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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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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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How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

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Reading time: about 6 min

If you’re a student, there’s no way around the inevitable: You’re going to have to write essays. Lots of essays. In fact, the five-paragraph essay is so fundamental to the high school curriculum that it’s still used on the ACTs, and knowing how to recognize the organizational structure of essays will help you score higher on the SATs.

Even though it seems like a chore, knowing how to organize and write an essay can have a lasting effect on your life, from getting into a better college to scoring a better job to performing better in that job long after your high school days are over.

Here’s a secret: Using graphic organizers for writing essays can help you write better essays faster. (And don’t count yourself out if you’re an educator—you can offer these tools to help your students succeed.) We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why use graphic organizers

When ACT graders or teachers are looking your essay, they’re looking for very specific criteria; essentially, they’re looking at how well you’ve organized your thoughts. Many students don’t take the time to outline their essay structure before writing, and that always means a lower score on a test and a lower grade on the essay in class.

Using a writing template can feel like an unnecessary step in an already complicated process. If you need extra motivation to implement these organizers into your writing routine, consider all of their benefits. Graphic organizers can help you:

• Save time by showing you where each piece of the essay “lives.”
• Have more productive brainstorming sessions, either by yourself or with a group.
• Make connections between ideas and create a more cohesive argument.
• Pinpoint holes in your arguments and either adjust the thesis or find supporting statements.
• Keep track of your research.
• Organize your thoughts and come to interesting, more compelling conclusions.
• Stay in the right direction when you feel lost in a sea of words.
• Manage anxiety by converting the fear of a blank assignment into an action plan with a clear map.

With all those benefits, it’s hard to ignore how useful and vital graphic organizers are to writing. And once you’ve become adept at organizing your thoughts for something like a school essay, you’ll find that skill carries with you throughout your life, whether you’re trying to become a more intelligent debater to negotiate prices. It goes beyond just the essay to becoming a better thinker. And it starts with a simple template.

We’ll walk you through several use cases for graphic organizers and provide templates for you to download and fill in when you’re ready to write.

Brainstorming graphic organizers

Brainstorming is important, not only to come up with ideas for topics but to determine what information you need to include in the essay once you’ve determined your topic. Though many think of brainstorming as just freeflow thinking, brainstorming is most productive when you work within specific parameters.

That’s why essay brainstorming graphic organizers are useful, whether you’re using one to brainstorm on your own or you’re working with a group.

In Lucidchart, our mind map shapes and templates double as brainstorming graphic organizers. Start with an essay prompt as your central shape and then fill in the shapes that branch off your prompt with topic ideas. Alternatively, you can add your selected topic to the center and start brainstorming the different ideas you need to cover in your paper.

When the template is filled in, you’ll have a clear starting point for your essay or research paper.

Research paper graphic organizers

Nothing paralyzes students with fear quite like a research paper. These long-form papers require—as the name implies—quite a bit of research, and their purpose is to teach students how to look for valid sources to support their arguments.

But keeping track of all those sources and tying them into your argument can be tricky. That’s where a research paper graphic organizer can be a student’s greatest ally.

This template lays out the writing process itself. After you come up with a general topic, like “the disappearance of honey bees,” fill in the “Research Paper Topic” box.

Then, start looking for reputable sources (Wikipedia doesn’t count) and use the five sources boxes to hold the most relevant quotes and statistics you find. Using those quotes and statistics, you can then fill out a thesis statement that is supported by the research.

Then, you’ll be able to focus your paragraphs on a single topic each that supports the thesis statement and your overarching argument. After you’ve filled out the template, the backbone of the research paper is complete: All that’s left to do is fill in the spaces between sources and arguments.

5-paragraph essay graphic organizer

When it comes to writing the five-paragraph essay, writing diagrams are key. By using graphic organizers for writing, you’re no longer staring at a giant blank piece of paper with no idea how or where to begin. Your graphic organizer is your map.

