contributes to the overall concept.
• Graphic organizers are flexible. You don’t need one of those giant pink erasers. You don’t need to restructure your outline. All you have to do is draw a few arrows and bam – the relationship has totally changed.
• No matter what you are writing about, a graphic organizer can help. They can be used to structure an essay on the Great Wall, theoretical physics, or Spanish speaking countries.
• If you write an outline, can you easily see how point A influences point X? Probably not. But if little thought bubble A is sitting out there all by itself, you can visualize the way it ties into point R, T and X.
• Some of us find it difficult to put our opinions, thoughts, and ideas into writing. However, communicating our feelings with little doodles and sketches is far less threatening.
• As a writer, our brain often feels like a 2-year-old’s toy box – a big jumbled mess. Taking that mess and putting it onto paper with some semblance of organization is challenging. Rather than trying to take your thoughts from total chaos to a perfectly structured list, just try to get them out of your brain and onto paper in the form of a diagram.
• A graphic organizer helps you establish validity and relevance. You can easily nix the ideas that don’t support or enhance your thesis.

The next time you are faced with a writing project, take a few minutes to explore the efficiency of graphic organizers. You can find a wealth of templates here.

Have you ever used a graphic organizer to structure an essay? How did it go? Do you have a diagram suggestion for the writing process that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know!

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Free Editable Essay Graphic Organizer Examples

Essays are complex and large write-ups that are not easy to intercept. That’s why it is better to use an essay graphic organizer to visualize your complex structured outline in a simple manner. In fact, there is nothing better than some free graphic organizer examples that save both your time and effort. So, let’s have an overview of this essay organizers and free example templates.

1. What is Essay Graphic Organizer

An essay graphic organizer enhances your research with visual elements. It helps the writer to correlate facts, observations, and notions. On top of that, it outlines the essay and provides an organized strategy for the writer.

A graphic organizer for writing helps the writers to tackle hard and long essay formats. A writer can use its visual aid to complete the write-up step by step. A graphic organizer for essays has different types based on primary functions.

• An Outline Based Essay Organizer

These types of essay organizers have at least 3 thesis. The whole story revolves around these. Moreover, the organizer includes specific supporting details and subtopic names that make the way crystal clear for writers. However, these organizers do not need much essay explanation. Most indications are worldly phrases that direct the attention toward thoughts and observations.

• A Contrasting Essay Organizer :

As the name indicates, it helps the writer to organize varying thoughts about topics and compare them. Moreover, it helps the writer to collect, conceive and portray the information ahead of time. The writer can use it for two collective primary topics or a single point from both topics. In both cases, the essay organizer will help them take visual notes and use them to their advantage while writing.

• Organizer For A Persuasive Essay :

The persuasive essay organizer helps the writer to persuade an audience toward a single topic. It includes three or more supporting details for the topic. Furthermore, the organizer includes written evidence for those details that help prove the point.

2. The Essay Graphic Organizer Examples

Using an essay graphic organizer for writing brings credibility and flexibility to your essays with extensive research. Essay writing is a tough job, especially if it has more than one subtopic.

Essays require tons of details. All that quality is up to no good if it is not organized and well structured. An essay organizer for writing helps you understand how the minor details contribute to overall concepts. With thorough research and long formats, essay writing may become dull. However, an organizer helps you to perfectly structure your thoughts with appealing visuals that make them engaging and far less challenging.

Basic 5-Paragraph Essay Graphic Organzier

5-Paragraph Essay

Expository Essay Graphic Organizer

Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer

Essay Graphic Organzier

Narrative Essay Graphic Organizer

Example 1: 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organzier

The most common type of essay writing format is a 5-paragraph essay. Essay graphic organizer for writing helps organize all those 5 paragraphs and insert valuable information inside them. It includes the first paragraph section in which the writer inserts the topic sentence and at least three thesis statements. The upcoming three paragraphs briefly summarize those statements and provide at least three pieces of evidence for each thesis. Finally, the last paragraph repeats the main statement and includes an overall concluding statement. Moreover, every thesis detail includes a conclusion statement that conceives the entire concept.

Example 2: Printable 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer

It is also the type of essay organizer writers use to organize the outline of a 5-paragraph essay format. Its first paragraph is of introduction which includes with a thesis statement instead of a topic sentence. The statement inside the paragraph includes three supporting examples with itself. Moreover, the second paragraph has a topic sentence that the previous thesis supports. Plus, it has individual evidence details that prove the topic sentence true. The third paragraph includes a thesis statement that correlates with the previous and upcoming topic sentence. Finally, the last paragraph has the essay's main idea and a concluding statement that proves the point.

Example 3: Argumentative Essay Graphic Organizer

This template solemnly deals with the expository template of the essay. It focuses on the essay's three most basic parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Moreover, the writer evaluates the selected topic in it with examples and evidence and closes the argument clearly and concisely. The exemplary diagram includes 2 separate boxes in the introduction sections. One of them is for the hook that engages the audience, whereas the other depicts the essay's main idea. Inside the body section, the writer briefly lists three examples, each with individual supporting details. Finally, the conclusion includes two sections; one for reviewing and rewriting the central concept and the other to input the closing details of the essay.

Example 4: Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer

This example diagram of the essay graphic organizer for writing helps to persuade a general or specific audience toward your point of view. The primary purpose is to enlist your opinion and evaluate it with the help of numerous supporting details. As for the organizer, it is for a 5 paragraph format. The first one has an engaging beginning, a summary of the issue, and your opinion. Furthermore, the next 3 provide different reasons that support your opinion. Moreover, the section also includes evidence in the form of examples and textual details that support every reason individually. The last paragraph is a conclusive one that restates the opinion, summarizes all three reasons again, and gives a CTA (call to action) at the end. However, you can ditch the CTA and add a simple closing statement that supports your opinion.

