T H E F E W E R T H E FA C T S , T H E

S T R O N G E R T H E O P I N I O N

FA C T V S O P I N I O N

Opinions don’t affect facts, but facts should affect opinions and do
if you are rational.

Ricky Gervais
 COUNT THE NUMBER OF PIES YOU
SEE IN THIS ENTIRE PRESENTATION
BUT….
EXTRA
CREDIT!
MAKE SURE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO
LEARN!
W H Y I T I S I M P O RTA N T ?

When reading, either for By this, we mean that you

pleasure or for work, it is
important that you can ‘read
between the lines’.
need to read or listen carefully
to a statement and before
accepting it as the truth you
decide whether it is an
opinion or a fact.
WHERE CAN WE BE INFLUENCED?

Radio Advertising
Friends
YouTube News Newspapers
Television World Events
Family
Culture
The Internet Music Blogs
Film
Literature
Social Networking Teachers
Family
WHERE DO WE FIND
FA C T S / O P I N I O N S ?
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Leaflets
• Posters
• Internet websites
H O W M A N Y PA N D A S ?
THE TRUTH TOWER
Exploring Who You Trust? 1.CNN
2.Google Search
Rank the sources in order of 3.Channel 7 news
4.YouTube
trust and distrust. 5.The New York Times
6.Government
7.Amandala
8.Yahoo News
9.Family
10.Teachers
 An opinion is a statement that
cannot be proved or checked

It tells what someone thinks, feels,

or believes

OPINIONS Clue words for opinion statements

are:
• think, feel, believe, seem
• always, never, all, none, most, least, best,
greatest, worst
OPINION FA C T
• ‘This wine is too dry.’
 
• This is an opinion based on the drinker’s preference for a sweeter wine. It is not a fact. Written
as a fact, the statement should be:

• ‘This is a dry wine.’

FA C T S
Facts are statements that can be checked or proved

We can check facts by conducting some sort of experiment, observation, or by

verifying (checking) the fact with a source document

Facts often contain numbers, dates, or ages

Facts might include specific information about a person, place or thing

FA C T
• Opinions come from individuals and may not always be based on facts (or all the facts). A fact is
based on what is accepted as the truth because it can be proved. For example

• ‘In 2002, this company had two hundred and twenty two employees.’

• This can be proved through employment records – thus it is a fact.

 • Read each answer choice and ask yourself:
• “Can this statement be proved?”
Example: Which of these is a fact?
A. We have lived in the house in the city
B. I believe that summer is the best season.

To recognize a C. I think that spaghetti is a delicious meal.

The Reporter is a newspaper.
FACT D.
TO RECOGNIZE AN
OPINION

• Read each answer choice and ask yourself “Does this

statement tell what someone thinks, feels, or
believes?”
• Look in the answer choice for clue words that signal
an opinion
 Facts are statements that are either backed
up directly by evidence or where evidence
can easily be retrieved to prove it.

MIXED Opinions are statements that are based on

feelings, past experiences, or emotions. It is
FA C T A N D
similar to the fiction versus nonfiction
OPINION? argument.

What happens when fact and opinion are

mixed?
CASE IN
POINT

B L O G : T H E C U R I O U S C A S E
O F B H U TA N
G AY G I R L I N D A M A S C U S
THESE ARE SOME EXTRACTS
FROM THE BLOG
19 February 2011
"Almost every time I speak or write
to other LGBT people outside the
Middle East, they always seem to
wonder what it's like to be a
lesbian here in Damascus. Well, I
always find myself answering, it's
not as easy as I'd like
it to be but it's probably easier
than you might think.“
21 February
Why I am doing this. I live in
Damascus, Syria. It's a
repressive police state. Most
LGBT people are still deep in
the closet or staying as
invisible as possible. But I
have set up a blog
announcing my sexuality,
with my name and my photo.
Am I crazy? Maybe.
10 April 8 May
My hijab, my choice What do I want?
I consciously I want to travel and be with
considered myself as a the one I love … I want to
feminist and as grow old together …
someone who believes I want to be happy. I want
in human rights and the to live in a free country and
equality of all. But I'm I don't want to have to
also an Arab and a move.
Muslim. And I covered.
And no one made me
do it; I chose it.
6 T H J U N E 2 0 11

Dear friends of Amina, Update on Amina:

