What role does an Op-Ed page play in a newspaper? How can reading Op-Eds expand our understanding of important issues?
After this lesson you should know / understand what a newspaper opinion piece is and what you need to consider while reading an op-ed piece.
M.U.G. (found in presentation)
In groups discuss:
What is an opinion?
How are opinions formed?
Are they easy to change? What could change someone’s opinion?
Op-Ed: a newspaper page opposite the editorial page, devoted to personal comment, feature articles, etc.
"The inaugural Op-Ed page appeared on Sept. 21, 1970. It was named for its geography -- opposite the editorial page -- not because opinions would be expressed in its columns. A page of clashing opinions, however, was the aim from the beginning. According to an editorial introducing the page, Op-Ed was created to provide a forum for writers with ''no institutional connection with The Times'' -- writers whose views would ''very frequently be completely divergent from our own.''..."Anything can be an Op-Ed. We’re not only interested in policy, politics or government. We’re interested in everything, if it’s opinionated and we believe our readers will find it worth reading. We are especially interested in finding points of view that are different from those expressed in Times editorials. If you read the editorials, you know that they present a pretty consistent liberal point of view. There are lots of other ways of looking at the world, to the left and right of that position, and we are particularly interested in presenting those points of view."
- David Shipley, 'And Now A Word From Op-Ed', The New York Times
We are going to read together:
Students will discuss in groups:
How can an editorial or opinion article open or advance dialogue on an issue?
What makes an editorial or opinion piece effective?
Op-Ed writers need to consider:
Opinion: What is the writer’s opinion on a topic?
Reason: What is a reason for their opinion?
Support: How did they support their reason?
If the op-ed is strongly formulated it should include a number of reasons and those reasons should all be well-supported.
Write an op-ed piece on one of the following topics:
Is social media damaging to our personal relationships?
Are standardized tests actually a good measure of intelligence and ability?
Which makes a better pet? Cats or dogs?
Summer is better than winter. Agree or disagree?