Fact vs. Opinion

Fact vs. Opinion

The art of understanding the difference.

Why do we need to know the difference?

• Facts keep things real.

• Opinions can be misleading.

What are facts?

• Simple: Facts are provable and measurable.  

• Facts do not contain feeling descriptors.  

FACTS (Signal Words and Phrases)

• The annual report confirms...

• Scientists have recently discovered…

• According to the results of the tests…

• The investigation demonstrated…

Multiple Select

Facts are something that is:

• Measurable.

• Filled with feelings.

• Provable.

• Biased.

Opinions, what are they?

• Opinions contain feelings.

• Opinions are based on personal beliefs.

• Opinions cannot be proven or measured.

• Opinions have certain descriptors like; thought, ought, would, could, should and best.

Multiple Select

An example of an opinion would be:

• George Washington was the first President of the United States.

• Tricycles have three wheels.

• Schools should've opened fully instead of going remote.

• Wakanda is a country created by Marvel.

A way to look at something and figure out whether it is a fact or opinion.

Does the writer use any of the following: Extreme positives or negatives, descriptive words, emotional language? If so, it is an opinion. If not, it needs a little more investigation. Is there evidence: no? Then it is an opinion. Yes? If it comes from a reliable source then it is a fact. If the source is sketchy, then it is an opinion.

Opinions can have facts to support them.

One has to be careful and understand that while opinions usually have facts at their center, facts will not have opinions supporting them. Propaganda is usually an opinion with a factual center. An example might be: The lake, at 70 degrees F, is too cold for swimming.

The fact is the temperature, which is proveable. The opinion is that 70 degrees is too cold to swim in a lake. Some people might like that temperature, while others may feel it is too cold.

RED FLAG WORDS that you're hearing an OPINION:

• best

• always

• none

• worst

• every

• never

• all

OPINIONS (Signal Words and Phrases)

• He claimed that…

• It is the officer’s view that…

• The report argues that…

• Many scientists suspect that…

Multiple Select

What is the fact in this statement; While some people do not believe in global warming, others have felt that the planet is worse now than it ever has been. They point to the temperature rise of .5 degrees annually since 2000 as the best way to show that.

• That the temperature has risen .5 degrees per year since 2000.

• The planet is worse today than it ever has been.

Open Ended

Write one fact and one opinion.