Institute for Learning
Opinions on Space Exploration (Grades 5-6)
Opinions on Space Exploration (Grades 5-6)
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Students build content knowledge about space exploration and expand their understanding of the methods authors use to build and support their opinions. Students consider the costs and benefits of space exploration as they build and support their own opinion piece.
- Eight informational texts
- 4-6 weeks instruction
- Opinion writing
What is this unit about?
This unit asks students to consider the big question of the costs and benefits of space exploration as a current and historical issue. As part of this inquiry, students develop a criteria-meeting opinion piece. Writing this opinion piece is keyed to the Grade 5 Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Over the course of this four-to-six-week unit, students are supported to read six informational texts and to view a comprehensive video to understand more about the topic of space exploration and informational texts with opinions.
While it is essential for students to read nonfiction texts and write an opinion piece on a meaningful topic, such as the costs and/or benefits of space exploration, this unit is not intended to take the place of rigorous science content instruction. It is related to, but does not replace, the teaching of important concepts in science.
What content will students learn?
Students will expand their knowledge base about:
- what various authors have to say about the costs and benefits of space exploration.
- categories of knowledge such as historical events of space exploration, types of space exploration, scientific and economic problems of space exploration and the solutions to those problems, and those who are for and opposed to space exploration.
- features of an opinion piece such as stated opinions, textual support, introductions, and conclusions.
- how writers choose and use methods such as quotations, linking words and phrases, and sequencing of information in order to communicate an informed opinion about a topic.
- text structures of expository text such as chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution, and description.
- the comparison and contrast of information about space exploration, text structures, and authors’ methods.