Although using writing diagrams may seem time-consuming, the fact is that taking the time to fill a graphic organizer in before writing actually saves time. If there’s a problem with the argument, it will show up on the diagram, or if there’s not enough evidence to support your argument, you’ll know before you’ve wasted time writing the paper. And, as we said before, even if your writing is terrible, if your argument is sound, you’ll still score a decent grade.

Try this 5-paragraph essay template to get you started.

Don’t feel pressured to come up with a compelling title right away. Instead, it’s more important that you come up with a thesis statement that can be supported by three solid arguments. Fill in that thesis statement and your arguments. Then, for each argument, figure out three supporting details to support your case.

That’s it! You’ve got the most essential parts of your 5-paragraph essay completed.

Now, come up with an introduction that sets the stage for your argument and a conclusion that wraps up and restates your thesis and supporting arguments in a compelling way. Now you have a solid plan for your paper and can approach it with confidence.

If you’d like a more linear graphic that exactly follows the structure of the 5-paragraph, use the writing template below and follow the same process.

Visuals, such as graphic organizers for writing, can help you better understand concepts, think creatively, and collaborate with your classmates—and there are plenty of other templates where these came from.

Lucidchart offers hundreds of templates to help you through your studies, including timelines, Venn diagrams, word maps, and more. Sign up for Lucidchart and upgrade to an Educational account for free.

Resources for teachers

Providing graphic resources to students is essential; after all, many of your students will be visual learners, so while you may beautifully explain how the process works, there will be some who won’t understand until they see a template of the essay itself.

Lucidchart has many resources for teachers, from lesson plans to writing templates. While you’re teaching your students how to write essays or research papers, it’s useful to print out the templates and fill them out together (even using a completed template as a separate assignment with a separate grade) so that your students can get a feel for properly filling out graphic organizers before attempting it on their own.

About Lucidchart

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

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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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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!

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Persuasive Writing Worksheet Templates

Customize persuasive writing worksheets.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

What is Persuasive Writing?

Persuasive writing, or opinion writing, is a form of nonfiction writing where the writer tries to convince others to believe a certain point or opinion. A strong persuasive essay requires critical thinking, and motivates and convinces the reader that what they are reading is correct. Using a persuasive essay outline template or an opinion writing outline helps writers plan thoughtfully.

What is a Persuasive Writing Template?

A persuasive writing template is a starting point for students as they plan out their persuasive writing essay. Having a layout for their notes and ideas takes away the anxiety of looking at a blank page when trying to organize your thoughts. Also known as a persuasive writing outline template, or a persuasive writing graphic organizer, this type of template generally has a place for a student to define their opinion or thesis on a topic, and then support and elaborate on it with 3-5 key points.

What are Some Examples of Persuasive Writing?

The persuasive essay format that we all know is not the only type of persuasion writing! Check out some other examples below:

• Television commercials
• Print advertisements
• Songs and poems (yes, really!)
• Newspaper editorials

A famous example of a persuasive essay in the form of a speech is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Why are Persuasive Writing Templates Important and How are They Best Used?

A persuasive writing template, also known as a persuasive essay outline, can help students plan their essay by clearly defining their opinion and supporting it with relevant, specific evidence. Persuasive writing and persuasive speaking go hand-in-hand, so these templates can also be used to prepare short persuasive speeches. Whether you are looking for a persuasive letter outline, a persuasive paragraph outline, or something for a longer piece of writing, we have what you are looking for!

How to Start a Persuasive Essay

Getting started is often the most difficult part of the writing process, even when they are given specific writing prompts. Students often have so many thoughts and ideas that they want to jump directly into the writing without planning. We strongly discourage this, and find it extremely important that students understand the need to take the time to plan using graphic organizers. Here is how to start a persuasive essay:

• Choose a topic that you are passionate and knowledgeable about.
• Research both sides of this topic, so students learn about the opposing view.
• Using a persuasive writing graphic organizer, outline your ideas for the introduction, 3-5 paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Write a first draft. Be sure to consider who your audience and how you are going to appeal to them.
• Now that you have written your draft, it’s time to move through the writing process .
• Have fun and write with confidence!