Example 5: Informational Essay Graphic Organizer

This type of organizer is for essays having more than one main idea. The organizer's interface has several colors that make it engaging and appealing. Due to the color, it is referred to as a Rainbow essay organizer. A big individual box includes the whole organized outline of the essay. The writer has to briefly write all three ideas in it and support their point of view. Moreover, the organizer includes an introduction and conclusion description. At last, there is a final draft section that concludes the whole essay and supports either all three or one suitable main idea.

Example 6: Narrative Essay Graphic Organizer

The expository essay is a genre that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea clearly and concisely. The below expository essay web diagram is created using EdrawMax Online and shows blank spaces for Thesis Statement, Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Details about all the examples, and argumentative points. Expository writing gives facts and information about a topic, and as the web diagram suggests, a good expository essay introduces the main idea and develops it with facts and supporting details.

3. How to Make an Essay Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers are the modern way of learning. With passing time, people are using them in every type of write-up. Therefore, it is better to understand its production process so that you can make one specifically for your essay. The online production software uses four simple steps to generate a graphic organizer for essays.

Step 1 - Head on to EdrawMax Online or download EdrawMax . Make an account and log in to it.

Step 2 - Once inside, you can start creating the graphic organizer on a blank edit sheet or readymade essay organizers, such as mindmaps and spider maps. However, this process is time-consuming. If you want an easy solution, head to the main menu on the left, look for Templates Community , and click on it.

Step 3 - Clicking on the Template Community option will take you to a social network of designers and a general audience like you that post templates daily for public use. You can search for your very own template and duplicate it onto your sheet using the button Duplicate.

Step 4 - Finally, start customizing it as you like. You can change the font, color, and components. Moreover, you can add new ones if you like. Once you are done and satisfied, export and share your template with others using the Button Publish present on the top right corner.

4. Online Graphic Organizer Maker

Traditional ways are gone when you had to work extensively for a simple diagram in lining software. Online graphic organizers like EdrawMax made graphic organizer designing much easier and less time-consuming. All thanks to its easy-to-use interface and basic yet helpful tool kits, designing a diagram is possible for every individual with basic knowledge.

Moreover, EdrawMax saves a lot of effort and time with the help of readymade templates. This online graphic organizer maker is suitable for any type of consumer to generate any variation of the graphic organizer. Its biggest pro is the Templates Community , with thousands of readymade templates for users. In this social biome, you can not only pick the one that suits you well but share your ideas with the community as well.

5. Key Takeaways

The visual aid of essay graphic organizers helps the writers to organize their researched facts and general thoughts according to references. Moreover, it gives a direction to the audience and the writer for the essay. As for its usage, the writers are helping themselves with it in their professional careers. Moreover, it proves exponentially efficient in the academic field for students. When it comes to essay writing, it helps in both of these by establishing a relevant and valid connection. Plus, communicating our thoughts with visual sketches and doodles is less boring and more engaging.

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Opinion Writing Flipbook: Using a Graphic Organizer

Opinion writing can be a really fun way for students to express themselves. Learning how to state a claim, or “thesis” is a hugely important writing concept that can be practiced in a ton of ways. Whether you write reading responses where students comment on a text and then provide text evidence or write a true opinion essay, this idea of “proving” your point is a key part of our curriculum. Check out how I use an opinion writing flipbook to help my students!

So what makes it hard for some students?  Keeping that opinion essay organized!  I’ve found that the hardest part for most students involves keeping their reasons in their own paragraphs–and all the details tucked nicely after the correct topic sentence!

The Opinion Essay

Once it is time to move to a more formal five paragraph essay, some students really struggle. They seem to be confused about how to keep their paragraphs organized, and the information ends up in the wrong spot.  I was on a quest to find a way to organize my instruction AND my students’ thinking to help them do a few key things:

• State a clear “claim” and use a hook to get the reader’s attention
• Come up with 3 quality reasons to prove their claim.
• Write three paragraphs that have topic sentences that give reasons with details to prove them.
• Use transition words to help the ideas flow
• Craft a conclusion that restates the thesis.

I’ve tried boxes and bullets (which is great) and other organizers, but I wanted a way to help students see each paragraph as its own little piece of writing!  My opinion flipbook was born!

Interactive Opinion Writing Flipbook

Students love the “interactive” nature of the tool–plus it has all your mini-lessons built right in!  Seriously–it makes planning so easy!

Each paragraph gets planned on one page–and the minilesson information is right on the bottom!  Teach the lesson, then cut off the bottom for students to use as a reference tool as they write.  I like to have them glue them in order into their writer’s notebook.

Keeping Things Easy–and Organized!

The opinion writing flipbook is geared toward helping students recognize the five paragraphs and what needs to go into each one—almost like a formula.  Once they understand this, teachers can push students into more sophisticated writing.  To start, helping them understand the basic formula and the importance of stating a clear thesis (“claim”), having three solid reasons, the evidence to back them up, and a strong conclusion is really very doable for most intermediate students.

• Headers for a bulletin board or anchor chart showing the 5 paragraphs
• Graphic organizers (color and grayscale) for planning essays
• A “child-friendly” opinion essay with suggestions for use
• A five-step “flip book” for essay planning. Includes teaching tips and even resources for students to glue into their notebooks as a reference tool.
• An essay drafting framework that can be used by everyone or to support students needing a scaffolded essay structure.

Interested in a few more writing posts?

Getting started with opinion writing

Grading writing made easy

Helping students plan narrative writing

I hope you find this resource helpful as you proceed with your unit.

Click HERE or the image below to check it out!

“I appreciate how this supports visual learners. Also, I looped with my kids and use this as an extension for the students who still needed support on creating 5 paragraph essays. It was a different way of looking at it. It really helped some of my struggling writers. Thanks!”

Interested in how I kick off my opinion unit?  Check out the image below!

