2. Facts, Opinions, and Fake News
English II
S17

3. Discussion What does the phrase “fake news” mean?
When have you or someone you know fallen for or shared fake or inaccurate news of some kind?
Why does it matter if we can’t tell real news from fake news?
Where do you think most “fake news” comes from?
Why do people create “fake news”?

4. Article- Can Students Determine if News is Fake?
study-finds

5. Define A fact is considered something proven to be true.
An opinion is a personal belief that is not founded on proof or certainty.

6. How do I determine fact vs. opinion?
Ask yourself these questions first:
Can I prove with evidence that it is correct? (logos)
Can the statement be checked somehow?
If my answer to both of these questions is yes, the statement is a FACT.
If a statement uses words such as always, never, should, all, none, most, least, greatest, best, and worst – then it most likely is an OPINION because it represents someone’s personal feelings instead of fact.

7. Read the following statements. If they can be proven, write FACT
Read the following statements. If they can be proven, write FACT. If they use opinion words, or represent feelings, write OPINION.
1. Good guys always tell the truth. 2. Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time. 3. Three quarters of the Earth’s surface is water. 4. Chocolate is the best flavor for ice cream. 5. The Civil War began at Fort Sumter near Charleston, SC in Apple pie with a scoop of ice cream has more fat than a salad. 7. You should never go swimming right after you have eaten. 8. Our school had twice as many absences last week than the week before. 9. Absences are the worst problem schools deal with today. 10. Our school has the best teachers.

8. Write FACT or OPINION for each sentence in the above two paragraphs:
1)The American Civil War was one of the most difficult times in American History. 2)It lasted five years during the first half of the 1860’s. 3)Thousands of Americans on both sides were killed or wounded during the war. 4)The Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863 was the most important battle in the war. 5)After several days of fighting with many dead and wounded on both sides, the North won the battle. 6)Even though the war lasted two more years, the Battle of Gettysburg thankfully destroyed the South’s ability to win the ultimate victory. 7)A year after the battle Abraham Lincoln visited Gettysburg. 8)He attended a ceremony dedicating the battlefield to the memory of the soldiers who lost their lives. 9)His famous Gettysburg address was the most famous speech Lincoln ever made. 10)In it he remembered those who died on both sides of the war, both North and South.

9. How do I identify credible sites?
You should be able to find
The author’s name (has verifiable credentials- journalist, scientists, etc.)
A publishing date (as current as possible)
Publisher’s information (who takes responsibility for what is printed?)
Citations or links (provides where info came from or where you can find more related info)
Does the URL include the key words you’re looking for?

10. Check yourself- words to live by:
Relevance- is what you found IMPORTANT?
Accuracy- is what you found FACTUAL?
Bias/perspective- does what you found have a SLANT/OPINION?
Reliability- is what you found TRUSTWORTHY?

11. What about these?
All of these links are about the Casey Anthony trial. Which ones are credible? Rank the article’s credibility from 1-5 (lowest/not credible to highest/most credible) and tell why you chose that credibility level. 1. 2.
3. daughter-by-accident.html
4. caylees-murder/ 5.

12. Fact or Faux? http://www.dhmo.org/
the-habitable-zone-of-another-star

13. Test yourself! Complete the seven question quiz below: