Name ________________________________________________ Class___________________ Date______________________

DISTINGUISHING FACT

OPINION

SKILL LESSON

One of the keys to evaluating what you read and hear is the ability to distinguish fact from opinion. A fact is something that can be proved true. Facts can be counted, measured, or verified in some way. Opinions, on the other hand, are personal beliefs about what is true. Because people often use facts to support their opinions, it is important to know how to distinguish between the two. Once you have learned this skill, you will be better able to evaluate the information you read and hear on a daily basis.

DISTINGUISH FACT

1. Determine if the information can be proved. You can begin to identify facts by asking the same questions a journalist uses to write a good newspaper article. If the information answers the questions Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? it probably contains facts. Next, determine if the facts can be documented, perhaps in sources such as almanacs or encyclopedias. Facts can be checked and verified, but opinions cannot. 2. Pay attention to how the facts are used. Note that a single word often can change a statement from fact to opinion. Certain phrases, such as I think that. , I believe that. , and In my judgment. , are a clear signal that the writer or speaker is about to give an opinion. 3. Identify loaded words. Loaded words are words that contain an emotional appeal. Examples of loaded words are exciting, beautiful, boring, and extremely. These descriptive words signal an opinion because they express the writers or speakers personal point of view. Do not permit loaded words to influence your judgment of the facts.

PRACTICING YOUR SKILL

To practice your skill, examine the election campaign flier below. Then answer the questions that follow.
TERESA ORTEGA for CITY COUNCIL
HRW material copyrighted under notice appearing earlier in this work.
Teresa Ortega is determined to make our city a better place to live. If elected, Ortega will guarantee that our city taxes are fair and reasonable. Over the past 10 years, our city taxes have been increased four times. expand the number of city buses available during rush hour. Currently, 25 percent of our public buses do not operate during rush hour. add to and improve facilities for older citizens. At present, more than 200 of our older citizens are waiting to participate in city-run programs. Teresa Ortega knows our city well. She is a dedicated, hardworking educator who has served successfully on the school board for more than 10 years.

ELECT TERESA ORTEGA

She will make our city a better place to live.
1. Identify the loaded words in the following sentence: She is a dedicated, hardworking educator who has served successfully on the school board for more than 10 years. How might these loaded words influence peoples interpretation of the facts? 2. Imagine that you are a journalist for a local newspaper. Which facts from the campaign flier would you include in your news article?
Social Studies Skills Review 13

APPLYING

SKILL WORKSHEET

SKILL I

Read each of the statements below. Then in the space provided, write F if the statement is a fact and O if the statement is an opinion. _____ 1. Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. _____ 2. Joining the Peace Corps is the best way for someone to help people in need. _____ 3. Mayan pottery is the most beautiful pottery ever made. _____ 4. The two major U.S. political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. _____ 5. Patriotism is the strongest emotion people can feel. _____ 6. The best movies were produced during the 1970s. _____ 7. Albert Einstein developed the special theory of relativity. _____ 8. Congress adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. _____ 9. The United States was right to participate in the Persian Gulf War. _____ 10. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

SKILL II

For each topic listed below, write one statement based on fact and one statement based on opinion. Consult a Social Studies textbook or a reference book for background information, if needed. 1. The 1996 Presidential Election
Fact: ____________________________________________________________________________ Opinion: _________________________________________________________________________ 2. Christopher Columbus Fact: ____________________________________________________________________________ Opinion: _________________________________________________________________________ 3. The Civil War Fact: ____________________________________________________________________________ Opinion: _________________________________________________________________________ 4. The Constitution of the United States Fact: ____________________________________________________________________________ Opinion: _________________________________________________________________________ 5. Your Home State Fact: ____________________________________________________________________________ Opinion: _________________________________________________________________________

14 Social Studies Skills Review
STUDYING PRIMARY SKILL LESSON

SECONDARY SOURCES

BUILDING YOUR VOCABULARY SKILL LESSON
1. Context refers to the other words or sentences that surround a specific word in a paragraph or sentence. The context can provide clues to a words meaning by supplying either a familiar synonym or an example. 2. The dictionary contains pronunciation guides and definitions of words. 3. Using a thesaurus to find synonyms might help familiarize you with new or unusual words. 4. Using new words is the best way to master them. 5. Students should list and define any new vocabulary words in the chapter they read and then check their definitions against those in a dictionary. They should also create a plan to commit those words to memory.
1. The passage is a primary source because it was written by Washington himself as he was about to leave office. 2. The basic message of the passage is that the United States should isolate itself politically from the other nations of the world. 3. The speech was intended for the American people. 4. Washington, as the first president of the United States, was in a unique position both to make U.S. foreign policy and to influence the foreign policy of his successors.
SKILL WORKSHEET APPLYING THE SKILL I
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. P P S P P S P S P P
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. e d f a c b
1. The Declaration of Independence is a primary source because it is an original document containing firsthand information. 2. The purpose of the first paragraph is to provide justification for the separation of the American colonies from Great Britain. 3. All people are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 4. If a government abuses its power, the people have the right to do away with that government.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

ecosystem veto utopia electors depression carpetbaggers segregation urban renewal
DISTINGUISHING FACT SKILL LESSON
1. The loaded words in the sentence are dedicated, hardworking, and successfully. These words might influence people to look favorably on the candidate.

Social Studies Skills Review
2. Journalists would first have to verify the accuracy of the statements contained in the flier. If their accuracy is verified, the following statements can be considered facts: city taxes have been increased four times over a 10-year period; 25 percent of public buses do not operate during rush hour; more than 200 of the citys older citizens are waiting to participate in city-run programs; Ortega has served on the school board for more than 10 years.

1. b 2. c 3. a

1. One generalization that may be formed is that the Great Depression was a time of enormous hardship for many Americans. 2. One generalization that may be formed is that most wealth in the United States is owned by a minority of the people.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. F O O F O O F F O F
DOING LIBRARY RESEARCH SKILL LESSON
1. Nonfiction books are classified by the Dewey decimal system and the Library of Congress system. 2. The card catalog provides a books call number, title, author, subjects, and publication information.
All factual statements should contain information that can be verified. All opinions should be based on personal beliefs.
3. Reference books that contain information about geography include encyclopedias, specialized dictionaries, gazetteers, and atlases. 4. To locate the most recent coverage of a political or social issue, you would look in almanacs, encyclopedia yearbooks, and periodical indexes.
FORMING GENERALIZATIONS SKILL LESSON
1. It is important that all of the evidence lead to the same conclusion because if any of the facts do not fit, the generalization will be incorrect. 2. A generalization can be considered valid if it is broad enough to take into account all of the facts but does not make claims that the facts do not support. 3. Students may say that the school is closed or that it is a weekend or holiday. 4. The generalization is Changes in technology affect the kinds of jobs available to workers.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. almanac biographical dictionary; encyclopedia encyclopedia Readers Guide to Periodical Literature atlas; gazetteer gazetteer biographical dictionary; encyclopedia historical dictionary