Editorial+-+Anthony+Cuccione

 __**NOTE: **__


 * I found this resource in the Monday March 14th edition of the //Toronto Star// newspaper. For some reason, it was not available online, just in print. Therefore, I could not provide the link. I have scanned the article, but I am unfortunately unable to post it here. I would be happy to email anyone who would like to use it as a resource in their classroom. **

With the current issue of body checking causing serious injury in the National Hockey League in the news due to Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins’ hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens, numerous articles have been written advocating for a ban of body checks that target the head. An incident such as this has also prompted the writing of many editorials on the subject. An editorial from the Toronto Star titled “Time to Ban Headshots,” speaks out against violence in hockey and lists the author’s position, the National Hockey League position and a way to curb the violence that has become an inherent aspect of the game.

Writing a supported opinion piece is part of the “Writing” overall expectation for Grade 9 English (ENG1D) and this editorial can serve as an example and/or template for students to use as a guide when writing an opinion paragraph. It is comprised of seven short paragraphs where the subject/topic is discussed in the introductory paragraph, the opinion/position taken is given in paragraph two, and paragraphs three through six state the arguments that support the position taken by the author. The concluding paragraph provides a solution to the debate over headshots in the N.H.L. Teachers can have students analyze the editorial and discuss style, diction, the organization of arguments, etc. Students can then write their own editorial on a topic of their choosing.

Any editorial, especially one found in a newspaper, can provide students with a perfect example of the structure needed in writing a persuasive paragraph and/or essay. The editorial “Time to ban head shots” is an ideal current event that students can relate to, even if it is sports-related.

[|Time to Ban Headshots] This article is from Sat. March 12th