Minds On
Point of view
It is important to be able to identify the difference between facts and opinion when examining media such as television, the news, articles, commercials, or magazine advertisements.
Fact
A fact is something that can be proven to be true and is backed up by evidence.
Opinion
An opinion is how a person feels about something.
Think about some of your own opinions. These might be ideas or feelings you have about different topics.
Next, think about examples of facts from your everyday life. Where did you learn your fact?
For example, is your fact from a book, news article, television show, commercial, or advertisement?
Complete the Fact vs Opinion T-Chart using the following fillable and printable document, or record your facts and opinions using an audio clip or another method of your choice.
| Fact | Opinion |
|---|---|
| e.g. There are 7 days in a week. | e.g. French fries are better than pizza. |
Action
Identifying facts and opinions
Use what you learned in the Minds On section to organize the following practice sentences as facts or opinions.
Complete the Fact vs Opinion Practice Sheet or record your ideas using another method of your choice.
Fact or Opinion?
| Fact | Opinion | |
|---|---|---|
|
Summer is the best season. |
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Families can all look different. |
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Whales are mammals. |
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A car has four wheels. |
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Ottawa is the capital of Canada. |
Press the Activity button to access the Fact or Opinion Practice Sheet.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Which statement is a fact and which is an opinion? How do you know? How could you check?
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Consolidation
Your turn!
Examine the following images. What is one fact and one opinion about each picture?
A baby giraffe in a forest
Central Park in New York
A bird on a snow-covered fence
Ocean waves on a sandy beach
Complete Creating Fact and Opinion Statements in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document to help get you started.
| Image | Fact | Opinion |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | ||
| 2. | ||
| 3. | ||
| 4. | ||
| 5. |
Press the Activity button to access the Creating Fact and Opinion Statements.
Activity (Open PDF in a new tab)
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
If possible, share your fact and opinion statements with a partner.
How did you think of each opinion?
Where did you learn each fact?
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.