Fact and Opinion

1
Fact and Opinion

• Fourth Grade
• Unit 2 Week 4
• By Kristi Waltke

2
Facts

• A statement of fact can be proved true or false
  by looking in a reference book, asking an expert,
  or using your own knowledge and experience.

Monkeys are mammals.
Mercury is the planet closest to the sun.
3
Opinions

• A statement of opinion cannot be provedtrue or
  false. It is a belief or judgment. It often
  contains a word of judgment, suchas best,
  should, or beautiful. It may beginwith the words
  In my opinion or I believe.

She is the coolest girl in school!
Bananas are the best fruit on a summer day.
4
It seemed for a moment as if the horses were
keeping time to the music.
It cannot be proven true or false. It uses
seemed which is a judgment word.

• Is this statement from the story a fact or an
  opinion?

Opinion
Fact
5
Waking lumberjacks is a more difficult job than
keeping up with a payroll.
It cannot be proven true or false. It involves a
belief or judgment. It may be true in Marvins
case, but that is not what it takes to make it a
fact.

• Is this statement a fact or an opinion?

Opinion
Fact
6
Marvin of the Great North Woods is a biography.
This can be proven. A person could use knowledge
of what a biography is to prove that this story
is a biography.

• Is this statement a fact or an opinion?

Opinion
Fact
7
Here in the great north woods all was still and
white.
This can be proven. A person could be in the
great north woods and check to see if it were
still and white.

• Is this statement a fact or an opinion?

Opinion
Fact
8
The great north woods was the best place for
Marvin.
It cannot be proven true or false. It involves a
belief or judgment. Notice that best is one of
words that signals an opinion.

• Is this statement a fact or an opinion?

Opinion
Fact
9

• As you read, try to distinguish facts from
  opinions.
• Remember how to figure out if a statement is a
  fact or an opinion.