Opinion writing has always been a part of our writing curriculum since Kindergarten. Each year, students learn different persuasive crafts to convince others to think in a certain way and persuade the readers to share the their point of view. This year in fifth grade, the students took it a step further! We turned the classroom into a mock courtroom. They teamed up and presented valid reasons with strong pieces of evidence on the ongoing debate topic, “Should Schools Ban Chocolate Milk?”, to Judge Payne. Debates allow students the opportunity to see that it is acceptable to respectfully disagree with their peers. They also practice listening and speaking, collaboration and teamwork, public speaking and eye contact, and conversation etiquette while engaging in debates. Check it out on instagram at ms.thai_crestviewprep!