Writing a series of paragraphs expressing an opinion.
Step 1: Read these two additional articles, Point and Counterpoint, that present opposing views on the subject of teaching coding to kids. They come from the same source as your original article, the Canadian Points of View Reference Centre.
Step 2: Do some pre-writing to help you figure out what side of the argument you agree with and the reasons why. You may want to use a t-chart like you’ve done in previous activities in this unit, or you might want to use a mind map. You should choose the method that works the best for you. As you do your pre-writing, consider the following: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the perspectives presented in each article?
Then decide what your opinion is by answering the following question: Is coding an essential skill that should be taught to all students? Come up with at least three strong reasons that support your opinion. (Don’t forget your methods of proof).
Step 3: Write your first draft. Use the following template to help you organize your ideas: Writing a Series of Paragraphs Expressing an Opinion Organizer You should notice that the structure for the series of paragraphs is very similar to the structure of the opinion paragraph you wrote in the previous activity. Submit your organizer to your teacher for feedback.
Step 4: Once you have feedback from your teacher, begin revising to ensure that your opinion is clearly expressed and effectively supported.
Step 5: Polishing: Once you’ve revised, you can go through your series of paragraphs and ensure you don’t have any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors. Using tools like spell-check and grammar check are good starts, but you should always get someone other than you to read your writing and catch errors you might miss. It also helps to read your writing out loud.
Step 6: Publishing: This means submitting your polished copy to your teacher.
Along with your polished copy, submit a brief explanation of the strategies you used to revise and edit your written work.
