Writing Opinion Statements through Edmodo and Scholastic News

Students will log onto their Edmodo account and view a Scholastic News Debate Article. Students will click on the link and silently read the article first. From there, the teacher will engage the students in whole group and small group discussions. The students will label both sides of the argument, as well as supporting reasons for each argument that are listed in the article. The teacher will record their thoughts and ideas on an anchor chart. From there, the students will turn and talk with a partner to share their own personal opinion, as well as supporting reasons for their opinion. The students will type their opinions on Edmodo, and read their classmate's responses. Students are invited to respectfully agree or disagree with their classmate's opinions, and a dialogue conversation should occur through the online blogging. As a closure activity, the students will share with the class whether their opinion changed or not based on the collaboration and communication that took place on Edmodo. Students will take an overall survey for their opinion on Edmodo and analyze the data, noting what most people's opinion on the article in the class.