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Writing an Opinion With a Reason

A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on writing an opinion piece that names the book, states an opinion, gives a reason and closes.

Writing an Opinion With a Reason is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.1.1 — write what you think about a book, give one reason, and finish it off. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
W.1.1

Grade 1 · Writing

W.1.1

Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

Objective

Students will be able to write an opinion piece with four parts: the topic, the opinion, a reason and a closing sentence.

Students are successful when they can

  • Names what the opinion is about.
  • States the opinion.
  • Gives a reason that is not the opinion repeated.
  • Ends with a closing sentence.

What you need

  • Two books the class knows well
  • A four-box planner: topic, opinion, reason, close
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — opinion or fact

5 min
  1. Read six sentences about a known book. Thumbs for opinion, flat hand for fact.
  2. Ask what makes an opinion an opinion: somebody could disagree.

Teach — four boxes

13 min
  1. Write an opinion piece in front of them, one box at a time.
  2. Box one names the book. Box two says what you think. Box three says why.
  3. Stop at box three and offer a bad reason: 'because it is good'. Ask whether that is new information. It is not.
  4. Replace it with a real reason from the book.
  5. Box four closes: 'That is why I would read it again.'
“Your reason has to tell me something I did not already know from your opinion.”

Guided practice — plan then write

12 min
  1. Students fill the four boxes about a book they choose.
  2. They read box three to a partner, who says whether it is new information.
  3. Only then do they write the piece in sentences.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the opinion writing page.
  2. The prompt and the checklist are on the sheet.

Close

2 min
  1. Two students read their reason only. Ask whether each one is new information.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

The reason repeats the opinion — 'I like it because it is good'.

Why: It follows 'because' and sounds like a reason, and nothing has separated the form from the content.

Fix: Ask what the reason tells you that the opinion did not. Repeat until an actual detail from the book appears.

Writes only the opinion and stops.

Why: The opinion is the part they wanted to say, so it feels complete.

Fix: The four boxes. A visibly empty box three is harder to leave than a missing sentence.

The closing sentence restates the opinion word for word.

Why: A close and a restatement look the same at this age.

Fix: Give three closing frames that add something: what you would do next, who should read it, what you would tell the author.

If they are not there yet

  • Give the topic sentence and the closing frame.
  • Dictate the reason to an adult before writing it.

If they finish early

  • Give two reasons and say which is stronger.
  • Write an opinion somebody in the class would disagree with.
  • Write the same opinion about a different book.

Exit ticket

Write your opinion about this book and one reason for it.

What to look for: A reason that adds information. 'Because it is good' means the new-information test needs another session, not more writing time.

Printable practice for W.1.1

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Writing an Opinion With a Reason

How long does the Writing an Opinion With a Reason lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Writing an Opinion With a Reason teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1 — W.1.1, Writing for Grade 1: “Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.” In plain terms, write what you think about a book, give one reason, and finish it off.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Two books the class knows well, a four-box planner: topic, opinion, reason, close and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: the reason repeats the opinion — 'I like it because it is good'; writes only the opinion and stops and the closing sentence restates the opinion word for word. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Write your opinion about this book and one reason for it.” A reason that adds information. 'Because it is good' means the new-information test needs another session, not more writing time. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Writing an Opinion With a Reason?

Yes — 1 printable W.1.1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Writing an Opinion With a Reason free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to W.1.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.