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Lesson Plan
Is It True?
Don't believe everything you read! Teach students to differentiate between statements of fact and opinion. This important skill will help students become critical and discerning readers.
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Subject
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Learning Objectives
Students will be able to differentiate between statements of fact and opinion within nonfiction texts.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction
(5 minutes)
- Hook your students with a controversial statement of opinion, such as "Recess is the worst time of the day!" or "Broccoli tastes better than chocolate."
- Ask your students if they agree. Then explain that an opinion is a statement of belief. It says what someone thinks or feels, but not everyone will agree. It usually cannot be proven to be true.
- Then, follow up with a statement of fact, such as "We just returned from recess," or "Broccoli is healthier than chocolate."
- Point out that this statement is a fact because it can be proven to be true.
- Explain that there is a place for both fact and opinion, but it is important to know the difference. If we mistake an opinion for fact, we could be swayed to believe that someone's personal opinion is provable and true.
Beginning
- Pre-teach the words "fact" and "opinion" using the Frayer Model.
- Provide definitions and examples of "fact" and "opinion" in students' home language (L1).
Intermediate
- Ask students to summarize the definitions of "fact" and "opinion" in their own words to a partner.