1. Fact vs. Opinion ?

2. 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

3. 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”

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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