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Free Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

November 14, 2020 by Cristy

Text-based opinion writing is a form of essay writing that is usually taught beginning in fourth grade. In this type of writing, students are asked to read anywhere from 2 – 4 sources. Then, they respond to a prompt by stating an opinion and supporting it with evidence from the texts. As you can imagine, this is a very complex and multistep process. As a teacher, it can be difficult to know where to even begin. Breaking it down into mini lessons supported by anchor charts and an opinion writing graphic organizer is extremely helpful. It can really help you organize your teaching and help stack the building blocks needed for students to develop a solid essay.

This post will share how to introduce an opinion prompt, teaching students how to gather text evidence, and create a solid plan for their writing by using a graphic organizer as a planner.

How to Teach Students to Plan for an Opinion Essay

1. Start with the Opinion Writing Prompt

Define an opinion writing prompt for students. Let them know that it consists of a few sentences that raise an issue or a question that they will respond to in an essay. It is the first thing they should read before heading into the sources.

Show students several prompts and have them identify keywords within the prompt. A couple of words that identify the prompt as an opinion writing prompt are ‘opinion’ and ‘whether.’ Then, have students underline keywords they should be referring to as the read and write.

Have students write these steps in their journal or provide them with a poster they can refer back to when they need it. Having students create a table of contents for their journals can also be beneficial because it will allow them to find these notes quickly and refer to them as often as needed.

2. Gathering Text Evidence While Reading

Provide students with a set of texts based on the same topic. It is best to make sure one text offers a variety of pros while the other offers a variety of cons.

Have students annotate the text as they read looking for pros and cons. Some of the symbols I suggest to my students are:

• + / –
• for / against

Students can simultaneously sort the information into a two-column “pros” and “cons” organizer. This will help them for the next step when they will choose a side.

3. Choosing a Side

Teach students how to analyze their evidence. Explain to them that in order to have a well written essay, they will need to be able to support their choice and elaborate on it. Review with them some of the questions they should be asking themselves:

• Which side has an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting it?
• Which side do I feel more connected to?
• Which side can I elaborate the most on?

4. Introduce How to Plan Your Writing

A well written opinion essay will be organize, supported with relevant facts, and include tightly connected elaborations. Introducing your students to an opinion writing graphic organizer will help guide them in their thinking and planning for their essay.

I have introduced many planners in the past to my students, but the 4-paragraph opinion writing graphic organizer pictured here is the one that has been the most helpful to my students.

Show students how each part represents a paragraph and go over what should be included in each one. Students should realize that bullet points and phrases are the best way to plan.

5. Model Filling in the Graphic Organizer

Now that you’ve gone over what goes in each section, model how to fill in the planner as students copy what you are writing. Think aloud through the process, so they understand what their thought process should be as they fill out their opinion writing graphic organizer.

Introduction:

Include the side you are choosing and write down words from the prompt. (The “hook” can be added to the planner later.)

Body Paragraphs:

Include the answer.

For “cite,” just include the source and the paragraph where the information is found. (Ex. Source #1 Paragraph #1) They may include a keyword or two, but it should not go further than that. Having students write out the entire evidence will waste precious writing time and may frustrate them as well.

In “elaborate,” have students write a word they might want to define, a connection they may make, or a remark they want to add to support or clarify.

Conclusion:

Refer back to the introduction for keywords and circle back to where they started.

Grab a FREE Graphic Organizer

Click here or on the image below to download the PDF of the graphic organizer.

Looking for More Support?

Hopefully, these tips have helped you organize your beginning opinion writing lessons. 

If you would like more than the opinion writing graphic organizer, you can check out this resource that includes teacher notes, pacing guides, posters, anchor charts, and more. Just click on the image to take a closer look.

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Exploring Argument Writing With Visual Tools

Teachers can have students use graphic organizers and timelines to clarify their thinking during the writing process.

As a teacher who loves to write and engage students with writing, I’ve experienced many challenges in attempting to bring composition into the classroom. While some students readily fill up blank pages with words inspired by their lives and stories they love, others are seemingly always in search of the best words.

More challenging still are those moments when I’ve led students through the steps necessary for expository and research-based argument writing. I’ve found that my students who are comfortable with the narrative mode are now thrust into compositing in a way that is unfamiliar ground.

This article explores some ways I’ve applied graphic organizers and visual planning strategies to the work of argument writing—which is perhaps the mode I consider the most challenging in the classroom.

Sifting Content

First among the challenges for argument is the way that debate and disagreement are often portrayed in popular culture—shouting matches and interruption rounds where it seems that the loudest voice wins out. In my classroom, the approach that I attempt to foster for argument is one of thoughtful intention and wisely applied rhetorical strategies.

As with much of the secondary curriculum I have worked with from middle-grades English to advanced composition, sorting information into categories (ethos/ethics, logos/logic, and emotion/pathos) is a helpful step once a topic is shared and resources are gathered.

But sorting through multiple paragraphs and pages in search of the “just right” evidence can be challenging and is a critical reading practice all on its own. To support these steps in criticality, I suggest that students create a simple three-column chart in which they can begin to sort the emotional, logical, and ethics-driven elements of their argument. Using a visual scaffold to support exploration of a complex reading is an essential step for me—and I used a similar strategy just this past week in my junior-level English class to sort out ideas and compare the writings of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.

By sorting ideas in this way, students can physically see how balanced their argument actually is, and they can begin thinking about what they need to ramp up for the eventual presentation of the case. 

Gathering Further Ideas

Another challenge in composing arguments is not only sorting and interpreting information, but also applying it in a way that includes informative and persuasive techniques.

As students consider the ways to apply these skills, they can begin to think through additional sources that they can use to build their foundation for thinking about the issues they’re presenting and noting the sources that help them build the strongest case. This type of exploring and writing is especially important when practicing synthesizing ideas across multiple sources.

On the surface, this process sounds like reading and rereading multiple sources (and it is). However, I apply a visual scaffold to this process to help students think about how their resources are linked and support or contradict each other. I illustrate the claim, counterclaim, and rebuttal aspects of argument structure through a visual outline, but the work of fleshing out these sections of the discussion takes place best in a mind map structure.

