Curated OER
Fighting Fake News
Fake news. Alternative facts. Internet trolls. In an age of Newspeak, it's increasingly important to equip 21st century learners with the skills needed to determine the legitimacy of claims put forth on social media, in print, and in...
Curated OER
Lesson 4: Fact and Opinion - Rosa Parks: My Story
Sixth graders examine implicit and explicit opinions in a text about Rosa Parks. In this explicit and implicit opinions lesson, 6th graders participate in direct teaching, guided practice, and independent practice while reading an...
Curated OER
Fact V. Opinion
Students distinguish between fact and opinion when reading material. They use statements of objects to determine if they are facts or opinions.
Curated OER
Media Literacy Skills
You're on camera! Third graders find a news story and research it to get more information. Everyone uses their found information to write a script and create their own news broadcast!
Curated OER
Identifying Facts
Young scholars evaluate what a fact is and what the characteristics of a fact are. In this fact and opinion lesson, students read through chapters in their books and point out facts that they find that cannot be...
US House of Representatives
Black Americans in Congress Speak Their Mind
To conclude their study of Black Americans in Congress, groups select a statement made by one of the Members, examine the Member's profile on the provided link, and create a display that includes state represented, years of service, an...
EngageNY
Identifying Author’s Opinion and Evidence: The Value of Sports in People’s Lives, Part I
Just like instant replay, it's time to take a closer look! Pupils work together to add ideas to a Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. They then put their knowledge to the test as they read an informational article about the...
Curated OER
Persuasive Practice: A Mt. Rushmore Addition
Budding authors research a US President and persuade the National Park Service to add him to Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the persuasive essay, individuals are required to develop a visual presentation using a web-based software that...
Curated OER
Fact and Opinion
Sixth graders discuss the terms "explicit opinions," and "implicit opinions," from a text. In this literacy lesson, 6th graders analyze the author's techniques to find explicitly stated opinions. Additionally, students complete a...
Curated OER
Is That a Fact?
Students write examples of facts and opinions on the board. In groups, they develop their own definitions for facts and opinions and share with the class. In new groups, they complete a worksheet in which they place statements into the...
Curated OER
Disney's Pocahontas: Fact or Fiction?
Did you know that Pocahontas was 12 when Jamestown was established? Did you know that she later married John Rolfe? Did you know that she lived in London for two years? Did you know that she died of small pox? Class members study the...
Prestwick House
Understanding Language: Slant, Spin, and Bias in the News
We live in a time of fake news, alternative realities, and media bias. What could be more timely than an activity that asks class members to research how different sources report the same topic in the news?
Curated OER
8th Grade Reading Comprehension Success
Augment your eighth grade language arts curriculum with a thorough set of reading comprehension activities and assessments. Focusing on a variety of skills, including vocabulary in context, text structure, main idea, and author's style,...
Curated OER
ICYouSee: A Lesson in Critical Thinking
Stress the importance of authenticating online resources and understanding the sources of websites' information with this activity. Using a Web-based activity, the lesson prompts young learners to think critically about determining the...
Curated OER
Just the Facts, Jack
Third graders listen to music and discuss their responses to different styles separating their comments into facts and opinions. They evaluate a worksheet of statements by classifying the statements into fact and opinion.
Curated OER
"It's Verifiable!"
Students examine the differences between fact and opinion. They define fact and opinion, evaluate their favorite fact or opinion on a website, and in small groups write sentences using facts and opinions about school and their favorite...
Curated OER
Let Us Do Your Selling
Sixth graders analyze several types of propaganda techniques and create a book cover using the techniques. In this propaganda techniques lesson, 6th graders analyze the propaganda techniques used in various ads. Students analyze the...
Curated OER
Arthur Meets the President
Learners read, Arthur Meets the President, and review the story using sentence strips and complete a book review activity with a partner. In this reading skills lesson plan, students work on fact and opinion and...
Curated OER
What an Accomplishment
Students identify and discuss the images on the back of the South Dakota quarter. They discuss the differences between facts and opinions, and research information about the four presidents memorialized on Mount Rushmore.
Teaching Tolerance
Where We Stand
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Academics learn strategies to share their opinions and agree or disagree with others in a respectful manner. The resource provides scenarios to help individuals form opinions and share them with...
Newseum
Propaganda Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Working in teams, pairs, or individually, scholars select one resource from a gallery of historical sources and consider which examples might be considered propaganda, the techniques used to persuade audiences, and evaluate how the...
Newseum
Bias Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Young journalists use the E.S.C.A.P.E. (evidence, source, context, audience, purpose, and execution) strategy to evaluate historical and contemporary examples of bias in the news. The class then uses the provided discussion questions to...
Ogden Museum of Art Education Department
Literacy and Landscapes
As the saying goes, art often imitates life ... and literature! A series of activities designed to accompany a visit to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art encourage writers to find inspiration in various landscapes. The instructional...
Newseum
Persuasion Portfolios
After class members brainstorm a list of current social and political issues, groups each select a different topic from the list to research. Teams create a portfolio of at least 10 examples of stories about their issue, stories that...