Make a Difference at Your School!

Pick the letter before one sentence from paragraph 8 that shows that author believes students should try to make the world a better place.

A) Every school must find ways to recycle. B) The more schools that recycle, the more students and teachers will learn. C) Then they can pass along the recycling message to other schools. D) It is so important for human beings to protect this beautiful earth.

Tip: Is the author's main claim a fact or an opinion? Can the author's main claim be proven true?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Part A: Which sentence from the passage is a fact?

• "You might also see a car and a few bicycles." (paragraph 2)

• "It's time to think about making a difference in your school." (paragraph 3)

• "A compost is an outside area where you throw left-over food from school lunches." (paragraph 7)

• "The more schools recycle, the more students and teachers will learn." (paragraph 8)

Part B: How does the fact from Part A support the author's claim?

• The author shows how working together is best for all causes.

• The author explains how compost reduces waste.

• The author reveals that learning is an important part of helping the environment.

• The author reminds people that carpooling or biking to work is better for the world.

Which sentence is a claim that argues against the author's main claim?

Tip: Here's another clue to help tell the difference between facts and opinions. Think about how emotional the author's tone is when presenting opinions and when presenting facts.

• Schools should focus on recycling paper first.

• It is too difficult to get schools to recycle.

• Kids need to help of adults to make a recycling program work.

• Visiting a recycling center will not teach students enough about recycling.

Read these sentences from paragraph 2. Which two sentences express opinions?

• "Now it's time for the hard work!"

• "Think of other projects that can grow out of your recycling program."

• "You want to keep everyone interested!"

• "Eventually you'll have rich soil and a lot of worms."

• "You can also make a compost inside using a big bin."

Choose the phrase that explains one way the author uses facts to support her claim.

• To show what you can find to recycle

• to explore how much recycling happens at schools

• to show the definition of specific words related to recycling

• to explain how bad too much garbage is for the world

Match the sentence from the passage to the idea it supports.

"At the end of the day see who has the least garbage!" (paragraph 6)

• Opportunities to recycle are everywhere.

• People can help make the world a better place.

• Recycling is enjoyable.

Match the sentence from the passage to the idea it supports.

"Don't believe anyone who tells you that your school can't make a difference in the community." (paragraph 1)

• Opportunities to recycle are everywhere.

• People can help make the world a better place.

• Recycling is enjoyable.

Match the sentence from the passage to the idea it supports.

"Here's what you might see: glass bottles, plastic bottles, plastic trays and a lot of leftover food." (paragraph 2)

• Opportunities to recycle are everywhere.

• People can help make the world a better place.

• Recycling is enjoyable.

Which opinion could the author use to support the claim that a compost is a good idea?

• Students can plant vegetables in a school garden.

• A compost is a natural way to create soil for a garden.

• A beautiful garden will make it more fun to come to school.

• Students can study plants and insects with a compost.