President's Day Opinion Writing Step-by-Step (Would You Rather)
Perfect for elementary teachers and homeschoolers alike, this LOW PREP resource covers the five steps of opinion writing—research and brainstorming; reasons and examples; introduction and conclusion; draft, edit, and revise; and final draft—using a cross-curricular approach and President's Day theme.
Each day's lesson addresses one step. Differentiated graphic organizers—primary lines, regular lines, and no lines—are included to match the student's handwriting skill level.
A GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR:
- President's Day (or specific president) unit study
- Writing lessons or centers
- Social studies or history class
- ...or just for fun!
ELEMENTS INCLUDE:
- Teacher instructions
- Topic cards (46 in color and 46 in B&W; 1,035 unique combinations of the presidents)
- Mix and match research report pages
- Differentiated opinion writing graphic organizers (3 levels)
- Step-by-step opinion writing instructions and checklists
- Sentences starters and transitions
- BONUS DOWNLOAD: Anchor charts, writing rubrics, and helpful bookmarks
HOW IT WORKS:
- Each student picks or is assigned 2 topics from the cards to research (individually or in small groups)
- Select one of the included writing prompts or use the blank one to create your own
- Starting with research and brainstorming, students complete one opinion writing step each day
- Students present their final draft—orally or using the included graphic organizers—in response to the assigned writing prompt
PRESIDENTS INCLUDE:
- Abraham Lincoln
- Andrew Jackson
- Andrew Johnson
- Barack Obama
- Benjamin Harrison
- Bill Clinton
- Calvin Coolidge
- Chester A. Arthur
- Donald Trump
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Franklin Pierce
- George Bush, Sr.
- George Bush. Jr.
- George Washington
- Gerald Ford
- Grover Cleveland
- Harry Truman
- Herbert Hoover
- James Buchanan
- James Garfield
- James K. Polk
- James Madison
- James Monroe
- Jimmy Carter
- Joe Biden
- John Adams
- John F. Kennedy
- John Quincy Adams
- John Tyler
- Lyndon Johnson
- Martin Van Buren
- Millard Fillmore
- Richard Nixon
- Ronald Reagan
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Thomas Jefferson
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Warren Harding
- William H. Taft
- William Henry Harrison
- William McKinley
- Woodrow Wilson
- Zachary Taylor
CROSS-CURRICULAR SUBJECTS COVERED:
- Art (drawing and coloring)
- English language arts
- Grammar
- History
- Reading
- Research
- Social studies
- Spelling
- Writing