Reading to Identify Facts and Opinions for JSS 2

Class: JSS 2
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 13 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: English Language Studies
Curriculum Theme: Reading Comprehension
Previous Lesson: Summary Reading, Topic Sentences, Keywords and Main Points
Topic: Reading to Identify Facts and Opinions
Subject Matter: Reading to identify facts and opinions e.g. “The merits of exclusive breastfeeding for infants” or any other topic of interest

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define a fact and an opinion.
• Identify facts in a given passage.
• Identify opinions in a given passage.
• Differentiate between facts and opinions in a text.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of distinguishing facts from opinions in reading.
• Show interest in critically analysing texts for factual accuracy and subjective views.

Psychomotor Domain

• Underline or highlight facts and opinions in a provided passage.
• Formulate sentences that express either a fact or an opinion.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• English Language textbooks for JSS 2
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• A prepared passage containing facts and opinions (e.g., on exclusive breastfeeding).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Students’ English Language textbooks.
• Chart showing examples of facts and opinions.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps students develop critical reading skills essential for academic success and everyday life. Understanding the difference between facts and opinions enables them to evaluate information, make informed decisions, and avoid being misled by biased or subjective statements. It strengthens their ability to comprehend texts deeply and analyse arguments effectively.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students have basic reading comprehension skills and can understand the main ideas in simple passages.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Reading to Identify Facts and Opinions

What is a Fact?

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false with evidence. Facts are objective and verifiable. They are based on data, observation, or research.

Characteristics of facts:

1. Can be proven true or false.
2. Based on evidence, data, or observation.
3. Objective and generally accepted as true.
4. Often contain numbers, dates, or specific names.

Examples of facts:

1. Nigeria gained independence in 1960.
2. The human heart has four chambers.
3. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of an infant’s life.

What is an Opinion?

An opinion is a personal belief, feeling, or judgment about something. Opinions cannot be proven true or false because they are subjective and vary from person to person.

Characteristics of opinions:

1. Expresses a belief, feeling, or judgment.
2. Cannot be proven true or false.
3. Subjective and personal.
4. Often contain words like “I think,” “I believe,” “in my opinion,” “best,” “worst,” “should,” “good,” “bad,” “beautiful,” “ugly.”

Examples of opinions:

1. I think exclusive breastfeeding is the best way to feed an infant.
2. Blue is the most beautiful colour.
3. The government should provide free education for all.

Differentiating Between Facts and Opinions

To differentiate between facts and opinions, consider the following:

1. Verifiability: Can the statement be proven with evidence? If yes, it’s likely a fact. If not, it’s an opinion.
2. Language: Does the statement use objective language or subjective/emotive words? Objective language often indicates a fact, while subjective language points to an opinion.
3. Source: Is the statement from a reliable source that provides evidence, or is it an individual’s personal view?

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Guided Practice, Individual Practice

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them questions about what they understand by “reading” and why it’s important to understand what they read. The teacher then introduces the topic of identifying facts and opinions in texts.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to the questions and listen attentively to the introduction of the new topic.

Learning Point: Importance of critical reading

Step 2: Explanation of Facts

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Defining

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what a fact is, providing clear characteristics and examples. The teacher uses the whiteboard to write down key points and examples.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, ask questions for clarification, and copy the definitions and examples into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Definition and examples of facts

Step 3: Explanation of Opinions

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Defining

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains what an opinion is, highlighting its characteristics and providing contrasting examples to those of facts. The teacher encourages students to suggest their own opinions.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, participate by suggesting opinions, and copy the definitions and examples into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Definition and examples of opinions

Step 4: Differentiating Facts and Opinions

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Comparing/Contrasting

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students through the methods of differentiating between facts and opinions, emphasizing verifiability and language use. The teacher uses examples from the board summary to illustrate the differences.

Pupils’ Activity: Students participate in the discussion, asking questions and making observations about the differences.

Learning Point: Methods of differentiation

Step 5: Guided Practice with a Passage

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher presents a prepared passage (e.g., “The merits of exclusive breastfeeding for infants”) and reads it aloud. The teacher then guides students, working in groups, to identify and discuss statements that are facts and those that are opinions within the passage.

Pupils’ Activity: Students read the passage silently, then discuss in groups to identify facts and opinions, sharing their findings with the class.

Learning Point: Identification in a passage

Step 6: Additional Practice/Exercises

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides additional short sentences or statements and asks students to classify them as either a fact or an opinion, providing reasons for their choices.

Pupils’ Activity: Students individually classify the statements and explain their reasoning.

Learning Point: Reinforcing identification skills

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is a fact?
2. Give two examples of an opinion.
3. How can you differentiate between a fact and an opinion?
4. Identify the fact in this sentence: “The sun is a star, and it is the most beautiful celestial body.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding facts and opinions

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on facts, opinions, and differentiation methods into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson content

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly reminds students that being able to distinguish between facts and opinions is a vital skill for understanding information critically in all aspects of life.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and acknowledge the importance of the lesson.

Learning Point: Importance of critical thinking

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Read a short newspaper article or a paragraph from your English textbook. Identify and write down at least three facts and three opinions from the text. Be prepared to explain your choices in the next class.

1. Find a short article or passage.
2. Read the passage carefully.
3. Identify three facts and write them down.
4. Identify three opinions and write them down.
5. Be ready to present your findings and explain why each statement is a fact or an opinion.

Lesson Keywords

• Fact – A statement that can be proven true or false with evidence.
• Opinion – A personal belief, feeling, or judgment that cannot be proven true or false.
• Objective – Based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
• Subjective – Based on personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
• Verifiable – Able to be checked or proven.

Differentiation

For struggling learners, provide simpler passages with clearly marked facts and opinions, and work through examples one-on-one or in small groups. For advanced learners, challenge them with more complex texts or ask them to analyse the potential bias in opinion statements.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for “facts and opinions JSS2 English”