A simple three-circle Venn diagram can help students begin placing ideas into the claim section, and they can explore how authors overlap ideas with one another through this graphic organizer format. Ideally, they reach a point where the strongest ideas are in the center “target” point of the argument structure. They can think about best placement of these strongest ideas as leading points or final rebuttals—depending on what they want to leave their audience with. This approach is also helpful for relieving some of the stress that can surround framing what might be a challenging and less comfortable form of writing.

The additional details they gather can then be sorted further into areas of the argument structure that make sense.

Establishing Timelines

Further adapting the outline style, I encourage students to think about the argument as a timeline wherein their audience is most likely to connect with information early and remember information late. Outlining is almost always a building block of what I ask students to engage with when composing. For debates and discussions in our class, writing a timeline is an effective process.

From this timeline (prompting discussion and exploration of evidence and argument), students can practice writing their own arguments and responses by modifying it and including aspects of evidence and ideas they want to share (in whatever particular order they'd like to present their research).

Crafting Closing Arguments

By approaching an argument step-by-step, as discussion and collaboration that improves through a process, I have the goal of making what might seem complicated and overwhelming much more attainable and inviting—even, dare I say, active and interesting.

I recognize that many of my students might not have had vast experiences with all of the modes of writing and composing, and I take into account that some will be more naturally inclined to some ways of writing and sharing than others. Some students eagerly take the lead in an oral debate process, while others more readily engage in the research roles and independent writing components of the work.

As with much of my work in literacy, I attempt to make an invisible process clear and visual—in this case, through graphic organizers. I am aware that teachers might find other graphic organizer options that work more effectively at particular aspects of the argument process. For example, the Venn diagram might not communicate in the ways that a teacher may want, and so a flow chart/mind map or T-chart might work as a better substitute.

I encourage teachers to modify any steps in order to better support their students and focus on the importance of critical thinking and composing for all students.

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Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer

Guide your students' writing with this set of three multi-leveled argumentative writing graphic organizers.

Use this essay outline template for students who either do not need much support in writing a comprehensive argumentative essay and need only to jot down ideas or students who should just focus on Claim-Reason-Evidence for this round as a scaffolded step.

The claim should be an opinion or something that other people could reasonably disagree with. Reasons should each be different ideas that support their claim, and evidence should be facts -- either found through research or commonly known. 

What's Included:

• Set of three graphic organizers: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced

Fields Covered:

• Introduction- Argument Claim
• Body Paragraph 1- Argument: Reason and Evidence and Examples
• Body Paragraph 2- Argument: Reason and Evidence and Examples
• Body Paragraph 3- Counter Argument: Reason and Evidence 

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

• W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
• W.5.1a: Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer's purpose.
• W.5.1b: Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
• W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• W.5.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• W.5.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• W.5.9b: Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]"").
• SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• I can plan an essay that states an opinion and has reasons that are supported by facts and details. ( W.5.1, W.5.4, W.5.9b )
• I can give kind, helpful, and specific feedback to my partner. ( W.5.5, SL.5.1 )
• Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer ( W.5.1, W.5.4, W.5.5, W.5.9b )
• Strategically pair students for the peer critique in the Closing with at least one strong reader per pair.
• Review the Opinion Writing Checklist ( see the Tools page ).
• Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

• Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.A.1, 5.I.A.3, 5.I.A.4, 5.I.A.5, 5.I.C.10, 5.I.C.11, 5.I.C.12, 5.II.A.1, 5.II.A.2, 5.II.C.6 , and 5.II.C.7

Important points in the lesson itself

• The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by referring to the Factors for Success anchor chart from Unit 1 to plan their essays, inviting students to draw on conclusions from the text-based discussion to form their focus statements, allowing time for discussion throughout the lesson, and explicitly reviewing the characteristics of opinion writing as a class.
• ELLs may find it challenging to go from annotating the Model Essay: Branch Rickey in Work Time A to planning their own opinion essays with the graphic organizer in Work Time B without having seen this process modeled. Consider filling in the graphic organizer with components of the model essay in Work Time A, providing students with concrete examples to refer to during their planning (see Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

• Encourage students to use the focus structure from the Language Dive in Lesson 9, but it was _____, to write their focus statement, supporting students in using linking words and phrases to connect ideas. Challenge students to think of more than one way they could use this linking language to write their focus statement.

For heavier support:

• Consider color-coding the text in the displayed Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer to match the corresponding information in the Painted Essay(r) template, signaling the information that goes in each section. For example, in the introduction paragraph box, the text "What context do you need to give to your reader?" would be color-coded red; "State your opinion:" would be green; all text in "Proof Paragraph 1" would be yellow; etc.
• Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Students provide kind, helpful, and specific feedback during a peer critique of their opinion writing planning. As this familiar learning target is displayed, consider inviting students to share examples of this type of feedback from previous lessons and note their responses for visual display.
• Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support a range of fine motor abilities and writing needs by offering students options for writing utensils. Also, consider supporting students' expressive skills by offering partial dictation of student responses.
• Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Since peer review can be threatening to some students, continue to emphasize the benefits of peer review and feedback for all students. Make this activity relevant by reminding students that writers have editors who provide feedback for their writing through each step in the writing process, which improves their writing.

