ADVICE COLUMNS 1. Compare and contrast news articles (facts of current events, sports, business, etc.) to advice columns (fact and opinion)
Dear Abby ~ Ann Landers ~ Dear Polly ~ Polly's Pointers ~ Dr. Lamb ~ etc.2. Read an example of an advice column. Discuss the similarities and differences of the two news stories. (Advice columns offer advice to readers. Readers send letters with questions, and the author of the column answers with facts and opinions about the topic.)
3. Before you can form your opinion, you must do some thinking about the topic.
Practice with the following question:
"Is it important that students earn their own allowance, or should parents just give it to them?"4. Think about your opinion, and list facts that support it. (i.e. I do think students should have to earn their allowance because their parents had to work for their money.) Brainstorm with other students reasons for both sides of the opinion.
5. Write an answer to this question as if you were the advice columnist.
Note that columnists puts their opinion and their most important support in the first paragraph.
The other paragraphs are additional supports.
Advice columnists also may want to include where they get their facts (i.e. "my mom always said").
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