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Fact
or Opinion?
Designed by: Colette Dryden, Satchel
Ford Elementary
1)
Core Curriculum Objective:
Determine
fact/opinion. (3-AL-8)
Grade Level: Third
Subject:
Reading
2)
Overview: Students
will use editorial cartoons to distinguish between
facts and opinions.
They will discuss what makes something a fact
and what makes something an opinion.
The students will work cooperatively to
create their own editorial cartoon regarding a topic
they choose.
3)
Focus Question:
How can we use cartoons to tell the
difference between someone’s opinion and the
actual facts?
4)
Time Frame: 2
One hour class periods for instruction; 1 One hour
class period for sharing product
5)
Resources/Materials
http://www.cagle.com/
computer
lab
paper
crayons
markers
chart
paper
newspaper
clippings on current events
6)
Culminating Assessment:
The
students will work in pairs to design their own
editorial cartoon.
The teacher will assess the students’
understanding by using the following rubric.
| POINTS
|
FACTS
|
OPINIONS
|
ILLUSTRATION
|
| 3
|
Facts
are expressed accurately.
|
Opinions
are clearly expressed.
|
Cartoon
is neat, colorful, and legible.
|
| 2
|
Facts
are expressed with some accuracy.
|
Opinions
are expressed, but not easily understood.
|
Cartoon
is legible.
|
| 1
|
Facts
are expressed without accuracy.
|
Opinions
are not understandable.
|
Cartoon
is not neat or legible.
|
| 0
|
No
facts presented.
|
No
opinion expressed.
|
No
cartoon drawn.
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7)
Instructional Activities:
Activity One: Ask
students if they have heard about a current news
story. (For example:
Pollution of the waters off of our coast.).
Allow volunteers to share what they have
heard or read.
Ask students to listen for the facts as you
read a current news article from the newspaper.
Lead a discussion about what the facts are in
the article. You
may want to review the 5 W’s (Who, what, where,
when, and why) prior to this activity.
After
this discussion, ask the students what their opinion
is regarding this topic.
Record some opinions on the chart paper.
Ask the students what the difference is
between the facts presented in the article and their
opinions. (Lead
them to decide that facts are true and opinions are
beliefs. You
might point out the color of an article of clothing
as being “blue”…that is a fact.
I may think it is a pretty blue…that is an
opinion. Someone
else may not think it is pretty. That is their opinion.)
Next,
have the students work in pairs at the computer and
log on to www.cagle.com
Model for
the students how to click on a pre-selected
cartoon regarding a current event. Monitor and make
sure everyone is on the correct page.
Have everyone looking at the same cartoon for
the initial discussion.
Ask the students what the facts are in the
cartoon. Record
them on the board or chart paper.
Lead a discussion for students to identify
the opinion of the cartoonist.
Have the students discuss if their opinion is
the same or different.
Depending on your class, you may need to go
through several cartoons together to model how to
differentiate between facts and opinions.
Once your class understands, you can go on to
the next activity.
HOMEWORK:
Have students bring in a newspaper clipping
of a national current event they care about.
Provide newspapers for students that do not
get the paper at home. (Your Media Center can help
with this, if necessary.)
Activity Two: Ask
students to share the newspaper clippings they
brought in. Have
the teams discuss them and decide which one they
would like to pursue on the cartoon web site.
They will get a chance to do the other one if
time allows.
Have
the teams log on to www.cagle.com
as they did before.
Have students choose a single cartoon about
the clipping they brought in. The teacher may provide some extra clippings that have
related cartoons on the site for the students that
didn’t bring in a clipping or for students that
chose a clipping that there is no cartoon for.
The cartoon should reflect an opinion other
than their own.
The students can print out the cartoon
(optional) or use it online.
They will use the cartoon to plan their own
cartoon illustrating their opinion.
Students
should be given time to create their cartoon.
Tell them to make the facts clear either
through the illustrations or through a few
well-chosen words.
Also, their opinion needs to be clear and
their illustration should be colorful, neat, and
legible.
Have
student volunteers share their cartoons with the
class. Post
them on the school’s web page.
Laminate them and bind them in a book to put
in the library or to be checked out and shared with
family members.
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