The newspaper includes facts and opinions. Learning how to differentiate between the two is an important critical thinking skill found on many state standards.
Have students find the editorial page or pages. E-editions search tools such as the index can be helpful.
- Choose one editorial column. You can project it on a screen for the whole class to read together. Or, if you are using a print edition, have the class turn to the editorial page simultaneously.
- Explain to students that facts are statements that can be checked or proven. Opinions are statements that cannot be checked or verified.
- Read the editorial aloud. Stop after each sentence or group of sentences and have students determine whether they are facts or opinions.
- Students should note and identify the words or phrases that denote fact and opinion.
- Using the e-edition PRINT tool, students can print out the editorial so that they can underline the facts and circle the opinions. They can also use the tool that adds the editorial to their personal collection of articles so that they can refer to it later.