Courseversity

Factual information

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U04-L0845–60 min

You will learn

  • Define fact and opinion.
  • Spot opinion words.
  • Check a fact.
  • Use reliable sources.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. A fact can be proved.
  2. An opinion is what someone thinks.
  3. Opinion words: best, worst, I think.
  4. Check facts in books or trusted sites.

Words to know

fact
something that can be proved true
opinion
what someone thinks or feels
reliable
can be trusted
source
where information comes from

1. Discover: Fact or opinion?

Ama says: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level. Kofi says: Mangoes are the best fruit in the world. Ms. Bello asks, Which one can we prove? The class checks a science book and finds the water fact, but they cannot prove the mango claim because people have different tastes.

Think: Which is a fact? Which is an opinion?

2. Understand: Fact and opinion

Idea 1: Facts

A fact can be proved: water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level. You can check a science book.

Idea 2: Opinions

An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. Words like best, worst, beautiful, I think often show opinions.

Idea 3: Reliable sources

Use a reliable source, such as a textbook, an encyclopedia or an expert, to check facts.

Remember: Facts can be proved; opinions are what people think. Check facts in reliable sources.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Fact

Which statement is a fact?

  1. Can we prove it?

Answer: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.

Example 2 (We do it together): Opinion

Which is an opinion?

  1. Is it best?

Answer: Mangoes are the best fruit in the world.

Example 3 (You try): Source

How did the class check the fact?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Where did they look?

Answer: in a science book

Did you know?

Librarians help people find reliable sources.

Why this matters

Telling fact from opinion helps you make wise decisions.

4. Explore: Fact check

Sort facts and opinions.

  1. Write six statements.
  2. Mark fact or opinion.
  3. Check one fact in a book.
  4. Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can check facts.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • This is a fact because ___.
  • This is an opinion because ___.
  • The opinion word is ___.
  • I checked in ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Something that can be proved true is a ___.

fact

Question 2. What someone thinks is an ___.

opinion

Question 3. Something that can be trusted is ___.

reliable

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Something that can be proved true is a ___.
  2. What someone thinks is an ___.
  3. Something that can be trusted is ___.
  4. Where information comes from is the ___.
  5. The class checked a ___ book.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Fact or opinion: Lagos is a city in Nigeria.
  2. Fact or opinion: Football is the most fun game.
  3. Name an opinion word.

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can facts be proved?
  2. Do opinions differ between people?
  3. Should we check sources?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write two facts and two opinions about your school.

Show a sample answer

four statements

Another one. Write three facts and three opinions and check one fact in a book.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can define fact and opinion.
  • I can spot opinion words.
  • I can check a fact.
  • I can use reliable sources.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A fact can be ___.

2. An opinion is what someone ___.

3. Which is a fact?

4. Which is an opinion?

5. Which word often shows an opinion?

6. Which is a reliable source?

7. Which statement can be proved?

8. Which is an opinion?

9. How did the class check the water fact?

10. Why could they not prove the mango claim?

11. A source is where information ___.

12. Which should you trust more?

Challenge 1. Fact or opinion: The Earth goes around the Sun.

Challenge 2. Fact or opinion: Mathematics is the hardest subject.

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • A fact can be proved.
  • An opinion is what someone thinks.
  • Opinion words: best, worst, I think.
  • Check facts in books or trusted sites.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Summarising informational texts. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a fact? [1 mark]
  2. What is an opinion? [1 mark]
  3. Write one fact and one opinion about food. [2 marks]
  4. Name one opinion word. [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to check a fact. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. something that can be proved [1]
  2. what someone thinks or feels [1]
  3. fact [1]; opinion [1]
  4. best/worst/beautiful [1]
  5. identify the claim [1]; look in a reliable source [1]; compare what it says [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Something that can be proved true is a ___.
  2. What someone thinks is an ___.
  3. Something that can be trusted is ___.
  4. Where information comes from is the ___.
  5. The class checked a ___ book.
  6. Fact or opinion: Lagos is a city in Nigeria.
  7. Fact or opinion: Football is the most fun game.
  8. Name an opinion word.
  9. Can facts be proved?
  10. Do opinions differ between people?

Homework

Write three facts and three opinions and check one fact in a book.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Something that can be proved true is a ___. fact 1
2. What someone thinks is an ___. opinion 1
3. Something that can be trusted is ___. reliable 1
4. Where information comes from is the ___. source 1
5. The class checked a ___ book. science 1
6. Fact or opinion: Lagos is a city in Nigeria. fact 1
7. Fact or opinion: Football is the most fun game. opinion 1
8. Name an opinion word. best 1
9. Can facts be proved? yes 1
10. Do opinions differ between people? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 fact; 2 opinion; 3 reliable; 4 source; 5 science. Level 2: 1 fact; 2 opinion; 3 best. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Define fact and opinion Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Spot opinion words Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Check a fact Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use reliable sources Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: define fact and opinion; spot opinion words; check a fact; use reliable sources.

Prerequisite knowledge. Problem and solution.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 3 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 3 » Reading: Literature; Grade 3 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RI.3.6 and RI.3.8; Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (reading non-fiction); media and information literacy practice. These sources informed the lesson.

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