Fact vs Opinion

Source: https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-fact-and-opinion.html#ComparisonChart

A fact is something that has actually happened or that is empirically true and can be supported by evidence. 


An opinion is a belief; it is normally subjective, meaning that it can vary based on a person's perspective, emotions, or individual understanding of something.


 For example, biological differences between males and females are a fact, while a preference for one gender over the other is opinion.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-fact-and-opinion.htm

WORKSHEET 1 

Directions: Read each statement and then circle whether it is a fact or opinion.

1.  The fastest land dwelling creature is the Cheetah.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

2.  Michael Jordan has a career average of 30.4 points per game.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

3.  George Washington was the first President of the United States under the Constitution.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

4.  The ugliest sea creature is the manatee.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

5.  Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Fact  or  Opinion   : _______________

6.  There seems to be too much standardized testing in public schools.

Fact  or  Opinion   : _______________

7.  Prison is one of the worst places on the planet.

Fact  or  Opinion   : _______________

8.  It is wrong for people under the age of 21 to drink alcohol.

Fact  or  Opinion   : _______________

9.  Sister Carrie was written by Theodore Dreiser.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: ______________

10.  Lord of the Rings: Return of the King won eleven Oscars (Academy Awards).

Fact  or  Opinion   : _______________

11.  Oranges contain both calcium and vitamin C.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

12.  The television show The Simpsons is just not as funny as it used to be.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

13.  Diamonds are the hardest substance on Earth.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

14.  McDonalds sells more hamburgers than any other restaurant chain in the world.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: ______________

15.  Horse manure smells awful.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

16.  The price of gas has grown to become too expensive.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

17.  Chicken has more protein carrots.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

18.  The more money someone has the more successful they are. 

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

19.  Vegetarians are healthier than people who eat meat.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

20.  Cell phones emit radiation that may or may not cause brain cancer.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: ______________

21.  Students have a lot harder time in school than the teachers.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

22.  Popular music today is not as good as it was in the past.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: ______________

23.  It is illegal to yell out “Fire” in a crowded movie theater. 

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

24.  People should not be allowed to talk on cell phones in a movie theater.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

25.  Drug dealers belong in prison.

Fact  or  Opinion   : ______________

WORKSHEET 2

Directions: Read each statement and then circle whether it is a fact or opinion.  Explain your answer.

1.  Pizza tastes better than broccoli.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

2.  The average slice of deep-dish cheese pizza has between 300 and 400 calories.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

3.  There are a lot of calories in a slice of deep-dish pizza.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

4.  The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

5.  A place that makes and sells pizza is called a pizzeria.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

6.  It is easier to cook a frozen pizza at home than it is to get pizza from a pizzeria. 

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

7.  Flour is the main ingredient in pizza dough.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

8.  It is best to cook pizzas at low temperatures so that they do not get too crispy.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

9.  New York-style pizza is more fun to eat than Chicago-style pizza because you can fold the slices.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

10.  São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, has over 6000 pizzerias.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

11.  The best pizza in the world comes from Italy, not America.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

12.  The first pizza place in America opened up in New York’s Little Italy in 1905.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

13.  Pizza is not a healthy food to eat.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

14.  The largest pizza ever made was 122 feet and 8 inches in diameter.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

15.  The only toppings that really belong on a pizza are tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

16.  Chicago-style pizza is cooked in a pan and has a thick crust.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

17.  Anchovies are the most disgusting pizza topping.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

18.  Mozzarella cheese is the most commonly used pizza cheese according to global survey.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

19.  Some pizza cheeses are processed so that they melt quickly and remain chewy.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

20. Pizza made with artificial or processed cheese is not as good pizza made with natural cheeses.  

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

21.  Over 700 million frozen pizzas are sold in America each year.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

22.  Pepperoni should be placed on top of the pizza cheese not underneath it.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

23.  The best pizzas are rolled by hand, not a machine.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

24.  It is a customary to tip pizza delivery drivers in America.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________

25.  Pizza delivery drivers can make a lot of money.

Fact  or  Opinion   Explain: _____________________________________________________________ 

Writing a Reference Page for an Opinion Essay

References are sources of information used when writing an essay. It is important to include your references when writing an opinion essay.

When writing your opinion essay, write the list of references in a separate page. There is specific way to write your references, in our class here is our reference structure:


Author's family name, first name. "Title of the Webpage or Article." Website link or URL. (Date Accessed)



So your reference information will look like this:


Tanaka, Mariko. "Citing References for College Students." https://penandthepad.com/wrting-references.html. (Accessed January 11, 2019)

Opinion Essays

Link to Slide (Opinion Essay)
http://www.slideshare.net/aponce4/an-opinion-essay-presentation

Tips on Writing an Opinion Essay:
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/opinion.htm

Fact vs Opinion YouTube link:

http://youtu.be/fnFnWWAnlkw

Opinion Writing
The most important way to persuade someone to agree with what you are writing is to include strong supporting facts. Your writing will always sound better when you support what you have written with evidence or good examples.

