FACTvs. Opinion
FACTS can be proven. The sky is red. Can you prove that the sky is not red? If yes, then the statement above is an untrue fact.

OPINIONS cannot be proven, because they are the writer s own feelings or interpretations. Listening to Rap music is a waste of time, because it is horrible. Can you prove that rap music is horrible? No, because some people like it, and some don t. Sometimes, they can also be generalizations. White people can't stand Mexican food. Can you find at least one white person who does like Mexican food? If yes, then the statement above is an opinion, because it is a generalization.

Activity:
Write O in the blanks next to the opinion statements and underline the words that make these statements opinions
Write F in the blanks next to the fact statements.
1_____ Osama Bin Laden said that all Americans are now subject to attack.
2_____ William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet.
3_____ Albert Einstein formulated the Theory of Relativity in the early 1900 s
4_____ Males make better photographers.
5_____ Students in high school should not be required to dissect animals
6_____ Madonna has never won a major music award
7_____ Hawaii became a U.S. state state in 1959.
8_____ The internet has made instantaneous communication possible.
9_____ Bill Clinton may be remembered as a great president because he cut military spending.
10____ North Dakota is a great place to visit - if you are a polar bear.
11____ People in Japan are better educated than students in the U.S. because the Japanese have a longer school year.
12____ The freezing point of water is 32 degrees fahrenheit.
13____ Computers make life easier.
14____ Baseball is more fun to play than football Everyone must learn to write well, making journalism a very important elective.
15____ History can be boring, but it is very important to learn.
16____ If you want to have a good time, visit Disneyland.
17____ Mozart is widely recognized as an outstanding composer
18____ Dancing is good exercise.
19____ Teenagers who are boys like to eat all of the time.
20____ Calcium is essential for growth.
21____ Exercise may help prevent heart attacks.
22____ Nitrogen is the most common gas in the Earth s atmosphere
23____ Gold is cheaper than platinum because gold is easier to find.
24____ The world economy should be based on a single currency.
25____ We will never prove if life exists only on our planet.
26____ Dr. Seuss wrote, Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.
27____ The T-Bird football team needs your support, so go to the game Friday at 7 p.m.
28____ Most girls want a relationship, while most boys don't.

QUIZ: Log onto the following site. Record your score at the bottom of the page. MY SCORE = _________________________.

http://cuip.uchicago.edu/www4teach/97/jlyman/default/quiz/factopquiz.html

HOMEWORK: Pretend that the United States scientists have just discovered a cure for cancer and that you are a reporter assigned to write the story. Take a hard news angle and a brief lead paragraph that includes the 5Ws. Then take a feature angle and write about the scientists who made the discovery. You may create your own facts that would go along with this story ,for instance, the scientist's name, how long he or she worked on the project, etc.