Key:  Lesson-Specific Vocabulary  (L);  Text-Specific Vocabulary  (T);  Vocabulary Used in Writing  (W)

• states, support, specific, reason, evidence, use my strengths (L)
• Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
• Academic Word Wall (begun in Module 1)
• Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
• Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer (one per student and one to display)
• Model Essay: Branch Rickey (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
• Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
• Directions for Opinion Essay (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
• Opinion Writing Checklist (from Lesson 9; one per student and one to display)
• Colored pencils (green, yellow, blue; one of each color per student)
• Preparing for a Text-Based Discussion: Jackie Robinson note-catcher (from Lesson 7; one per student)
• Discussion Notes Form: Jackie Robinson (from Lesson 8; one per student)
• Promises to Keep (from Unit 1, Lesson 1; one per student)
• "This I Believe: Free Minds and Hearts at Work" (text; from Lesson 2; one per student)
• Listening Closely: "Jackie Robinson: Royals to Obamas" note-catcher (from Lesson 4; one per student)
• Factor for Success anchor charts (begun in Unit 1)
• Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
• Opinion Writing Planning graphic organizer (example, for teacher reference)
• Sticky notes (two per student)
• Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
• Directions for Peer Critique (from Module 1; one to display)
• Peer Critique Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
• Language Dive I Practice: Model Essay: Branch Rickey homework (from Lesson 9; one per student)
• Language Dive I Practice: Model Essay: Branch Rickey homework (example, for teacher reference)

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

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Creating Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer on Boardmix for Free

5 minutes read

What is an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer?

An Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer is a visual tool used to structure and plan for opinion or persuasive writing pieces. It assists students in structuring their ideas and arguments in a logical and coherent manner. Let's delve deep into its components:

• Main Opinion Box: This is where the writer states their primary claim or stance on a particular issue. It should be clear, concise, and debatable.
• Reasons/Evidence Boxes: These are typically three boxes (or more depending on the complexity of the topic) where the writer provides supporting arguments for their main opinion. Each box should contain one reason and the corresponding evidence or examples that substantiate it.
• Counter-Argument Box: This section is for acknowledging an opposing viewpoint to the main opinion. By considering and addressing counter-arguments, the writer can make their own argument more robust and balanced.
• Rebuttal/Conclusion Box: Here, the writer refutes the counter-argument and restates their main opinion, reinforcing their stance. The rebuttal should logically counter the opposing viewpoint, while the conclusion should succinctly summarize the key points of the argument.

Using this organizer, students can visualize their argument's structure before they start writing, ensuring a well-articulated and persuasive essay. It promotes critical thinking as students have to consider various viewpoints, gather evidence, and build a strong argument.

Moreover, it's not just limited to educational settings - anyone looking to structure an argumentative piece of writing can benefit from this tool. Whether you're drafting a letter to a local newspaper editor or preparing for a debate, an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer can help streamline your thoughts and create a compelling argument.

When to use Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer?

The Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer is highly versatile and can be used in a variety of contexts:

• Educational Setting: This tool is frequently used in the classroom to help students organize their thoughts for persuasive essays or debates. It aids students in constructing coherent and persuasive arguments, which is an essential skill not only in language arts but also across different subjects.
• Content Creation: For bloggers, writers, and content creators, the organizer can be used to plan out convincing opinion pieces or persuasive articles. It ensures that the content flows logically and all the important points are covered.
• Professional Environment: In the workplace, the organizer can be useful in preparing for presentations or meetings where a certain point needs to be argued or a proposal needs to be convincingly presented.
• Public Speaking: For speeches or debates, the organizer can serve as a useful tool for speakers to clearly present their opinion, support it with logical reasoning and evidence, address counterarguments, and effectively conclude their speech.
• Personal Use: On a personal level, it can help organize thoughts before making an important decision. Listing down opinions and reasons can provide clarity and lead to a more informed decision.

Whenever there is a need to present an argument persuasively, whether in writing or orally, an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer can prove to be a useful tool.

Benefits of Using an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

1. organizes thoughts clearly.

An Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer aids in laying out thoughts and arguments in a clear and organized manner. It ensures that all important points and evidence supporting the opinion are included and properly structured.

2. Enhances Persuasive Writing Skills

By visually breaking down the components of a persuasive argument, the organizer helps in understanding and improving the structure of opinion writing, leading to more effective persuasion.

3. Encourages Critical Thinking

Using this organizer prompts writers to consider various aspects of an argument, including counterarguments. This fosters critical thinking and allows for the creation of well-rounded arguments.

4. Facilitates Cohesive Argument Building

With a clear structure in place, transitions between points become smoother, ensuring a cohesive flow in the written piece.

5. Assists in Addressing Counterarguments

One of the key features of persuasive writing is addressing counterarguments. The organizer includes a space to list possible counterarguments and rebuttals, ensuring that the writer addresses opposing views effectively.

6. Serves as a Helpful Reference Tool

While writing, the graphic organizer can be referred back to at any time. This ensures the writer stays on track with their argument and doesn’t miss out on any crucial points.

In summary, an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer is an effective tool that enhances opinion writing by providing a clear structure, fostering critical thinking, aiding argument construction, and serving as a reliable reference throughout the writing process.

How to Create an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer on Boardmix?

Boardmix , being a versatile and easy-to-use tool, allows you to create various types of graphic organizers, including the Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer. This guide will walk you through the process.

1. Log In to Boardmix

First, visit the Boardmix website and log in to your account. If you do not have an account yet, you can create one for free.

2. Start a New Project

From your dashboard, click on 'New board'. This will open a blank canvas where you can start creating your Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer.

3. Choose a Suitable Template

Boardmix offers numerous templates for graphic organizers. You can select one that closely aligns with the structure of an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer or start from scratch.

4. Input Your Main Opinion

Your Main Opinion is the primary claim or viewpoint that you will be arguing for in your piece. Put this opinion in the central or top section of your organizer.

5. Add Reasons and Evidence

These are your arguments or supporting points that validate your main opinion. Each reason should ideally be supported by evidence or examples. Put these in the sections around or below the main opinion.

6. Consider Counter-Arguments

Anticipate potential counter-arguments to your main opinion and include them in your organizer. Addressing these opposing views can strengthen your argument by making it more balanced and credible.

7. Write Your Rebuttal or Conclusion

This section should respond to the counter-arguments and reiterate your main opinion, summarizing your key points and providing a compelling conclusion.

8. Customize Your Organizer

Use Boardmix's design features to make your organizer more engaging and visually pleasing. You can alter fonts, change colors, add images, etc.

