Courseversity

Facts and opinions

Primary EducationGrade 5English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G05-ELA-U04-L0645–60 min

You will learn

  • Define fact.
  • Define opinion.
  • Spot opinion words.
  • Check facts.

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. Ask can it be proved?
  2. Look for opinion words.
  3. Check with a source.
  4. Label fact or opinion.

Words to know

fact
a statement that can be proved true or false
opinion
a statement of belief or feeling
verify
to check that something is true
bias
an unfair leaning toward one side

1. Discover: Sorting statements

Ama sorts: “Lagos is in Nigeria.” (fact; can be checked on a map). “Lagos is the best city.” (opinion; best is a feeling word). “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.” (fact; can be tested). “Maths is boring.” (opinion).

Think: How can you tell a fact from an opinion?

2. Understand: Proof or feeling?

Idea 1: Facts

A fact can be proved true or false. You can verify it with a map, a measurement or a reliable source.

Idea 2: Opinions

An opinion states what someone believes or feels. Words like best, worst, boring, should often signal opinion.

Idea 3: Bias

Be alert to bias: writers may mix facts and opinions to lean one way.

Remember: Facts can be verified; opinions are beliefs or feelings, often signalled by words such as best or should.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Fact

Which is a fact?

  1. Checkable.

Answer: Lagos is in Nigeria

Example 2 (We do it together): Opinion

Which is an opinion?

  1. Feeling.

Answer: Lagos is the best city

Example 3 (You try): Signal

Which word signals opinion?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Best.

Answer: best

Did you know?

A sentence can contain both a fact and an opinion, such as The tall tower is beautiful.

Why this matters

Telling fact from opinion helps you avoid being misled.

4. Explore: Fact check

Sort statements.

  1. Write six statements.
  2. Label each fact or opinion.
  3. Verify the facts.
  4. Circle opinion words.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can tell fact from opinion.

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 ___.
  • I can verify it by ___.
  • The opinion word is ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A statement that can be proved is a ___.

fact

Question 2. A statement of belief or feeling is an ___.

opinion

Question 3. To check that something is true is to ___.

verify

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A statement that can be proved is a ___.
  2. A statement of belief or feeling is an ___.
  3. To check that something is true is to ___.
  4. An unfair leaning toward one side is ___.
  5. Lagos is in ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What boils at 100 degrees Celsius?
  2. Which word signals opinion?
  3. Which statement is about Maths?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can facts be checked?
  2. Is best a fact word?
  3. Can a sentence mix both?

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

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write three facts and three opinions about your school.

Show a sample answer

six statements

Another one. Find two facts and two opinions in a news item and show a family member.

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.
  • I can define opinion.
  • I can spot opinion words.
  • I can check facts.

9. Check and master

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

1. A fact can be ___ true or false.

2. An opinion states a ___ or feeling.

3. To verify is to ___.

4. Bias is an unfair ___ toward one side.

5. Which is a fact?

6. Which is an opinion?

7. Which word signals an opinion?

8. Which is a fact?

9. How can you verify a fact?

10. Which is an opinion?

11. Which sentence contains an opinion word?

12. Why separate facts from opinions?

Challenge 1. Which statement is a fact?

Challenge 2. Which is an opinion?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Ask can it be proved?
  • Look for opinion words.
  • Check with a source.
  • Label fact or opinion.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Evaluating explanations. 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. Give a fact and an opinion about your school. [2 marks]
  4. Name two opinion signal words. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how to tell a fact from an opinion. [3 marks]

Total: 9 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a statement that can be proved true or false [1]
  2. a statement of belief or feeling [1]
  3. a checkable fact [1]; an opinion with feeling words [1]
  4. best [1]; worst or boring or should [1]
  5. ask if it can be proved [1]; look for feeling words [1]; verify with a reliable source [1]

Score guide: 8 to 9 = secure. 6 to 7 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A statement that can be proved is a ___.
  2. A statement of belief or feeling is an ___.
  3. To check that something is true is to ___.
  4. An unfair leaning toward one side is ___.
  5. Lagos is in ___.
  6. What boils at 100 degrees Celsius?
  7. Which word signals opinion?
  8. Which statement is about Maths?
  9. Can facts be checked?
  10. Is best a fact word?

Homework

Find two facts and two opinions in a news item and show a family member.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A statement that can be proved is a ___. fact 1
2. A statement of belief or feeling is an ___. opinion 1
3. To check that something is true is to ___. verify 1
4. An unfair leaning toward one side is ___. bias 1
5. Lagos is in ___. Nigeria 1
6. What boils at 100 degrees Celsius? water at sea level 1
7. Which word signals opinion? best 1
8. Which statement is about Maths? Maths is boring 1
9. Can facts be checked? yes 1
10. Is best a fact word? no 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 fact; 2 opinion; 3 verify; 4 bias; 5 Nigeria. Level 2: 1 water at sea level; 2 best; 3 Maths is boring. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 no; 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 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 Define 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
O3 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
O4 Check facts 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; define opinion; spot opinion words; check facts.

Prerequisite knowledge. Claims and reasons.

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 9-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 5 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 5 » Reading: Literature; Grade 5 » 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.5.8 and W.5.1 (distinguish fact from opinion); Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 (fact and opinion). These sources informed the lesson.

Keep learning

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