1. Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program RP DP
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
RPDP.net
RPDP Secondary Literacy

2. Strategies for Reading Created & Developed by Jill M. Leone
Fact and Opinion
Created & Developed by Jill M. Leone
Reading Specialist
Copyright © 2007
RPDP Secondary Literacy

3. the difference between facts and opinions.
Today's Objectives
We will discuss –
the difference between facts and opinions.
strategies to distinguish facts from opinions.
how to check factual statements.
clue words for opinion statements.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

4. Fact and Opinion
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5. What’s wrong with this thinking?
Fact and Opinion
Many readers never question what they read. They tend to accept everything they read as fact. “If it’s in print, it must be true,” they say.
What’s wrong with this thinking?
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6. Weekly World News YODA VISITS THE WHITE HOUSE
Some people believe every word they read.
Weekly World News
                                                                                  
                                                                        
YODA VISITS THE WHITE HOUSE
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7. Not everything in print is true.
Fact and Opinion
Differentiating between Fact and Opinion
Not everything in print is true.
Many people misread what is factual because they do not :
distinguish between fact and opinion.
make inferences.
pick up on the author’s bias or tone.
or use their own prior knowledge.
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8. A fact is a statement that is true. Facts can be proven.
What is a Fact?
A fact is a statement that is true.
Facts can be proven.
Anyone who is checking will find or see the same thing.
There can be no other reasonable point of view.
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9. How can you check or prove that a statement is a fact?
What is a Fact?
How can you check or prove that a statement is a fact?
Look it up in a book.
Check records or statistics.
Ask eye witnesses.
Weigh it or measure it.
Fact!
Here’s something that is often confusing:
Statements reporting other people’s opinions are facts:
“The dean said our students are very polite and respectful.”
“The President announced that the economy is in bad shape.
The opinion itself is not a fact, but the statement reporting what someone says or believes is
a fact.
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10. Checking Facts Very often –
Reading passages that contain statistics or numbers are based on facts because they can be checked.
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11. Checking Facts Here are two examples:
Nevada’s current population is over two million people.
Jaime paid $25,000 for his new truck.
$25,000
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12. Checking Facts
Can you verify records or statistics to look up the population of a city or a state?
Can you check Jaime’s sales receipt to find the amount he paid for the truck?
If you answered yes to both questions, you’re correct.
Therefore, both statements are based on fact.
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13. Facts can always be proven to be true or false.
Remember
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14. An opinion is a statement made by someone who believes it is true.
What is an Opinion?
An opinion expresses feelings and depends on someone’s judgments or values.
An opinion is a statement made by someone who believes it is true.
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15. What is an Opinion? a belief an idea a feeling
An opinion is actually a point of view.
Opinions tell how the writer thinks or feels about something. Opinions express –
a belief
an idea
a feeling
An opinion expresses feeling and depends on someone’s judgment or values.
An opinion is a statement which someone believes to be true, a point of view.
However, the major difference between a fact and an opinion is that an opinion cannot be verified or proven.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

16. Common Clue Words for Opinions
What is an Opinion?
should if
probably
might
perhaps
too
Common Clue Words for Opinions
feel
soon
believe
think
maybe
idea
Here are some examples of opinions:
“We played a great game against Rancho High School.”
Statements by the writer that something is necessary, or wanted, or liked are opinions:
“Everyone can enjoy our new menu in the cafeteria.”
Predictions are opinions:
“Students would welcome a change in the attendance policy.”
That team will probably win in next year’s Super Bowl.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

17. What is an Opinion? Words that predict the future
More Clue Words
Words that predict the future
Value words - depend on someone’s judgment and cannot be proven:
best
great
pretty
worst
easy
difficult
good
bad
beautiful
ugly
simple
wonderful
As a reader, you should also look for value words. These are words that depend on someone’s judgment and cannot be proven objectively, like when you look up something in a book:
best great pretty
beautiful simple easy
good worst difficult
bad ugly wonderful
RPDP Secondary Literacy

18. Fact vs. Opinion
As a reader, you can train yourself how to tell the difference between fact and opinion by asking two simple questions:
Can I check it out or prove it? Now?
Can there be any other point of view?
If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second, this is a fact.
You can train yourself to tell the difference by asking two simple questions:
1). Can I check it out or prove it? (Now?)
2). Can there be any other point of view?
If you can answer yes to the first question and no to the second, then you know you are dealing with a fact.
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19. Let’s look at some examples.
Statements that contain words like good,
bad, or great, which show personal values,
are opinions:
“We played a great game against Las Vegas High School.”
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20. Let’s look at some examples.
Statements reporting other people’s opinions are facts:
“The dean said our students are very polite and respectful.”
The opinion itself is not a fact, but the statement reporting what someone says or believes is a fact.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

21. our new menu in the cafeteria.”
Opinion
Statements by the writer that something is necessary, or wanted, or liked are opinions:
“Everyone can enjoy
our new menu in the cafeteria.”
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22. Opinion Predictions are opinions:
“Students would welcome a change in the attendance policy.”
“Everyone would be happy to see that old hotel go.”
You can not prove these NOW.
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23. Graduation will be held in June.
Fact vs. Opinion
There is a difference between predicting the future and talking about something that is already scheduled or planned.
Graduation will be held in June.
This statement is a fact because we can verify right now that graduation is scheduled for the month of June.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

24. When you read - When you read facts, make it a habit to
look at the source of the information.
When you read opinions, be sure they’re
supported with –
facts
experience
accounts of experts
other reliable sources
RPDP Secondary Literacy

