Vail School District 3rdGrade Writing Practice Prompt Benchmark #2 Opinion

Read the writing prompt and information below. Then use DIRECTIONS: scratch paper for your prewriting/planning and your draft.

PROMPT: You have an opportunity to travel to The Grand Canyon or Disneyland for a family vacation. Which place would be better to visit? Write an essay in which you give your opinion on which place you think would be best to visit. Be sure to use evidence from the text along with your own ideas to justify reasons why you chose that place.

Read the information below to help you make your choice. Be sure to include information or examples from these passages in your essay.

Grand Canyon Adventures for Families Excerpt by; Dina Mishev One-mile deep, 277-miles long, visible from outer space and home to a small community of California condors – one of the rarest birds in the world. What kid wouldn’t think the Grand Canyon is cool? Top all of that off with a little adventure, and you are guaranteed to maximize your family’s Grand Canyon experience. 1. Roll on the Rails Kids love Grand Canyon Railway’s Christmastime Polar Express. Kids will love spotting wildlife such as elk, mountain lions and bald eagles through the train windows. 2. Hoof It in A mule ride into the Grand Canyon will be one of the most memorable adventures of your life. On the North Rim, Grand Canyon Trail Rides allows kids to experience the adventure with rides on the North Kaibab Trail. Children as young as seven can participate in a one-hour ride, while kids 10 and older are welcome on the half-day trips. 3. Explore on Foot “Meet the Canyon” on a kid-friendly (six and older) South Rim guided hike with the Grand Canyon Field Institute. The hike starts at the top of Bright Angel Trail. Along the way, the guide gives short geology and history lessons, the latter of which are “illustrated” by trailside rock paintings from the canyon’s early inhabitants. 4. See It on the Big Screen There’s a reason Grand Canyon – The Movie is the longest running IMAX film of all time: it’s awesome! In front of a six-story screen, encircled by 12,000 watts of digital surround sound, soar over the rim of the canyon and down into the roaring rapids of the Colorado River. Even the most active kids can’t help but sit at attention, all the while soaking up a host of interesting Grand Canyon facts.

10/25/19 Disneyland

Disneyland Park has attracted millions of visitors since it first opened its doors over 55 years ago. Each day more than 40,000 people visit the parks. When you enter Disneyland, the cares and worries of the day are left behind. You are transported to a world where elephants can fly and pirates serenade. You and your family can visit 4 different lands that include Fantasy Land, Tomorrow Land, Frontier Land, Adventure Land. Each land had its own unique theme with rides that are sure to excite kids of all ages!

Waiting in long lines is no longer a problem now that Disneyland has its own smart phone application called Mouse Wait. Mouse Wait lists all of the rides in Disneyland including the lines to get food. Next to each ride or restaurant name, a time is shown giving the estimated wait time for visitors of the park. When you’re not getting your thrills from rides like Splash Mountain, Matterhorn, Space Mountain, and Finding Nemo, there are plenty of other things to be doing!

Take in a show like Aladdin on stage, World of Color water show, or Fantasmic Fireworks and Lights! Eat at some delicious restaurants or go shopping on Main Street as you enjoy the sights and sounds of Disneyland and all it has to offer. Bite into a crispy cinnamon churro or enjoy an ice cream cone from the corner bakery, the possibilities are endless. As Walt Disney said himself, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Now you are ready to reread the prompt and begin.

Your writing should:

• have a topic sentence • include all parts of an essay • include important details

Remember to edit for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.

10/25/19 DIRECTIONS: Now write your final copy on the following pages.

FINAL COPY

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10/25/19