9. Save and Share Your Work

Remember to save your work periodically. Once finished, you can share your Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer with others straight from Boardmix, either via email or by generating a shareable link.

Creating an Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer on Boardmix can help you structure your thoughts and develop a strong, persuasive argument. This step-by-step guide should provide you with the basic know-how to create effective organizers on this platform.

Join Boardmix to collaborate with your team.

Boardmix: An AI-Driven Graphic Organizers for Writing

Boardmix Main Idea Graphic Organizer: To Create Online For Free

Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer: Definition, Benefits, and Examples

Persuasion Map

About this printout

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Examples of persuasion surround our lives, and the ability to persuade others is a powerful asset. We can persuade people to act in our favor, help them to see our point of view, and sway their opinion to that of our own. The power of persuasion is far reaching, and it is a technique that students will use throughout their lives. This tool helps students formulate ideas for a persuasive argument by helping them determine their goal or thesis, identify three reasons to support it (with three facts or examples to support each reason), and restate the thesis in a conclusion statement. Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, “Sixth Grade is the Best Grade” or “Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer”). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process  aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students’ completed maps prior to having them continue with the persuasion assignment. This will provide you with an opportunity to check students’ understanding of persuasion and help those who need extra instruction.

• Have students analyze a persuasive piece (for example, an advertisement or editorial in a newspaper or magazine) by filling in the map and discussing the authors’ strategies of persuasion.
• Encourage older students to create propaganda-based assignments by having them incorporate deceptive language in some of the “reasons” or “examples” on their maps. (Propaganda is a form of persuasion that uses deceptive language to exaggerate, distort, or conceal information.) Upon completion, have students read their maps orally and/or display them for their peers. Have students identify the deceptive language in their peers’ maps to create a class list of the examples used. As an additional follow-up, students can view and read advertisements, newspaper editorials, and other text that contain propaganda to search for use of the examples on the class list and to add additional ones.
• Have students complete two maps based on the same goal but with two different targeted audiences in mind. Attention to audience is an essential element of effective persuasion. For example, students might create maps to market a particular children’s toy; one map could target children as the audience, and the other could focus on parents as the audience. After they have completed their maps, have students read them to the class without identifying the intended audience. Ask the rest of the class to determine the intended audience and identify the specific clues that prompted their deductions. Finally, as a class, compare and contrast the language and words used for each intended audience.
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

• Print this resource

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• Kindergarten K

How to Teach Opinion Writing

In this post, I share 5 tips for How to Teach Opinion Writing and provide details about the Opinion Writing Units resources I have created for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students.   Be sure to download 3 FREE opinion writing graphic organizers !

The Common Core writing domain focuses on three big types of writing: informative, narrative, and opinion writing.  Each genre serves a unique purpose and follows a specific structure in which we must explicitly teach our students.   In my last post I shared tips and resources for teaching Informative Writing and today I’m excited to move on to Opinion Writing. 

Opinion Writing is one of my favorite genres to teach.  Young students have opinions on just about EVERYTHING and they usually aren’t afraid to share them!!  For this reason, they find the genre highly engaging! 

Today I’m sharing 5 tips for teaching opinion writing, as well as a valuable resource that has everything you need to bring opinion writing into your kindergarten , first grade, or second grade literacy centers! 

Tips for Teaching Opinion Writing

1.  read opinion writing mentor texts .

Before you can ask your students to write in a genre that is new to them, you must first immerse them in it.  So to begin your unit, you’ll want to share examples of opinion writing with your students.  These mentor texts provide students with excellent examples of opinion writing. 

As you read them aloud, highlight the way the author structures their writing.  Identify the author’s topic or opinion and point out the reasons he or she gives to support their opinion.  All of these things will help students better understand what type of writing we are asking them to do.    

When you’re picking opinion mentor texts to share with your students there are a few things to consider .  First, do you (the educator) think it is excellent?  Second, is it easy for your students to understand?  And finally, is it relevant to the type of writing you are teaching?  If you answer “Yes!” to all three, then you’re good to go!

To help you out I’ve created a list of excellent mentor texts you can use when teaching opinion writing to kindergarten, first, or second grade students.  

A List of Opinion Writing Mentor Texts:

• Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann Orloff
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
• Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
• Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings
• The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan

I’ve saved all these titles on one board so you can easily take a closer look at these mentor texts.  Click here to see this list on Amazon.

2.  Model Your Own Opinion Writing

I know I say this a lot, but it’s worth repeating…. MODEL, MODEL, and then once again MODEL what you expect your students to do!  It is a tremendously powerful instructional tool! 

When teaching opinion writing you’ll first model how to choose a topic.  When you generate ideas you can ask yourself, “What do I know all about?” “What do I care about?” “What do I wish other people believed?”.

If these questions feel too broad for your students you can use simple “would you rather” questions to get your ideas for an opinion piece.  For example, “Would you rather have a dog or a cat?”  This could lead to the topic, “Dogs are the best pet.” Keep it simple and choose a topic that is relatable to your students.    

Next, model how you plan your writing using a graphic organizer.  Show them how you open with a topic sentence that states your opinion. Next, come up with your supporting reasons. End with a closing sentence that restates your opinion.  

Model how you use the graphic organizer to guide you as you write out your full piece. 

Finally, reread your work aloud and show students how you catch silly mistakes such as spelling, capitalization or punctuation errors.  You can also show how you add additional supporting reasons to make your writing more persuasive to the reader.  

3. Use Anchor Charts

You want your students to know that when they write an opinion piece they are sharing their own opinion. They are not sharing true facts. Take time to review the difference between facts and opinions. Create an anchor chart that defines fact vs. opinion.

You’ll also want to review language that is specific to the genre. Remind students of the linking or transitional words that connect their opinion to their reasons.

Finally, you’ll want to create an anchor chart using the writing you model. This will serve as another example of excellent opinion writing.  As a class, add labels to identify the topic sentence, supporting reasons and the closing sentence in your shared writing.  