I am Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari's
cousin and have the following
information to share. [While with a friend
in a Damascus street] Amina was seized
by three men in their early 20's.
According to the witness (who does not
want her identity known),the men were
armed. Amina hit one of them and told
the friend to go find her father.
I have been on the telephone with
both her parents and all that we can
say right now is that she is missing.
Her father is desperately trying to
find out where she is and who has
taken her.
 G AY G I R L I N
DAMASCUS

HT T PS :/ /W WW.Y OUT UB E . COM /

WAT C H ? V = C O FA 4 E E G C 3 W
M E E T T H E R E A L G AY G I R L I N D A M A S C U S

•What lessons can we learn from this story?

•What tips can help us to check a source?

"The events [in the Middle East] are being shaped by the people living them on a daily basis. I
have only tried to illuminate them for a western audience.“
Tom MacMaster
TRUST
 HAS TV
CHANGED
B H U TA N ?
THE CLAIM
• that cable television has caused
"dramatic changes" to society, being
responsible for increasing crime,
corruption, an uncontrolled desire for
western products, and changing attitudes
to love and relationships. Furthermore,
"We have had to send teachers to Canada
to be trained as professional
counsellors.”
 "Dear Editor,
THE EVIDENCE TV is very bad
for our
Families spending less time together: More than 35% of parents prefer to watch TV than talk to country... it
their children.
controls our
Rise in mental health issues: Children are confiding in their teachers of feeling manic, envious
minds... and
and stressed. makes [us]
crazy. The
Rise in violent behaviour: "The students are becoming more and more violent when they are at enemy is right
school," he explained. here with us in
our own living
Television replaces leisure activities: Almost 50% of the children watch for up to 12 hours a day.
room. People
Desire for Western Culture: "[Young people] want and need what they see on television - the
behave like the
fashion, the clothes, the whole changing lifestyle, going to bars, drinking,“ actors, and are
now anxious,
Increase in theft: "If you look at the items being stolen, it's directly related to what they're greedy and
seeing," he added. discontent."
BIAS
W H I C H F A C T S M AT T E R
M O S T A N D T O W H O M
S TAT E M E N T
• “Construction is going great this fall at Belize City School.”
• Now, depending on the bias of the individual /group, the
facts that are paid attention to will be significantly
different.
• Let’s examine this from the perspective of the various
stakeholders.
 • “It’s going great. We’ve gotten so much
done in less than a year…. we’ve been
working overtime so that these kids will
have a terrific new building to learn in.
Man, at Holy Redeemer School where we
CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS were last year, it took us almost a year and
a half. We are going fast, man!”
A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
• We cannot believe the school is not ready. All I can do is shake my
head….we were promised September, and it won’t be until October.
What am I going to tell parents, staff, or the kids? How will I explain
this to them all? I am so stressed out!”
TEACHERS
• “My room isn’t ready. I have no
ventilation as the windows are jammed. I
can’t get to all my files, and there’s stuff
all over. Not to mention that my room
has been used as the lunchroom for those
smelly workers all summer. PEEYOOO!
This is going to be a terrible year.”
PA R E N T S
“Will it be safe for my children?
What if something falls on them?
Will there be lunch provided?
What if school starts later? How
will I manage with the kids at
home? I expect my tax-paying
dollars to go toward…
STUDENTS
• “ What? No new lunchroom? They promised
us that last year. And there was supposed to be
a new, auditorium, more classrooms (meaning
less people in my third session), and all this
technology. Well, where is it? I hear we get
open lunch until the new lunchroom is built.
Yee ha!”
BIAS CONT’D
Take a statement such as:
 
• ‘All schools should reduce other sporting activities and offer extra football coaching,
because all young boys like football.’
 