It is extremely important that students complete a graphic organizer prior to writing. Find the perfect persuasive essay worksheet for your class right here! Creating a template for a persuasive essay with Storyboard That is easy! Simply follow the steps below:

How to Make a Persuasive Writing Template

Choose One of the Premade Persuasive Writing Templates

We have color, black and white, portrait, or landscape templates. Take a look at our persuasive writing example for inspiration!

Click on "Copy Template"

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific questions and images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished with your persuasive writing worksheet, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

More Premade Templates That Your Students Will Love

Did you know that Storyboard That has a whole library of worksheet and poster templates to be used with any subject and for all ages? Check out some of our favorites below:

• Custom Biography Worksheets
• Hall Pass Templates
• Social Studies Vocabulary Templates
• Reading Log Templates
• Place Value Worksheets
• Game Board Posters
• Newspaper Posters
• Movie Posters

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions about Persuasive Writing Worksheet Templates

What is a persuasive writing graphic organizer.

A persuasive writing graphic organizer is a worksheet that helps students plan out their opinion essay. Also known as a persuasive letter template, or a persuasive paper outline, completing this organizer is a crucial step in the writing process.

What is a persuasive writing outline?

A persuasive writing outline template is another term for persuasive writing graphic organizer.

What are some examples of writing templates for students?

There are a lot of writing templates for students out there! Here are just a few of what else we have at Storyboard That:

• Critical Analysis
• Creative Writing
• Long Composition
• Personal Narratives

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Related resources.

Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master. This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas. The tool offers multiple ways to navigate information including a graphic in the upper right-hand corner that allows students to move around the map without having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed.

• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides
• Lesson Plans
• Calendar Activities

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

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

This strategy guide explains the writing process and offers practical methods for applying it in your classroom to help students become proficient writers.

This strategy guide clarifies the difference between persuasion and argumentation, stressing the connection between close reading of text to gather evidence and formation of a strong argumentative claim about text.

Students will identify how Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of nonviolent conflict-resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses the Six Kingian Principles of Nonviolence.

Students develop their reading, writing, research, and technology skills using graphic novels. As a final activity, students create their own graphic novels using comic software.

Students are encouraged to understand a book that the teacher reads aloud to create a new ending for it using the writing process.

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

Students analyze rhetorical strategies in online editorials, building knowledge of strategies and awareness of local and national issues. This lesson teaches students connections between subject, writer, and audience and how rhetorical strategies are used in everyday writing.

It's not easy surviving fourth grade (or third or fifth)! In this lesson, students brainstorm survival tips for future fourth graders and incorporate those tips into an essay.

Students explore the nature and structure of expository texts that focus on cause and effect and apply what they learned using graphic organizers and writing paragraphs to outline cause-and-effect relationships.

Students prepare an already published scholarly article for presentation, with an emphasis on identification of the author's thesis and argument structure.

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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

How to Make a Graduation Video for TikTok or Reels

How to Make Educational Videos Engaging

Five Fun Virtual Activities for Students

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Raise the Bar Reading

A Reading Teacher's Blog

Teaching Opinion Writing in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade

So, with my 1 st graders, we focus on developing 1 reason to support their opinion and a closing.   With my 2 nd and 3 rd graders, we focus on giving at least 2 reasons (or a reason and an example), and a closing. Below is how I tackle opinion writing step by step:

GUIDED WHOLE GROUP PRACTICE:

Next, we choose a topic that all students can relate to.   Some examples could be my favorite thing to do on a sunny day, the best lunch in the cafeteria, favorite things to do after school, etc.   On a post-it, each student gives his/her opinions, or feelings, on that topic and a reason why they feel this way.   We add these to our “Opinion Brainstorming Bubble.”   I use at least one post-it to generate a new model with the class.    While writing, I model refer to a list of sentence starters for opinion writing.  