25. Which sentence is an opinion?
Practice Question
(1) Starfish are among the most wide-spread of marine animals. (2) In spite of their name, starfish are not really fish at all, since they are invertebrates and do not have backbones. (3) Starfish come in many colors and usually have five arms, or rays. (4) When starfish are dried out, they make beautiful ornaments and necklaces.
Which sentence is an opinion?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

26. Practice Question How did you do?
(1) Starfish are among the most wide-spread of marine animals. (2) In spite of their name, starfish are not really fish at all, since they are invertebrates and do not have backbones. (3) Starfish come in many colors and usually have five arms, or rays. (4) When starfish are dried out, they make beautiful ornaments and necklaces.
The word beautiful is a value word. This is your clue.
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

27. Practice Question
Which sentence contains an opinion?
Mario and I went camping last weekend.
We saw several wild animals.
The weather was terrible.
We had a hole in our tent.
Mario and I went camping last weekend. We saw several wild animals, including a raccoon and a fox. The weather was terrible. It rained every night. We had a hole in our tent, too.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

28. Practice Question
Which sentence contains an opinion?
Mario and I went camping last weekend.
We saw several wild animals.
C. The weather was terrible.
We had a hole in our tent.
Mario and I went camping last weekend. We saw several wild animals, including a raccoon and a fox. The weather was terrible. It rained every night. We had a hole in our tent, too.
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

29. Practice Question
Which sentence contains an opinion?
The dog jumps on people.
I’ve gone to dog-training lessons.
The dog knocked my boss over.
The dog is wonderful.
Although I’ve tried to train my dog not to jump on people, she persists in this habit. I’ve gone to dog training lessons. The trainer even works with her. When my boss came to my house, my dog knocked him down. She’s a wonderful dog, but she makes my life difficult.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

30. Practice Question
Which sentence contains an opinion?
The dog jumps on people.
I’ve gone to dog-training lessons.
The dog knocked my boss over.
D. The dog is wonderful.
Although I’ve tried to train my dog not to jump on people, she persists in this habit. I’ve gone to dog training lessons. The trainer even works with her. When my boss came to my house, my dog knocked him down. She’s a wonderful dog, but she makes my life difficult.
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

31. Assume every fact is correct.
Practice Question
He’s shorter than Air Force regulations permit.
Jason will make a poor pilot.
He gets sick whenever he boards a plane.
No one would want to fly with him.
Jason wants to become a pilot in the Air Force, but the Air Force
has turned him down.
Some of the possible reasons are given below. Decide which
of these is a fact and which is an opinion.
Assume every fact is correct.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

32. Practice Question
He’s shorter than Air Force regulations permit.
Jason will make a poor pilot.
He gets sick whenever he boards a plane.
No one would want to fly with him.
Jason wants to become a pilot in the Air Force, but the Air Force
has turned him down.
Some of the possible reasons are given below. Decide which
of these is a fact and which is an opinion.
Fact
Opinion
Fact
Opinion
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

33. Practice Question
Assuming that it’s a fact that Eskimos survived and
thrived, which other statement is also a fact?
The Eskimo diet used to be very boring.
Eskimos at only animal products.
This diet was too restricted.
Eskimos needed things that weren’t in whale flesh.
The Eskimo diet used to be very boring. Eskimos ate only animal products. Nutritionists knew this diet was too restricted. Humans need protein, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals. Eskimos did not get all this from their regular diet of whale flesh, yet they survived and thrived.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

34. Practice Question
Assuming that it’s a fact that Eskimos survived and
thrived, which other statement is also a fact?
A. The Eskimo diet used to be very boring.
B. Eskimos at only animal products.
C. This diet was too restricted.
D. Eskimos needed things that weren’t in whale flesh.
The Eskimo diet used to be very boring. Eskimos ate only animal products. Nutritionists said this diet was too restricted. Humans need protein, fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals. Eskimos did not get all this from their regular diet of whale flesh, yet they survived and thrived.
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

35. Practice Question
Land turtles range in size from tiny turtles that can fit into a
coat pocket to giant turtles that may weigh as much as 500
pounds. These giant turtles, or tortoises, often have shells
more than four feet long. They have become almost extinct
because they are hunted for their meat and oil. Turtle soup
is considered a delicacy by every intelligent connoisseur.
Which is an opinion?
Turtles can weigh as much as 500 pounds.
Giant tortoises are almost extinct.
Giant tortoises are hunted for meat and oil.
D. Turtle soup is a delicacy.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

36. Practice Question
Land turtles range in size from tiny turtles that can fit into a
coat pocket to giant turtles that may weigh as much as 500
pounds. These giant turtles, or tortoises, often have shells
more than four feet long. They have become almost extinct
because they are hunted for their meat and oil. Turtle soup
is considered a delicacy by every intelligent connoisseur.
Which is an opinion?
Turtles can weigh as much as 500 pounds.
Giant tortoises are almost extinct.
Giant tortoises are hunted for meat and oil.
D. Turtle soup is a delicacy.
How did you do?
RPDP Secondary Literacy

37. A good reader is also a good detective.
It's important to know-
A good reader is also a good detective.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

38. So remember to do a little detective work when figuring out the difference between fact and opinion.
RPDP Secondary Literacy

39. Key Stategies and Terms
Today we discussed -
Fact vs. Opinion
Checking for Facts
Opinion Clue Words
Examples
RPDP Secondary Literacy

40. Copyright Notice
Permission is granted to copy (unmodified) all or part of this PowerPoint for educational, personal, non-commercial use off-line as long as the copyright message (Copyright © 2007 by Jill Leone) is maintained on the title page. This material may not be sold, duplicated on other websites, incorporated in commercial documents or products, or used for promotional purposes.
Copyright © 2007 by Jill M. Leone
RPDP Secondary Literacy