This or That: Opinion Writing
Pre-writing activity for Multilingual Learners
My friend shared this fabulous idea with me last week. Have you ever played “would you rather?” or “this or that?” This or That is an activity where students get to pick what they like best between two items or ideas.
The teacher…
prepares short phrases/ideas that have two choices
asks students to stand up
reads each idea and shows a slide with pictures of the two choices
instructs students move to the side of the room that matches what they like
tells students to explain to a partner standing at the same side of the room WHY they chose the item they did
calls on a few people to share what their partners said
shares a few more this or that choices and students move again to the choice they like
directs the students back to their desks to choose one of the this or that slides and list at least three ideas for why they chose what they did
At this point, the teacher can have students (depending on their language level) write one sentence about the picture, create a short paragraph, or write a short opinion piece explaining why they chose the idea. The choices can be based on students’ interests in language arts classes, on specific vocabulary in content areas, or evaluation about what authors they enjoy. The examples and connection to subject areas are endless. .
Student example:
I like want to study stars for the following reasons. Stars twinkle. Stars produce their own light. Stars change their position in the sky. Stars are numerous. I choose stars because they are magical.
Why is this effective for Multilingual Learners?
1. Students get to move which can add context and peer support.
2. Students have authentic conversations with their peers. Interaction is a great way to enhance language learning.
3. Students get to practice providing evidence for their choices. This skill is important in almost every content area.
4. Students practice writing their ideas after they have had time to talk about their choices so they are not starting from scratch. Having those ideas fresh in their minds will help them be able to write right away.
Have you tried this in your classroom?
What worked for you?
Other ideas?