ANALYZE WRITING MODELS

“STICK TO THE TOPIC” DETERMINING IMPORTANCE ACTIVITY

This fun activity gets students to identify facts that are important reasons to support their opinion on a topic.  It shows them that there can be many interesting facts or opinions on a topic. However, only some are really necessary for a specific piece of opinion writing.

SUPPORTED PRACTICE:  

Students are given an opinion writing prompt with visual choices.   Students either get 1.) a practice writing prompt with the sentence starter already chosen for them (first graders or other students that need the support), or 2.) use the sentence starters guide to choose their own sentence starters (higher writers).  

INDEPENDENT OPINION WRITING:

Now it’s time for students to begin opinion writing from scratch!   At first, I usually provide a writing prompt for the entire class to focus on.  You could also give multiple options or have them develop their own individual topics. 

For students who need extra support I provide graphic organizers they can use to first brainstorm before writing.   These graphic organizers come in different formats.  One differentiated graphic organizer simply breaks down an opinion with 1, 2, or 3 reasons. 

After writing their drafts, I give students an editing checklist to use as a reference.  This makes it easier for students to ensure they have included each part of a piece of opinion writing.  

Below is a sample from a bulletin board I love to use for displaying short opinion writing pieces. It does come with different rule-widths to provide more/less writing space for students.

ONGOING PRACTICE WITH OPINION WRITING:

Writing journals are perfect for providing students with tons of ongoing practice!  I use them as free-writes just for continual practice. Some or all of the entries could also be used for writing pieces that go through the steps of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and publishing).  This particular journal (below) comes in different formats, but I love the cut and paste option.  Students can choose which prompt they would like to use that day and paste it into their journal.

All of the materials shown in this blog post on teaching Opinion Writing to students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade can be found in my TpT store .   

Looking to have your students write with more vivid details? Read this blog post on How I teach Explode the Moment Writing .

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How to Teach Opinion Writing to Kids in Grade 4

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you teach opinion writing to students at the grade 4 level.

Introduce the concept

Begin by explaining what opinion writing is. Emphasize that it involves expressing personal beliefs or viewpoints.

Provide examples of opinions in everyday life, such as favorite foods, movies, or books.

Model the process of forming an opinion and supporting it with reasons. Use a simple topic, like "What is the best season?" and demonstrate how to express your opinion and provide reasons for it.

Brainstorming

Help your kids brainstorm topics for their opinions. Encourage them to think about things they feel strongly about, such as favorite hobbies, school subjects, or extracurricular activities.

Organize thoughts

Teach students how to organize their thoughts before writing. Use graphic organizers like a T-chart or a web to help them outline their opinion and reasons.

Introduction

Teach students to begin their opinion writing with a strong introduction that clearly states their opinion. This could include a hook to grab the reader's attention.

Body paragraphs

Break down the body of the essay into paragraphs, each focusing on a specific reason supporting their opinion.

Emphasize the importance of providing details and examples to support each reason.

Transition words

Teach the use of transition words to connect ideas within and between paragraphs. Words like "first," "next," "finally," and "in addition" can help create a smooth flow.

Counterarguments

Introduce the concept of counterarguments. Teach your kids how to acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints while strengthening their own arguments.

Guide students in writing a strong conclusion that restates their opinion and summarizes their key reasons. Encourage them to end with a memorable statement.

Opinion writing worksheets

In our grade 4 grammar and writing are, we have a section of new worksheets for students to practice opinion writing .

Counterarguments practice

Students practice writing counterarguments in this first set of opinion writing worksheets.

Opinion writing graphic organizer

Students make use of these graphic organizers to plan out their thoughts, reasons and counterarguments.

Prompt and write worksheets

Students are given a prompt and asked to organize their essays with these different types of graphic organizers.

Writing prompts practice

The final set of worksheets has students practice stating their opinions of a series of writing prompts .

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