OPINION

facts and opinions
While a civilian will read factual information published, he/she might eventually give his/her thoughts about what he/she read—maybe in favour of or against to it. An individual reading an opinionated article would be in favour to what the material stated, meaning he/she has the same opinion as the columnist’s, or would be against to it, meaning that individual has opinions different from that of the columnist’s.

A fact is anything that has really occurred or existed. A fact usually is subject to a process of verification ensuring its integrity. Opinion is a statement based on one’s personal interpretation on any given fact. An individual makes an opinion based on his/her understanding, emotion, beliefs and desires. While a fact implies objectivity, an opinion is caused by subjective beliefs.

Ten Ideas for 

Teaching Fact and Opinion

Fact and opinion can be tricky. Fortunately, there are many great ways to teach this concept. Here is a list of ten of them.

• Read or display a fact and opinion statements one at a time. Students hold up index cards with either "Fact" or "Opinion" to indicate which type of statement is being made. Could also use one card and write the words on each side.


• Label one side of the room "Fact," and the other side, "Opinion." Students are each given an index card with either a fact or opinion written on it. Students read their card and go to the correct corner. Students are then given time to share their cards and see if others agree or some may need to switch sides. Redistribute cards and play again. 


• A variation on the game above. Students write either a fact or opinion on a piece of scrap paper. Then  they crumple them into balls and have a "snowball fight." for about 30 seconds or as long as you can stand it. Kids each retrieve a snowball and then proceed as above to the appropriate part of the room. 


• Get an inexpensive supermarket ball (the ones in the cages) or beach ball. Write "Fact" and "Opinion" all over it with permanent marker. Students stand and throw the ball to each other. When a student catches the ball, he or she looks at which word is under (or closest to) his or her right thumb and makes that type of a statement. Then he or she throws the ball to someone else. Could make this an elimination game for incorrect answers.


• Use individual white boards and play Fact and Opinion Scoot. Have students number their boards according to where they are sitting so that students can go from board to board in order. Next have each student write either a fact or opinion on his or her board. Students number a piece of notebook paper to use as an answer sheet and scoot from desk to desk writing either "F" for fact or "O" for opinion. Check answers by having student who wrote each statement say what kind of a statement it is. 


• Write a statement on the board and ask student to vote on whether it is a fact or opinion, then have students explain their reasoning. 


• Have students write ten facts and ten opinions about whatever you happen to be reading, or studying (for example: dinosaurs, electricity, the presidents, etc.) 


• Write facts and opinions on color coded index card (different color for each type of statement) distribute and have students walk around the room sharing what is on each other's cards. Then have students split into groups by the color of their cards and explain why they are in these two groups. 


• Here is a  with links to free Fact and Opinion 

Two or more individuals all agree when a fact is presented to them. But, when opinions should be announced individually, a person may or may not have the same opinion as other individuals. As a result, an argument will rise between two opposing sides with opposing interpretations regarding a same set of facts.

Both facts and opinions are published in a periodical material such as newspapers. There are various sections covering factual information such as news stories and feature articles to name a few. There is the so-called “editorial opinion column” where it contains various thoughts and interpretations shared by a number of commentators and journalists. A commentator would write his/her opinions and understanding about a current topic or news story, mostly these news articles are also published on the same newspaper, and in the end giving his/her conclusion to what he/she wrote. In certain occasions, two columnists might proclaim opposing opinions based on one material. This columnist would be in favour of the given fact while the other would be against to it.