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Becky L. Spivey, M.Ed.
Use the following Fact or Opinion? activity with your child. Copy the following statements on note cards or paper. Have your child read or listen to each sentence. Then ask, “Do you think this statement is a fact or an opinion?” Regardless of the answer, have him/her tell you why he/she gave that answer. For the opinions, have your child tell you the word(s) that makes the statement an opinion. For facts, have him/her tell you how the statement may be proved.
For older children, some statements have a mixture of fact and opinion. (Younger children will respond to a mixture as being an opinion – which is correct.) Have your child tell you which part of the statement is fact and which part is an opinion and why. A statement mixing fact and opinion is, in essence, an opinion. The answers are in ( ) at the end of each statement: Fact (f), Opinion (o), and Mixture (m).
Fact or Opinion?
- Pumpkin pie should be served at every Thanksgiving dinner. (o)
- Hurricane Hugo destroyed parts of the coast of South Carolina in 1989. (f)
- Last night, three inches of rain fell over the city within an hour. (f)
- People hate going to the dentist because they don’t take care of their teeth properly. (o)
- We have the ugliest family dog in the neighborhood. (o)
- Corn dogs are best when eaten with fresh mustard. (o)
- My school bus seats 75 students. (f)
- Devon’s backpack is too heavy for such a little girl. (o)
- Dan’s new school shoes are two sizes bigger than what he wore last year. (f)
- Math is difficult for Becky because she hates working with numbers. (o)
- All of the students in Ms. Dell’s class paid their money for the field trip. (f)
- Mr. Franks tells the best stories during history class. (o)(m)
- The school board raised the teachers’ pay by 2% for next year. (f)
- The last lunar eclipse was simply spectacular! (o)
- Every time I call my grandmother, her phone is busy because she talks on it all day. (o)
- The garbage truck runs through my neighborhood on Tuesdays and Fridays. (f)
- Sasha was the prettiest kitten in the litter. (o)
- The concert tickets are $40.00 plus tax. (f)
- Jeannie spent her allowance the minute she got to the mall. (o)(m)
- Dad painted the living room a pretty shade of blue. (o)(m)
- Jesse is the slowest person in the world when he’s getting ready for school. (o)
- The snow fell three inches in 27 minutes. (f)
- The Dreamboat Band played awesome dancing music from the 70s for our spring dance. (o)(m)
- Papa Pete’s Pizza is the spiciest, most delicious pizza in town! (o)
- The closest US Post Office to our house is at the corner of Jones and Main Streets. (f)
- Voters will not be allowed to cast their votes after 7 p.m. (f)
- The mall closes tonight at 9 p.m. (f)
- Sid has the coolest car, but Jack has the coolest truck. (o)
**For further extension,make up more sentences, read sentences from a newspaper, book, or magazine article and repeat the instructions for the activity above. Have your child read or listen to advertisements from the newspaper. Ask your child which statements are facts or opinions or tell you if there is a mixture of the two. Then have him/her explain why or what makes the statement a fact or opinion.
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