All of these anchor charts can be posted in your writing center. Encourage your students to refer back to them and use them as support as they write their own pieces.

4. Allow students to edit and share their writing

Provide a good writers checklist at your writing center.  For opinion writing you’ll want the checklist to include items such,  “Do I have a topic sentence that clearly states my opinion?”  “Do I have supporting reasons ?” and “Do I have a closing sentence?”, as well as reminders to check for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.  

You can also create a rubric specific to the genre. Model how you use it to assess your own work and how it can be used to provide feedback to others.   

Give students the opportunity to share their writing with others!  Pair students with partners and let them read their pieces to each other.  Encourage them to provide feedback using the editing checklist and the rubric as a guide.  

5. Provide Daily Opportunities for Students to Write

As with all things, writing takes PRACTICE!  Students need dedicated instructional time to learn the skills and strategies necessary to become effective writers, as well as time to practice what they learn.   When you think about your daily instructional schedule, make sure you are giving your students ample opportunities to practice their opinion writing through whole-group instruction, small groups and/or independent practice in writing centers. 

Opinion Writing Unit For Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade Students

Today I’m excited to share with you the details about my Kindergarten Opinion , 1st Grade Opinion , and my 2nd grade Opinion Writing units!  I love them because they have ALL the resources you need to give your students the practice they need to master opinion writing.  

These units were developed with standards-based research specific to each grade. You can use them within whole class or small group instruction, or as a literacy center activity where students can practice opinion writing independently!  

What’s Included in these Opinion Writing Resources?

The kindergarten , first grade , and the second grade opinion writing resources each include information to help you unpack the unit and a mini-lesson you’ll teach to give your students a review of opinion writing.  You’ll get a list of suggested mentor texts and online resources, printable anchor charts, graphic organizers, seasonal writing prompts, and conversational task cards to help get kids to share their opinion on different topics.  

Kindergarten Opinion Writing Unit

Kindergarteners will probably need a review of fact vs. opinion so the kindergarten resource includes a printable fact vs. opinion anchor chart . You’ll also get charts with opinion writing sentence starters to help them organize their reasons and thoughts.  

The kindergarten seasonal writing prompts come with traceable sentence stems and picture supported vocabulary word bank to assist young writers in brainstorming ideas and spelling words while writing.

Finally, you’ll get an editing checklist that is specific to opinion writing but also appropriate for the kindergarten level. 

First Grade and Second Grade Opinion Writing Units

The first and second-grade resources include fact vs. opinion and linking words anchor charts that provide review and help them organize their ideas.  

To help first and second-graders practice writing you’ll get 28 “Would You Rather” seasonal conversational opinion centers and 24 writing prompts. That’s more than enough to keep kids engaged in sharing their opinions all throughout the year!  

The prompts are both PRINTABLE & DIGITAL. The digital version has been PRELOADED for you, with 1 click add them to your Google Drive or upload them to SeeSaw.

Each seasonal prompt printable paper includes a story-specific vocabulary bank to provide spelling assistance and help students get ideas for reasons to support their opinion. 

Finally, you’ll also get a self-editing checklist and rubric that have both been made specifically for opinion writing.  This rubric can be used as a self-assessment tool or as a guide for peer feedback.     

I love these writing units because they can be used in so many different ways.  They offer opportunities for students to practice opinion writing as a whole class, in small groups, as a literacy center activity, for homework, or as a meaningful activity for when they have a substitute teacher!  

FREE Opinion Writing Graphic Organizers

Are you ready to begin Opinion Writing in your classroom? To help get you started, I am happy to offer you 3 FREE Opinion Writing Graphic Organizers! You can download them here .

The ability to state one’s opinion and support it with persuasive reasons is a valuable academic and LIFE skill!  I hope the information and resources I’ve shared today will help to bring stronger opinion writing instruction and more meaningful practice to your kindergarten, first and second-grade classrooms!

Be on the lookout for my next post that will focus on the final genre… Narrative Writing! I’ll share information and tips for teaching narrative writing, as well as give you details about my Narrative Writing Units for kindergarten , first and second-grade students!

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Free Printable: Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

Tell us what you really think.

At several points throughout the year, you’ll need to work on opinion writing with your students. There are many different ways you can help students understand the purpose of opinion writing. Here are a few ideas about opinion writing to get you started, plus an opinion writing graphic organizer you can download for free to get started right away:

Ask your students what they know about a topic, then teach them to ask questions about what they don’t know

This might seem obvious, but it’s important to get students to understand that they already know something about a topic and can learn more by asking questions. When you use something that students are already familiar with, you generally don’t need to teach new vocabulary or new concepts and can get right to the core of what it means to form an opinion. So consider reading this together with your students: Here’s What Zero Waste Schools are Doing . Then, ask them what they think about zero waste schools.

Follow this lesson plan on how to teach kids opinion writing

We’ve put together a lesson plan to help you teach your students about opinion writing. You’ll find ideas and resources to help you make your opinion writing unit engaging.

Download and print this graphic organizer

The graphic organizer on this page has all the basic parts of an opinion writing piece. Walk your students through each section.

Hot tip: Fill in your own graphic organizer. This way, you know places where kids might get stuck, and you can show visibly offer a template for your students to follow.

Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

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10 Free Graphic Organizer Templates for Any Subject

Different lessons require different types of content to help students learn. Here are 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject.

Most students are returning to the classroom in Fall 2021, but everyone’s learning methods have had to change over the past two years. It’s important to adapt as an educator with new techniques , digital materials, and fresh content to keep students engaged .

For any subject, graphic organizers provide effective ways to introduce, teach, develop, and test new material. But different lessons require different types of content to help students learn best. I’m going to give you 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject – just use the Make It button to customize, label, and download your graphic organizer.

