| |
 
- To help students understand the difference between factual information
and information that is opinionated
- To encourage students to become critical readers and listeners
- To foster the integration of content-area subjects
- Use of metacognitive skills
- Development of listening, reading, and thinking skills
- Integration of skills and content-area subjects
- Language Arts
- Social Studies
- Science
- Character Development
Discuss the difference between information that is factual and information
that is someone's opinion. Have a dialogue about articles in the newspaper
or on television newscasts. Ask students if they believe everything they
read in print or hear on radio and television. Why or why not?
Discuss the terms fact and opinion. Solicit examples of what students
consider a fact and what they consider an opinion. Ask how they determine
which is fact or opinion.
Distribute the fact/opinion chart. Have students use the suggested statements
listed or ones they generated to complete it. The last column, "How
do you know?" must have references if the statement has been determined
to be a fact. In other words, students must prove the statement is true
by naming their source of information. They must list the book, such as
the encyclopedia, with page numbers, or other sources used as proof. If
the statement is judged to be an opinion, the students must tell why they
think so.
Example
Suggested Statements
- All dogs will bite.
- Only cats make good pets.
- The earth revolves around or circles the moon.
- Galileo Galilei discovered Saturn's rings.
- 4956 x 387 = 1,917,972
- Acid rain is harmful to the environment.
- Joan of Arc was a young French soldier who was burned at the stake.
- 2,968,528 - 1,275,534 = 1,692,994
- The Pteranodon was a dinosaur with wings.
- Radium was discovered by a woman.
- Daniel Hale Williams was a famous African American doctor.
- Anne Frank was a young German Jewish girl who died during the Holocaust.
- Miguel Hidalgo organized the poor Indians of Mexico to fight the Spaniards.
After students have completed their charts, they will share their findings
with the class, explaining how they researched the information on facts
and how they determined which statements were opinions. Have questions and
challenges from the class on statements that everyone does not agree with.
- How did students exhibit their understanding of the difference between
a fact and an opinion?
- Were students' critical thinking, reading, and listening skills enhanced?
How was this enhancement demonstrated?
- How did students exhibit their ability to do research?
- Did this activity help to increase students' knowledge base? How was
this demonstrated?
|
