Ask the class what circumstances it would be important to be able to tell if a particular statement is a fact or opinion. Point out that discriminating between fact and opinion is a skill we encounter everyday in advertisements, in political campaigns, and in statements people make to get us to act in certain ways. Students recognize the principles of discriminating between fact and opinion. Divide class into teams of three. Have them make a list of things to look for when they are deciding whether a statement is a fact or an opinion.
Students develop a problem-solving strategy for discriminating between fact and opinion.
For a week, have teams keep a team poster listing everything they hear or see which are presented as facts but are really opinions. The teams should write an explanation for their decision after each statement. Teams lose points if another team can successfully challenge their decision. Students in teams can determine whether a statement is fact or opinion and will be able to defend it. Students bring in Sunday newspapers and begin a search cutting out examples of advertisements that deal in facts and those that deal in opinions.