• Venn Diagram
• Plot Pyramid
• Brainstorm Chart
• Concept Map
• 5-Paragraph Essay Outline
• 4 Square Writing Chart

1. Flowchart

The Flowchart is one of the most versatile and recognizable forms of graphic organizer out there, ideal for project planning and science experiments. A goes to B goes to C goes to D . With this version, you can copy and paste sections of the chart to make it as long or as short as you need, label each section with specific details, and add a title and other information for your assignment.

2. Timeline

The Timeline is similar to the flowchart , with events spaced out along a single path . In a Timeline, however, the intervals between the events is important to the graphic organizer as a whole. Using this template, you can drag events from one point of the Timeline to another, and add text labels for years and events.

3. Venn Diagram

One of the most widely-used graphic organizers, the Venn Diagram provides a simple way for students to compare and contrast 2 or more distinct ideas. With this template, you can copy and recolor the Venn Diagram circles to compare any number of items with each other.

4. Plot Pyramid

This graphic organizer is most commonly used in elementary and middle school English, language arts, and literature classes. It’s used to identify and map the various stages of a plot arc , from exposition to conclusion. Use this template to title the Plot Pyramid and add any other relevant information you need.

5. Brainstorm Chart

The Brainstorm Chart is a far more freeform type of graphic organizer than most others on this list, and can be arranged almost any way you like. All it requires is a central idea or “problem” to solve, along with an array of other ideas and concepts that are connected to it, and supporting details for these connected points. The freeform nature of the Brainstorm Chart allows students to think creatively and originally on any subject.

6. Concept Map

The Concept Map is similar in form to the Brainstorm Chart, but with slightly more limitations on how it’s used. It’s used to illustrate the relationships that exist between various related concepts , filling in different sections of the organizer to show how the different parts are connected. The Concept Map is perfect for introducing students to a new set of related vocabulary terms in any subject.

7. 5-Paragraph Essay Outline

While some of your students may not remember the 5-paragraph essay too fondly years later, it’s an important step in developing their persuasive writing . This classic 5-paragraph planner is perfect for helping students construct their arguments, counter-arguments, supporting data, and conclusions before they put pen to paper.

8. 4 Square Writing Chart

The 4 Square Writing Chart is similar to the 5-paragraph essay outline, it gives space for looser organizational styles and more creative types of writing structure . The central area contains the main idea or argument, and the surrounding squares are filled with supporting arguments, sections of a narrative essay, personal experiences, or several sides to the same story.

9. Story Map

The Story Map is used for a similar purpose to the Plot Pyramid, but with a broader approach to narrative plot arcs. In the Story Map, students not only recount the plot progression of a story, but detail the setting , characters , and central problems and outcomes . There are dozens of ways to organize your own Story Map, so I recommend you use this template to include whatever areas are most important for your students to identify and analyze.

10. KWL Chart

KWL Charts ask students to write on three different things before and after completing a lesson, activity, or reading: what they Know already about the topic, what they Want to learn from the lesson, and, afterward, what they Learned from the experience. It creates more of a big-picture exercise than most of the graphic organizers on this list, allowing students to identify what they gain from their lessons.

I hope these graphic organizer templates help you engage students effectively in every subject you teach. For more tips and tutorials on creating great digital content in 2021, check out the Kapwing YouTube channel or read through some related articles on education materials:

• 10 Back to School Frames for Fall 2021 • The 4 Best Ways to Learn Video Editing Online • How to Add Subtitles to a Lecture Video • How to Make a Frayer Model Online

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Teachers in 2020

5 Perfect Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Chemistry Teachers

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Students

Opinion Writing ~ Hook and Topic Sentence

Following a lightning-quick writer’s craft mini-lesson (see yesterday’s post for more details), the writers in Room 411 dive right into a graphic organizer for our opinion writing essays. The graphic organizer I designed for my students during our opinion writing unit has several parts so I’m going to break it down into three separate posts. Today I’m focusing on the top section with a writing hook and topic sentence . Taken together this part of the graphic organizer represents what will become the first paragraph in our essays.

Amazing Anchor Charts

I freely admit to using other resources created by outstanding teacher-authors through TpT . One of those is a set of anchor charts from Teaching in the Tongass . My students have learned a lot about how to write a really interesting hook to grab their readers’ attention. The hook anchor chart is FREE ! Once I had it posted in my classroom I was quite literally hooked myself, and I had to purchase the conclusions chart to go with it.

Topic Sentences for Opinion Essays

Once students have at least tentatively planned their writing “hook” on their graphic organizer, it’s time to work on a topic sentence. This is the foundation for the entire essay so it’s important that it be clearly stated and well-written. I encourage students to write their topic sentences using a complex sentence structure as I think it allows them to express their ideas and is grade-appropriate. If they followed directions the day before in our writer’s workshop, students should have the basis for their topic sentence in the “My Opinion” box on the Analysis Chart.

Create-Your-Own Organizers

While I provide my students with a ready-to-go graphic organizer, I also prepare them for the reality of an assessment situation where such supports are not provided. We discuss and practice making our own organizers in our Writer’s Notebook. Once students are familiar with the “model” of the graphic organizer I have provided, they can use that as the pattern for making their own. As long as they understand the process for writing, they can easily learn how to organize their ideas during an assessment.

Don’t put that organizer away just yet – tomorrow I’ll focus on the middle section, which forms the bulk of our essay and is packed with details. Happy teaching!

• Free Opinion Writing Prompt ~ Smartphones for Kids

7 thoughts on “Opinion Writing ~ Hook and Topic Sentence”

Thank you for the article!

You are very welcome! Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂

Thanks! This is very usefull

Thank you for this. This was very useful in helping my 4th grader write a good hook.

i am a fifth grader and this information has helped me ever since i was in third grade plz make more.

This is such a great organizer and I love the reflection piece. Do you have any blank organizers available anywhere?

Hi, Katelyn! I have several writing units in my TpT store, and they each have a similar organizer. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Reflective-Educator/Category/Writing-Units-344207

Also, be sure to check out my Freebies section on my blog if you are looking for free resources. Thanks for your comment! 🙂

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