Courseversity

Lesson

Evidence and opinion

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U04-L0545–60 min

You will learn

  • Separate fact from opinion.
  • Recognise kinds of evidence.
  • Spot opinion words.
  • Judge reliability.

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. Read the statement.
  2. Can it be checked?
  3. Mark fact or opinion.
  4. Judge its use.

Words to know

fact
a statement that can be proved
opinion
a personal belief or judgement
statistic
a number used as evidence
expert testimony
a statement from a specialist in the field

1. Discover: Talking about reading time

1: The library has 4,000 books. (fact) 2: Reading is the most boring hobby. (opinion) 3: A survey found 70 out of 100 students read daily. (statistic) 4: Dr Eze, a literacy teacher, says daily reading improves vocabulary. (expert testimony) 5: I think the library is lovely. (opinion)

A fact can be checked. An opinion uses words like best, boring, I think. Strong arguments use facts, statistics and expert testimony.

Think: Which statements can be proved?

2. Understand: What can be proved?

Idea 1: Fact and opinion

A fact can be proved; an opinion is a belief or judgement.

Idea 2: Kinds of evidence

Evidence includes facts, statistics and expert testimony.

Idea 3: Reliability

Check who said it and whether it can be verified.

Remember: Facts, statistics and expert testimony can be checked; opinions are beliefs and need support.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Fact

Which is a fact?

  1. 4,000 books.

Answer: the library has 4,000 books

Example 2 (We do it together): Opinion

Which is an opinion?

  1. Boring.

Answer: reading is the most boring hobby

Example 3 (You try): Expert

Who is the expert?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Dr Eze.

Answer: Dr Eze, a literacy teacher

Did you know?

Words like best, worst, boring and lovely often signal opinions.

Why this matters

Separating fact from opinion protects you from being misled.

4. Explore: Fact check

Sort statements.

  1. Write six statements.
  2. Mark fact or opinion.
  3. Circle opinion words.
  4. Explain your choices.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can separate 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 ___.
  • The opinion word is ___.
  • The evidence is ___.

Guided practice

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

fact

Question 2. A personal belief is an ___.

opinion

Question 3. A number used as evidence is a ___.

statistic

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A statement that can be proved is a ___.
  2. A personal belief is an ___.
  3. A number used as evidence is a ___.
  4. A statement from a specialist is expert ___.
  5. The library has 4,000 ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. How many out of 100 read daily?
  2. What word signals opinion in statement 2?
  3. What does Dr Eze say daily reading improves?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can a fact be checked?
  2. Is boring an opinion word?
  3. Is an expert always right?

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

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write three facts and three opinions about school.

Show a sample answer

six statements

Another one. Sort five statements from a newspaper with a family member into fact and opinion.

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 separate fact from opinion.
  • I can recognise kinds of evidence.
  • I can spot opinion words.
  • I can judge reliability.

9. Check and master

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

1. A fact can be ___.

2. An opinion is a personal ___.

3. A statistic is a ___ used as evidence.

4. Expert testimony comes from a ___.

5. The library has 4,000 books is a ___.

6. Reading is boring is an ___.

7. 70 out of 100 read daily is a ___.

8. Dr Eze’s statement is ___.

9. Which word signals opinion?

10. What should you check?

11. A strong argument uses ___.

12. Why separate fact and opinion?

Challenge 1. Which is a fact?

Challenge 2. Which is an opinion?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Read the statement.
  • Can it be checked?
  • Mark fact or opinion.
  • Judge its use.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Author’s purpose. 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. Define fact and opinion. [2 marks]
  2. Name two kinds of evidence. [2 marks]
  3. Identify the fact and opinion in statements 1 and 2. [2 marks]
  4. Give two opinion words. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how to check a statement. [3 marks]

Total: 11 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. fact can be proved [1]; opinion is a personal belief [1]
  2. statistics [1]; expert testimony [1]
  3. 1 is a fact [1]; 2 is an opinion [1]
  4. best, boring or lovely [1]; worst or I think [1]
  5. ask if it can be checked [1]; mark fact or opinion [1]; judge reliability and use [1]

Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A statement that can be proved is a ___.
  2. A personal belief is an ___.
  3. A number used as evidence is a ___.
  4. A statement from a specialist is expert ___.
  5. The library has 4,000 ___.
  6. How many out of 100 read daily?
  7. What word signals opinion in statement 2?
  8. What does Dr Eze say daily reading improves?
  9. Can a fact be checked?
  10. Is boring an opinion word?

Homework

Sort five statements from a newspaper with a family member into fact and opinion.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A statement that can be proved is a ___. fact 1
2. A personal belief is an ___. opinion 1
3. A number used as evidence is a ___. statistic 1
4. A statement from a specialist is expert ___. testimony 1
5. The library has 4,000 ___. books 1
6. How many out of 100 read daily? 70 1
7. What word signals opinion in statement 2? boring 1
8. What does Dr Eze say daily reading improves? vocabulary 1
9. Can a fact be checked? yes 1
10. Is boring an opinion word? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 fact; 2 opinion; 3 statistic; 4 testimony; 5 books. Level 2: 1 70; 2 boring; 3 vocabulary. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 no.

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 Separate fact from 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 Recognise kinds of evidence 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 Judge reliability 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: separate fact from opinion; recognise kinds of evidence; spot opinion words; judge reliability.

Prerequisite knowledge. Evaluating claims.

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 11-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 6 » Reading: Literature; Grade 6 » 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.6.8 and W.6.1b (supply claims with relevant evidence); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (fact and opinion). These sources informed the lesson.

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