Lesson 5 Review - Fact, Opinion, & Bias

One of several reasons behind the obesity crisis has been the development of suburban America and the urban sprawl trend. As suburbs began to expand in the 1980's, automobile dependence became pronounced. People in suburbs no longer walk to get a loaf of bread and their children no longer walk to school. This trend toward dependence on automobiles and the resulting impact on obesity is demonstrated in a study done by Reid Ewing, a research professor at the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland. He surveyed people living in both the most populated countries in the United States and the least populated. He found that the residents of sprawling Geauga County in Ohio were an average of 6.3 lbs heavier than the residents of crowded Manhattan County in New York.

Identify the fact that is NOT supported by the paragraph above:

• Dependence on cars became pronounced in the 1980s

• People who live in Geauga County,Ohio are 6.3 lbs heavier than people who live in Manhattan, New York.

• People who live in suburbs do not walk anywhere

• Urban sprawl is one of several causes behind the rising obesity rate

Often the book title will alert the researcher to bias. Based on the following book title, indicate the likelihood of bias in the book:

Giving up on Democracy: Why Term Limits are Bad for America

• Book is most likely biased

• Book is most likely unbiased

Often the book title will alert the researcher to bias. Based on the following book title, indicate the likelihood of bias in the book:

A Framework for Assessing Effects of the Food System

• Book is most likely biased

• Book is most likely unbiased

You receive an email describing a nonprofit agency that offers cleaning services to women who have cancer. You have a friend who would benefit from this free service.

Which of the following sources would you use to verify the reliability of this offer?

• Consumer protection website

• A newspaper article about the agency found in a database

• Social media

• Any of these

A team of scientists claim they have discovered a human ancestor that lived 3.3-3.5 million years ago in Ethiopia. Someone updated the Wikipedia page about Australopithecus (extinct genus of hominids).

What organization would be most likely to write the

most accurate account of this claim?

• A member of the discovery team

• The National Science Foundation

• A national news service like the Associated Press

• The Ethiopian government news service

This is an example of a/an...

• fact

• opinion

This is an example of a/an...

• fact

• opinion

"Something needs to be done about these immigrants."

In the above example, which persuasive technique is used that shows bias?

• Exaggeration, also known as hyperbole

• Presenting opinions as facts

• Use pathos (appeal to audience's emotions)

What should you do to determine if a website is credible?

• Look for information about the author's credentials

• Check the date of publication

• Examine the type of website (ex. .org)

• All of the above