Challenge your students to research an issue they’re passionate about and write a submit-worthy op-ed essay, creating something that will influence the world beyond your classroom walls.

Included in this project kit:

• Project Steps sheet- take students from brainstorming to submitting in 6 scaffolded steps
• 5 Free Write sheets- get students going with different prompts to encourage their budding ideas and opinions
• Essay Plan sheet- solidify their ideas to prepare for a teacher conference, prior to beginning the writing stage
• News Media Research sheet- collect their source analysis as they learn more
• Essay Outline sheet- gather ideas into a clear plan and direction for essay
• Essay Overview sheet- offer action-driven directions to each part of the Op-Ed essay
• Annotated Sample sheet- provide an example of a complete Op-Ed essay
• Peer / Self Edit sheet- help to catch any aspects that need improvement
• Reflection & Rubrics sheets- give clear expectations for fast scoring (also comes in an editable Word Doc for your customization!)
• How-To Skill Sheets: Analyzing News Media Sources, Citing Evidence & Sourcing, and Creating a Works Cited
• PDF & Google files of all student materials

Note: student worksheets are available as print PDF and editable Google Docs; reference sheets are available as print PDF and uneditable Google Slides

This resource is 18 PDF pages, plus Google files.

What grades is this intended for?
It was designed for high school students. If your middle school students are strong writers and you are looking for a more real-world writing exercise, this may work. Be sure to examine the preview and product description closely to decide if this resource is a good fit. 

What supports are included? How can I modify this?
Each step of the writing process comes with highly scaffolded student forms and how-to reference sheets, including check-off-able actions, graphic organizers, examples, and explanations.  

Student forms come in editable Google file versions to allow you to modify activities by shortening, re-leveling, translating, or using text-to-speech software to support student needs. Static how-to reference sheets are non-editable to protect copyright. 

Can I use this in a homeschooling setting?

Definitely! Step-by-step forms for brainstorming, outlining, and editing forms and detailed how-to sheets with a sample essay and skill sheets guide you and your student(s) through this complete writing process for this writing format and skills. 

Is this editable? What file types does this resource come in?

The planning, outlining, and rubric forms are available in print PDF and editable Google Doc files that can be customized to meet your student's needs. The how-to reference sheets are available in print PDF and non-editable Google Slides files.

What standards does this address?

Several! Standards vary, but this resource supports these from various states:

• Develop writing by planning, revising, and editing
• Conduct research to answer a question; gathering relevant information from multiple authoritative sources
• Introduce, develop, and support a claim with relevant evidence; address the counterclaim
• Follow proper conventions of grammar and punctuation; create a works cited
• Produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience

What are the terms of use for this resource?

This resource, including all ancillary files, may be used as needed for regular, non-commercial single-classroom use between a teacher and their students. 

This includes printing copies and sharing digital files with students through a secure platform, like Google Classroom or Canvas, email, or a classroom-only shared drive.

The using and sharing of any part of this resource in any manner outside the above-mentioned capacity is strictly prohibited. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to,

• posting files on the open internet or in a Facebook group
• emailing files to or sharing print copies with others (without purchasing additional licenses)
• uploading or storing files in a shared cloud drive accessible by anyone other than students
• including any part, or any derivative work, within any commercial endeavor like curriculum development, professional training, or for-profit teaching like Outschool, or selling this resource as your own in either print or digital formats

Doing so violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright law, and these terms.

By downloading this resource from Let’s Cultivate Greatness, the original user has been granted one license for a single teacher (or number of teachers matching the number of licenses purchased) and their students at any one time. 

Let’s Cultivate Greatness retains the full copyright of this resource.

Excellent resource! I used this for my persuasive essay unit, and it worked out beautifully. Thank you!  –  Christine R.

This is a terrific resource! I used it with my 8th graders after we studied the Holocaust and WW2. Students chose a current "never again" issue to research and write about. Of my class of 24 students, 7 were published in local newspapers. We were thrilled! – Kristen S.

My students really enjoyed using this resource. The resource was very dynamic and easy to adapt to the needs of my individual classroom.   – Hannah B.