Fact vs. Opinion ?

What is a fact? A fact is a statement that can be proven true Ways that facts can be proven -Observation: You can see, hear, smell, touch, or taste the proof “Roberta is blond” (see) “These bananas are rotten” (smell and see!) -Verifiable: You look it up from a source who has observed it -make sure your source is authoritative and an expert

What is an opinion? An opinion expresses personal belief or feeling Sometimes strongly held beliefs can seem like facts Example opinions: “Travel to other planets will happen in my lifetime” “We have the best football team in the United States” “Every teenager should receive an allowance”

What is an opinion? A valid opinion is a personal opinion supported by facts An invalid opinion is not supported by facts or is illogical, wishful thinking.

Don’t Be a Sucker! What you see in print, on tv, or the internet may not be true. Ask: “Can this be proven?” “Has it been proven?” Fallacious Reasoning Fallacious means “false” Hasty generalizations: reached without looking at enough facts A person reads two stories that end in cliffhangers and they think all stories end that way

Don’t Be a Sucker! Circular Reasoning saying the same thing again in a different way Jean is the best candidate for president because she is better than all of the other candidates