Facts vs Opinions

Facts vs Opinions

By Ms. Williams and Mrs. Earl

Why do we need to know the difference between facts and opinions?

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• ​Facts keep things real

• Opinions can be misleading. ​

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

We need to know the difference because...

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• ​Facts are able to be proven and observed.

• Facts are not based on feelings or emotions.

• ​Facts are statements that can proven TRUE or FALSE through research.

  IT IS A TRUE STATEMENT!​

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What are facts?

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Contains:

Facts are supported by evidence such as...

• Data

• Research ​

Proven through:

Includes:

• Numbers

• Dates

• Ages​

• Experiment

• Observation ​

Multiple Choice

Facts are something that are...

• based on feelings.

• based on folktales.

• based on evidence and research.

• ​Opinions are statements that cannot be proven true or false because it is based on an individual person's feelings or judgement and not on evidence or research.

What are opinions?

​

O​

What are opinions?

• ​Contain feelings

• Based on personal beliefs

• Cannot be proven or measured

• Have certain descriptors such as like, thought, ought, should, would, could, and best

Multiple Choice

An example of an opinion would be:

• Wakanda is a country created by Marvel.

• Tricycles have three wheels.

• George Wasington was the first president of the United States.

• I think schools should start later in the day.

A way to look at something and figure out whether it is a fact or opinion.

Does the writer use any of the following: Extreme positives or negatives, descriptive words, emotional language? If so, it is an opinion. If not, it needs a little more investigation. Is there evidence: no? Then it is an opinion. Yes? If it comes from a reliable source then it is a fact. If the source is sketchy, then it is an opinion.

Opinions can have facts to support them.

One has to be careful and understand that while opinions usually have facts at their center, facts will not have opinions supporting them. Propaganda is usually an opinion with a factual center. An example might be: The lake, at 70 degrees F, is too cold for swimming.

The fact is the temperature, which is proveable. The opinion is that 70 degrees is too cold to swim in a lake. Some people might like that temperature, while others may feel it is too cold.

Multiple Select

What is the fact in this statement; While some people do not believe in global warming, others have felt that the planet is worse now than it ever has been. They point to the temperature rise of .5 degrees annually since 2000 as the best way to show that.

• That the temperature has risen .5 degrees per year since 2000.

• The planet is worse today than it ever has been.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• Kermit the Frog first appeared on Sesame Street in 1969.

• Kermit is everyone's favorite Muppet.

• Kermit has also appeared in several muppet movies.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Apples contain vitamin C.

• Apples make a delicious snack.

• Fuji apples are the best tasting apple.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinon?

• The Titanic set sail with 2,224 passengers and crew members.

• Only 712 people survived when the Titanic sun on April 15, 1912.

• The captain of the Titanic was a coward.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Shel Silverstein is a good poet.

• Shel Silverstein wrote and illustrated a book of poems called, where the Sidewalk Ends.

• All children love poems written by Shel Silverstein.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Abraham Lincoln was the best president.

• Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States.

• Abraham Lincoln would have done more great things if he had not been killed.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinon?

• Koalas are adorable.

• Koalas are marsupials which means that the females have pouches.

• Koalas in the wild are found in southwest Australia.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• There are twelve inches in a foot.

• Every student should keep a ruler in his or her desk.

• A ruler is used to measure length.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Everyone should own a computer.

• Many people spend too much time on their computers.

• Computers can be used for playing games.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• Totem poles are carved by Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

• Totem poles are carved from the trunks of cedar trees.

• Totem poles are scary.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• There are about 2,700 different kinds of snakes in the world.

• Snakes are scarier than spiders.

• Snakes are a kind of reptile.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Tubas are usually made from brass.

• The tuba is my favorite instrument.

• A tuba should be polished at least once a week.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Harry Potter would make a good friend.

• Harry Potter was created by author J.K. Rowling.

• The best Harry Potter book is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Sometimes the moon looks like a face when it is full.

• It would be fun to travel to the moon.

• It takes about 27 days for the moon to travel around the earth.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world.

• The Pacific Ocean is better than the Atlantic Ocean.

• The Pacific Ocean borders California to the west.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an opinion?

• Australia is located south of the Equator.

• Australia is the smallest continent.

• People who live in Australia have interesting and exciting lives.

Multiple Choice

Which statement is a fact?

• Piranhas live in the Amazon River.

• Piranhas are very interesting fish.

• Everyone in South America is frightened of piranhas.