Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Media Literacy · Grade 3

Fact vs Opinion

Third graders begin media literacy with a key skill for reading and viewing anything — telling a FACT (something that can be checked and proven) from an OPINION (what someone thinks or feels). Sorting real examples builds a careful, thinking reader.

Grade 3Fact vs Opinion40 minutes1 class periodMedia Literacy · CCSSExplicit teaching4 StandardsCCSS / NAMLE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define a fact.
  • ✓Define an opinion.
  • ✓Sort facts from opinions.
  • ✓Read carefully.
Essential Question

Some statements can be proven true; others are just what someone thinks. How do you tell a fact from an opinion?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Fact or Opinion?

Project this and sort each statement into Facts (can be proven) or Opinions (what someone thinks).

🧠 Sort each — a fact or an opinion?Try it
✅ Facts (can be proven)
💭 Opinions (what someone thinks)
Tap a statement, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Literacy Flow (Hook · Explore · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Proven or Personal?

5 min

Some statements can be proven; others are what someone thinks — how do you tell?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show “water is wet” & “pizza is best.”
  • Ask which can be proven.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Think.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Fact vs Opinion

11 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Fact or Opinion?
  • Sort each one.
  • Explain each choice.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
3

Practice — Practice

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • State a fact.
  • State an opinion.
  • Explain the difference.

🎒 Student Actions

  • State it.
  • State it.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Apply

9 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a short passage.
  • Find a fact and an opinion.
  • Share with a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read.
  • Find it.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

4 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a fact.
  • Give an opinion.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Give one.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core ELA Standards (informational literacy) & NAMLE media-literacy competencies.

CCSS
RI.3.8

Connect ideas & evidence.

CCSS
RI.3.1

Ask & answer using text.

NAMLE
Analyze

Distinguish fact from opinion.

CCSS
W.3.1

Support opinions with reasons.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Fact/opinion cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is a ___.”
  • Use clear examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with an obvious fact & opinion.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Find both in a news story.
  • Turn an opinion into a question.
  • Prove a fact.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🧠Fact/opinion cards
  • 💻Fact or Opinion?
  • 📖A short passage
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

mediaways we share informationfactcan be proven trueopiniona feeling or beliefevidenceproof for a factcheckmake sure it’s trueproveshow it is truebelieveto think something is truethinkhave an opinion
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a fact?
A statement that can be checked and proven true.
QUESTION 2
What is an opinion?
What someone thinks or feels — it can’t be proven.
QUESTION 3
Is “Pizza is the best food” a fact or an opinion?
An opinion.

Reflect: fact vs opinion.

Have students say one fact and one opinion, and explain the difference. A printable fact-and-opinion sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Fact vs OpinionFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Fact vs OpinionQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Fact vs OpinionPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: believe, check, evidence, fact, media, opinion, prove, think
  1. can be proven true
  2. ways we share information
  3. make sure it’s true
  4. to think something is true
  5. show it is true
  6. proof for a fact
  7. a feeling or belief
  8. have an opinion

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a fact?
  2. What is an opinion?
  3. Is “Pizza is the best food” a fact or an opinion?
Answer key — Part A: 1) fact · 2) media · 3) check · 4) believe · 5) prove · 6) evidence · 7) opinion · 8) think
Part B: 1) A statement that can be checked and proven true. 2) What someone thinks or feels — it can’t be proven. 3) An opinion.