Understanding fact and opinion.

Objectives:

• Students will review the attributes of facts and opinions.
• Students will recognize facts and opinions.
• Students will develop facts and opinions to support a thesis statement prompt.

Materials:

Activity 1:

• Chart Tablet
• Marker

The chart tablet should be marked off into 2 columns labeled fact and opinion

Activity 2:

• Large butcher paper sheets (one per cooperative learning group)
• Markers (one per cooperative learning group)
• Overhead Projector
• Teacher Prepared Transparency Strips: (samples)

  Thesis Statement strip:

  School lunch periods need to be longer.

  Facts / Opinions

  Fact and Opinion Statement strips: Eating at a fast rate is not good for the digestive system and can lead to stomach disorder. I believe that eating quickly is a bad habit.

*These need to be clipped apart as students will direct you into which column they should be put during Activity 2.

Each sheet of butcher paper should be preheaded with a thesis statement prompt across the top. The lower portion of the paper should be divided into 2 columns labeled facts and opinions.

Sample thesis statements:

• A leash law is needed in our community.
• Our school science textbooks are outdated.
• Trailers are not effective school classrooms.

*Note: The thesis statements that you create need to be issues that you know your students already care about. This will make the activity more productive.

Plan:

This activity is an excellent lead into the writing of the persuasive essay. In the prewriting phase of the writing students begin by listing issues that they care or feel very strongly about. Students begin by brainstorming for a list of issues. This may be done in cooperative learning groups or individually. Students narrow their choices and finally chose one topic which they will develop into a thesis statement.

Activities 1 and 2 below will help your students understand how facts and opinions are used in developing the body of a persuasive essay.

Today we are going to continue working towards the development of our persuasive essays. Facts, as well opinions that support your thesis, will be used to develop the body of the essay. First, let’s quickly review facts and opinions. What makes a fact a fact? What makes an opinion and opinion? Let’s make a list.

(At this point the teacher should call on students and list the attributes in the correct column on the chart.)

Great work class, I now know that you have understanding of the definition of fact and opinion. You really covered that concept well. Let’s see if you can apply this concept to a few statements. I will read a few sentences. Please give me a thumbs up if you think the statement is a fact, and thumbs down if you think the statement is an opinion.

1. Herbert Hoover helped organize food for war refugees in Europe.
2. School should begin at 9:00.
3. Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who lived during the Holocaust.

We will now begin a group activity. Managers and group members, listen and watch closely as I model your task.

Here is my thesis: School lunch periods need to be longer.

(Place your thesis strip on overhead)

Now, here are some thoughts that I have on this issue which I feel very stng:

Here is my thesis: School lunch periods need to be longer.

(Place your thesis strip on overhead)

Now, here are some thoughts that I have on this issue which I feel very st