If the above statement was made by a football coach we might consider that the statement was
biased (prejudiced in favor of football). We appreciate, without being told, that the statement is not
a fact and that the person saying it is so passionate about the game that s/he is prone to make biased
statements in favor of football.
LET’S PRACTICE
FACT OR OPINION
 EXERCISE 1
1. Lawyers are rich.
2. Governments should not use the death penalty to punish criminals.
3. The U.S. government is the largest government in the world.
4. An office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet.
5. Golf is more relaxing than soccer.
6. Mexico is the best place for a winter vacation.
7. People should not be allowed to get tattoos until they are 18 years old.
8. It is illegal to smoke cigarettes in public places in Belize.
9. High school students should wear uniforms.
10. Eating a vegetarian diet is the best way to stay healthy.
11. 93% of all greeting cards are purchased by women.
12. The public service in Belize is too large.
13. Security alarms are the most effective way to protect homes from burglaries.
14. It is best to get married when you are 30 years old or older.
15. Medical marijuana should be legal.
16. Belizeans are obese.
17. The single life is better than married life.
18. When there is no pet in the home 33% of children have allergies, but if there is a pet in the home only
19% of the children have allergies.
EXERCISE 2
Ariana Grande is the most wonderful singer and actress that the world
has ever seen! Born on 26th June 1993 in Florida, she grew to fame
through her role as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon series
‘Victorious’. However, she is such an amazing singer that she decided
to pursue a career in music and is now known, undisputedly, as the
world’s most popular singer. She has released five albums of which
her latest, ‘Thank U, Next’ (from the year 2019) is the best.

1. Write down three of the writer’s opinions about Ariana Grande.

2. Write down three facts mentioned about her.
 FA C T A N D O P I N I O N
In a newspaper report, it may not always be easy to pick out facts from opinions. Newspapers
can use facts to try to support their own opinions, e.g.
’ 60% of the young people we asked agreed that Ariana Grande is the best singer in the world.
Therefore, there is little question that this beautiful young lady is – the people have spoken!’
This statistic is being presented as a fact! However, it is still just an opinion as the newspaper
have a biased sample (they are ‘young’) do not give details of how many people were asked
(60% could actually only be six people!) and have asked a closed question. Had the newspaper
asked older people, used a wider number of people and presented them with more options (such
as Madonna, Beyonce, Adele, etc.), the statistic could have been very different!
EXERCISE 3
Bored pupils riot as staff walk out

A mob of 300 youngsters ran riot through their school yesterday because they were bored and inadequately
supervised.

It happened when teachers at the 100-staff comprehensive refused to do dinner duties as they are lazy and
work-shy individuals who are overpaid by government.  Only the headmaster and two teachers stayed on duty,
and they were powerless to act.

People living nearby watched, terrified, as gangs of 15- and 16-year olds rampaged through the 1000-pupil
school at Bideford, Devon, chanting "We predict a riot!" smashing numerous windows, destroying property and
being foul-mouthed. Who can blame the young people when they are being let down by the very people who
should be supervising them in school?

Police rushed to the scene (only after being contacted by residents) at the giant complex with seven cars full of
riot police needed to deploy water cannons and pepper spray. They eventually restored order to the chaos.
EXERCISE 3
Disruption at a Devon School

A slight disruption involving a small number of pupils occurred yesterday in a school in Bideford, Devon. There
have been suggestions that 300 children were involved but this number has been disputed by both staff at the
school and the police who attended.

Teaching staff were taking part in a sanctioned National Education Union pay dispute and were unwilling to do
unpaid supervision during lunch hour. Due to the lower number of staff supervising, an incident occurred which
the headteacher described as ‘regrettable’.

Some pupils, known to be children with behavioural and social difficulties, took advantage of the situation to
cause trouble. Two of the school’s windows were smashed, some damage to classrooms took place and a car
was vandalized; the mount of damage sustained was confirmed by a Local Authority site inspector.

Some local residents were alerted by noise coming from the usually quiet school. They contacted the police,
who had already been contacted by the school, and two officers were sent to the scene. Having arrived quickly,
they soon calmed the situation and learning was able to resume in the afternoon as usual. The police and
school continue to work together to support the children involved.
WHICH REPORT IS BIASED?
Point out the specifics in the report you think is biased?

How did the unbiased report maintain an objective view?

How is that report different from the other?

JOURNAL EXERCISE

Can you tell the difference between facts and opinions?

1. Write down two facts about a music artist/band.
2. Write down two opinions about the same music artist/band.
3. Write down two facts about UB.
4. Write down two opinions about UB.
5. Write down two facts about your favorite food.
6. Write down two opinions about your favorite food.
7. Give one opinion and one fact about a recent news story.
Record all of these in your journal.
PIES?
• How many pies were in the ENTIRE
presentation?
THE END

Q U E S T I O N S ?