Students who have a hard time writing about wars, politics, gender issues, and other heavy topics really warm up to writing opinions, so let’s give them something engaging to write about. After all, everyone has opinions.
It’s Just Lunch is a dating service for businessmen and businesswomen. According to their Website, they’ve provided over two million dates in major cities in the United States since 1991.
This is how it works: Their professional dating experts match people up by having clients fill out an introduction form and then meeting them face-to-face. Then they arrange a lunch date, contacting both parties to let them know the time and place of the date. No muss, no fuss, no hassle. The dating experts do everything for you. All you have to do is show up. And, of course, have lunch.
Ask your female writers what they think of the arrangement. Do they like it that the man is not making the plans? Would they rather know the fellow first?
Ask your male writers their opinion of the It’s Just Lunch plan. Do they appreciate that someone else is doing all the planning, even finding a date for them? Would they rather do it themselves?
Now what?
1. Since this is an opinion, your writers will have to choose a side. They’ll have to decide whether they like the idea of It’s Just Lunch or don’t like it.
2. Ask your writers to jot down three reasons why they hold their opinion.
3. Tell them to choose the reason they feel the strongest about and write a paragraph about that one reason, showing why It’s Just Lunch is a great idea or a rotten one. The first sentence in the paragraph will be the topic sentence, and it will be the strongest reason for their opinion.
