Fact and Opinion Activities
Teach the valuable skill of distinguishing between fact and opinion with these engaging fact and opinion activities.
The Difference Between Fact and Opinion
Facts and opinions are both means of supporting an argument.
A fact is a statement that you can prove to be true. It’s based on objective evidence. (e.g., “Chocolate is made from cacao beans.”)
An opinion is subjective; it is a personal judgment or belief. (e.g., “Chocolate is delicious.”)
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Why It’s Important to Distinguish Fact From Opinion
Students need to learn critical thinking skills.
This will help them analyze and understand the arguments and stances of others.
They will not be passive consumers of information. They can analyze and question what they hear.
Distinguishing opinion from fact will also help them as they form their own persuasive arguments and draw their own conclusions.
8 Fact and Opinion Activities
Use these practical and engaging activities to teach your students to identify statements of opinion and fact.
Fact and Opinion BINGO
Fill a BINGO card with short statements of opinion or fact using a free BINGO card generator.
Here are some examples of statements:
- Today is warm.
- The temperature is 86 degrees.
- Iron Man is strong.
- Iron Man is a Marvel character.
Call out a statement, and have students identify it as fact or opinion before marking it off their board.
Fact Vs. Opinion Debate
Divide students into teams and give them a debate topic. Make one group affirmative and one group negative.
Assign one group to support their side with facts while the other group can only use opinions.
This activity will show how both fact and opinion work to support an argument. The most persuasive arguments use a combination of both!
Article Highlight
Print a copy of a magazine, newspaper, or online article. Give students two colors of highlighters.
When they spot a fact, highlight it with one color.
When they encounter an opinion, highlight it with the other color.
You can use informational articles, current events, or movie/book/restaurant reviews.
Student Survey
Have students design surveys that elicit the opinions of their classmates.
You can assign the topics, or let the students pick their own.
For example, they may make a survey about Taylor Swift songs.
Which song is the happiest? The saddest? The angriest? Which song has the best lyrics? (Provide choices.)
Students can tabulate the results of their surveys and then present their findings with facts to back them up, refute them, or provide context.
Students can research:
- Which song has the fastest tempo?
- How many of her songs are in minor keys?
- Which song has the most downloads?
Fact and Opinion Log
Have students keep a journal for a week in which they write down three opinions and three facts that they heard each day.
Then, they can share these examples in class.
Fact and Opinion Sort
Fill a bowl with slips of paper that each contain a fact or an opinion.
(You can find interesting facts about all kinds of topics in our Fun Facts series of articles.)
Have students pull a slip of paper, read the text aloud, and identify it as a fact or opinion.
You can also add some slips of paper that give commands for quick, fun activities, like a yoga pose or a 30-second dance party.
Fact and Opinion Relay Race
Use the same bowl of facts and opinions, but this time set two containers at the front of the room. Label one “Facts” and the other “Opinions.”
Instead of casually sorting fact from opinion, turn it into a relay race.
Writing Prompt Paragraph Swap
Give students a writing prompt that asks for their opinion:
- Which is better: bacon or eggs? Support your answer.
- Which book genre is more engaging: historical fiction or sci-fi/fantasy?
- Which state is the best and why?
Students can write a paragraph where they support their choice with fact and opinion.
When they are finished, they can swap papers with a classmate and identify the facts and opinions present in each paragraph.
The Best Fact and Opinion Activities for Students
Students must learn to develop critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills.
Understanding the difference between fact and fiction is an essential component of those skills.
Use these activities to engage students and have them practice analyzing statements right from the start.
