Spotting Facts and Opinions
Tell the difference between a statement of fact (something anyone can check) and a statement of opinion (what someone thinks or feels), and start noticing which is which in simple books, adverts and conversations
What a learner can do afterwards
- Sort simple statements into facts and opinions (e.g. 'spiders have eight legs' vs 'spiders are scary')
- Explain how a fact could be checked (e.g. by counting, looking in a book, or asking an expert)
- Use opinion words to signal their own view (e.g. 'I think', 'my favourite')
The lesson
A fact is something you can check and show to be true. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, and other people might feel differently. 'Spiders have eight legs' is a fact, you can count the legs. 'Spiders are scary' is an opinion, some people think spiders are cute instead.
Mia reads two sentences in her book: 'The moon orbits the earth' and 'The moon looks beautiful tonight.' The first sentence is a fact, she could check it in a science book. The second is an opinion, not everyone thinks the moon looks beautiful.
To test if something is a fact, ask yourself: could I count it, look it up, or ask an expert? If yes, it is probably a fact, not just someone's feeling.
An advert says, 'This cereal is the best breakfast ever!' That is an opinion, it is trying to convince you. But 'This cereal has 12 grams of sugar' is a fact you could check on the box.
Opinions often come with clue words like 'I think', 'I believe', or 'my favourite'. These words tell you someone is sharing feelings, not a fact anyone could check.
Facts can be checked and proven, opinions are what someone thinks, and words like 'I think' help you spot them.
Watch it
Where it sits
This opens up
Where this leads
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.