A second way to persuade someone to agree with the ideas in your writing is to include at least one sentence with an opposing opinion (an opinion that disagrees with your point of view). At first, this might not seem like a good idea, but it is common to state one point of view that disagrees with your own point of view. This is called a counterargument. This counterargument is then followed by a statement that refutes, or reduces the counterargument. This is called a refutation because you refute the counterargument.

When you acknowledge this other opinion, you should downplay, or minimize it. One way to do this is to use weak words, such as some, may, and might, as we can see in the following example:

                 Some people might say that uniforms take away personal freedom, but students still have
                 many other ways to express themselves and their individuality.

In a good opinion paragraph, the writer:

• states an opinion about a topic
• provides supporting sentences with factual information
• briefly mentions one opposing point of view (the counterargument)
• refute the counterargument in one or two sentences (refutation)
• finishes the paragraph with a concluding sentence that restates the topic sentence and / or offers a solution.

Read the paragraph above and answer the following questions:

1. What is the opinion of the writer about high school students volunteering? ___________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the counterargument sentence? ___________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the statement that refutes the counterargument?

___________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the supporting facts?

___________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the concluding sentence?

___________________________________________________________________________

Narrative Writing: Final Activity

Shake Rory’s Cubes (https://www.storycubes.com/en/) to get your prompts.
For example:

 Use the three pictures in your Narrative Essay. 

Follow these guidelines:

Photo from: https://edusson.com/blog/outline-for-narrative-essay

Narrative Writing

Picture source: http://libguides.manchester.edu/c.php?g=305609&p=2354278

A narrative paragraph tells a story or relates an event. Narratives a beginning, a middle and an end. Any time you go to a movie or read a fiction book, you are enjoying a narrative. A narrative paragraph can be fun to write because you often describe an event from your life.

A narrative paragraph:

• tells a story
• gives background information in the opening sentence or sentences
• has a clear beginning, middle and end
• entertains and informs

Every narrative paragraph has a beginning, middle and end. Read the sample paragraph:


     One afternoon when I was walking to my bus stop in front of the Walgreens on Broadway, I came face to face with death. Approaching the crosswalk from Mountain Ave., I looked both ways just as my mother taught me so many years ago. When the traffic was clear, I stepped out into the freshly painted white path only to see a large blue van begin to accelerate wildly in my direction. For some reason, all I could think of as I held my breath, preparing to die was "who is going to feed my cat." Fortunately the driver of the vehicle was only trying to frighten me. His road rage was palpable as he swerved around me, his oversized passenger mirror within inches of the brim of my hat, shouting words in my direction that I dare not repeat here. Unable to respond in kind, I simply exhaled and hurried to the sidewalk on the other side.

The Topic Sentence
The 1st sentence of the paragraph, the topic sentence, gives background information of the story. The writer introduces the main character, and prepares the readers for the action that will come.

The Beginning of the Story
The main action begins after the topic sentence. Note that not all narratives contain action. Some may be a about problem or a conflict. The action in the above paragraph began when the writer started to cross the street.

The Middle of the Story
The middle part is when the main action or problem occurs. In the paragraph, the action of crossing the street turned into a problem when the writer saw the speeding van. It continued when the writer started thinking that he might die.

The End of the Story
The end of the story gives the final action or result. If there is a problem or conflict in the story, the solution is presented here. The above paragraph had a happy ending, because the writer didn't die, in the end he was able to cross the street safely.

References:
Folse, K., et. al, Great Writing, 2014 Cengage Learning

Writing a Narrative Essay

Steps in Writing a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are commonly assigned pieces of writing at different stages through school. Like any story, they have a plot, conflict, and characters. It can be a fun type of assignment to write, if you approach it properly. Learn how to choose a good topic, get a solid rough draft on paper, and revise your narrative essay.

In today's lesson, you will learn how to write a Narrative essay. A narrative essay tells a story, therefore it has to have a plot, conflict, and characters.

The plot of a story is the sequence of events connected to the topic. Plot is very similar to storyline.

Conflict is usually a problem, or a challenge within the story that makes the story exciting, scary, or interesting.

Characters are the people, animals, monsters, etc., involved in the story.

For a narrative to be effective, the plot, conflict and characters must be interesting, funny, or scary, depending on the kind of story you are writing.

When writing a story for the first time, there is something called a "prompt." 

A prompt is a topic or idea that provides the starting point for your narrative.

A narrative also has a definite start, middle, and end.

The start is the introduction of your story, you set the tone, introduce the characters, establish a setting.

The middle is where you introduce the conflict. The exciting, funny, sad, or scary part of your story.

The end is the resolution. It could be a happy ending, a sad ending, or an ending that asks a question.

These are the important things to learn when writing a narrative essay.

Go to the link below for more tips on writing a Narrative Essay:

https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Narrative-Essay