GradeLevel:

Topic:
Factvs.Opinion/Research

Subject:
English/LanguageArts

Objective:
Researchandpresentanopiniononaformofenergybasedonfacts.

EssentialQuestion:
Howcanwemindfullydistinguishfactfromopinionwhenweread?
Howdoweusefactstosupportouropinions?

SOL(s):

6.2Thestudentwillpresent,listencritically,andexpressopinionsinoralpresentations.
a. Distinguishbetweenfactandopinion.
b. Compareandcontrastviewpoints.
c. Presentaconvincingargument.
d. Paraphraseandsummarizewhatisheard.
e. Uselanguageandvocabularyappropriatetoaudience,topic,andpurpose.

6.9Thestudentwillfind,evaluate,andselectappropriateresourcesforaresearchproduct.
a. Collectinformationfrommultiplesourcesincludingonline,print,andmedia.
b. Evaluatethevalidityandauthenticityoftexts.
c. Usetechnologyasatooltoresearch,organize,evaluate,andcommunicate
information.
d. Citeprimaryandsecondarysources.
e. Definethemeaningandconsequencesofplagiarismandfollowethicalandlegal
guidelinesforgatheringandusinginformation.

WarmUp:
(510minutes)
Hello,everyone!Isnttheweatherbeautifuloutside?Ithasbeen
sonicetobeabletonotwearacoattoschool!So,cananyonetellmeifwhatIjustsaidwas
afactoropinion?
Talkabouthowsomeoneelsemightthinkthat30degreesandsnowing
wasbeautiful,or50withtheleavesfalling.
WevedecidedthatwhatIsaidwasopinion.Ifthat
isthecase,whatisthedifferencebetweenafactandanopinion?Discusswithyourelbow
partnerandbepreparedtosharewhatyourpartnerthought.

Withyourelbowpartner(onegroupofthreeifneeded),discusswhatyouthinkafactisand
whatanopinionis.Aretheythesamething?Aretheydifferent?Iftheyaredifferent,whatsets
themapart?

Quickdiscussionaboutfactsvs.opinions.Studentssummarizewhattheirpartnerbelievesis
thedifferencebetweenafactandanopinion.

Definition:Afactisinformationthatcanbeverifiedorproven.Factscanbetrueorfalse,but
mustbeabletobeproven.Anopinionisinformationthatcannotbeprovenorverified.
Opinionscanbesomeonesbelieforpersonaljudgmentwithwhichyoucanagreeand
disagree.Theycanbearguedandsupportedwithfacts,buttheycannotbeproven.

LessonProcedure:
(3035minutes)

FactandOpinionexampleshaveasheetofpapertapedtothewallononesideofthe
classroomsayingFACTandoneontheoppositesideoftheclassroomsayingOPINION.
Beforestarting,goovertherules.(Norunning,notalking,andnopushing.)Oneatatime,
bringuptheexamplesontheboardandhavestudentsmovetothesideoftheroomthey
thinkitisanexampleof,factoropinion.Aftereachexample,haveafewstudentsgivetheir
reasonsforchoosingfactoropinion.
Examples:
Snickersisthebestcandybarmade.(O)
Theskyisblue.(F)
Mrs.Lemonisawesome.(O)
Weshouldworkonidentifyingnewenergysources.(O)
Currently,theworldprimarilyutilizesnonrenewableenergysourcesforits
energy.(F)
Nonrenewableenergywilleventuallyrunout.(F)

Presentproject.Thecountyneedsmoreenergy.Thecountycouncilistryingtodecidewhat
typeofenergytheyshouldinvestin.Theclassisacommitteecreatedtodecidewhichtype
ofenergymostfitstheneedsforthecounty,andthecommitteeisdividedinto
subcommitteeswitheachsubcommitteeresearchingoneenergysource.

Studentswillbeingroupsof4to5(6groupstotal)witheachgroupassignedoneenergy
source.(Coal,naturalgas,nuclear,hydro,wind,andsolar).Theywillspendtimebothinclass
and(ifoccurringconcurrently)inscienceclassresearchingtheirtypeofenergy,withsome
homeworkassignedtocontinueresearch.

Attheendoftheproject,studentswillcreateapresentationoftheirchoice(poster,
powerpoint,videoifthereisthetechnology,etc)touseinapresentationtothecouncilon
theirfindings.Theywillusethefactstheyfindtoformanopinionoftheirenergysource.This
opinioncanbeeitherpositive(Thiswouldbeagoodsourcetopursue!)ornegative
(Becauseitcoststoomuch,thisonewouldnotbeagoodchoice.).Therewillbeotheradults
fillingtherolesoftheCouncilsuchastheprincipal,assistantprincipal,giftedteacher,
scienceteachers,orothercommunitymembers.

Duringthepresentation,therestofthesubcommitteeswillbefillingoutasheettokeepthem
engagedandparticipating.Attheendofallpresentations,studentswillvoteontheenergy
theywillrecommendtothecountycouncil.

Assessment:
(2minutes)Exitslipwritedownonefactandthenwriteoneopiniondealing
withthatfact.

Homework
:Studentswilleachgetonehomeworksheetbaseduponwhatenergygroupthey
arein.Theywillhavetogohomeanddosomequickresearchtowritedownaninitialopinion
oftheirenergysource.

Accommodations:
Forstudentswhohavenointernetaccessathome,Iwillprovidesome
printedarticlesaboutthedifferentenergytypesthatstudentscanborrowandtakehomefor
thefirstday.

ForanyESLstudents,dependingonlevel,Iwilltrytohavearticlesavailableintheirlanguage
thattheycanuse.Ialsowillnotholdthemtothesamespeakingstandardswhengradingthe
oralpresentation.Lastly,Iwillallowthemtotakenotesintheirnativelanguageaslongas
theyhaveawaytoexplaintomewhattheyaredoingandtheirprogress.

ForstrugglingstudentsIwillspendextratimeassistingthemintheclassroom.ForIEP
studentsIwillworkwiththeirsupportteachersifavailableandreduceworkrequiredif
necessary.CouldpairwithabuddytodothewritingorIcouldhelpoutwiththewritingif
needed.

ProjectTimeline

Day1:
Discussandprovideinstructiononthedifferencebetweenfact/opinion,introduce
project,showexampleofsomeonepresentingtoacouncil(realworldexamples),divideinto
groups,andexplaingraphicorganizer.(Groupsandorganizercanhappenthenextdayiftime
runsout).

Day2:
Divideintogroupsandexplaingraphicorganizerifitdidnothappentheprevious
lesson.Startorcontinueresearch.

Day3:
Continueresearching.

Day4:
Finishresearch.Asstudentsfinishtheirproject,theycanstartrevisingandediting.

Day5:
Finishupresearch,revise&editproject,practicepresenting.

Day6:
Explainstudentsrolesduringthepresentations,gooverbehaviorexpectations,hand
outworksheet.Startprojectpresentations.

Day7:
Finishpresentationswherestudentswillthenvoteonwhichenergysourcethecouncil
shouldchoose.Have5examplesoftowns/cities/countriesthathavedecidedtoinvestin
differenttypesofenergysourcesasexamplesofwhatcouldoccurwiththeirchoice.

totalkabout:Digitaltools,usedmindfully,enableconnections.Digitalreadingisconnectedreading.Theyarguethat
wemustteachadolescentshowtoreaddigitaltextseffectively,notsimplyexpectthatteenscanreadthembecause
theyknowhowtousedigitaltools.