Fact/Opinion
Deerfield Elementary is the best school in the area.
Fact or opinion? How do you know?
What is an opinion? What is "best"?
It sounds like a dentist's drill. It looks like a storm-a gigantic cloud that blacks out of the sun. Its front moves toward the earth, and the rear moves off the ground. Behind it green crops have disappeared-every stalk, every leaf. This isn't an ordinary cloud. It's a swarm of winged insects known as locusts.
Make an inference about locusts.
What is "they are dangerous to crops"?
Mandy’s conscience was bothering her because she had told her friends something that wasn’t true. They had invited her to go ice-skating. She told them she couldn’t go because she had too much homework. The simple truth was that she didn’t know how to ice-skate. She had been too embarrassed to tell them.
Why did Marta stay home?
What is “she was embarrassed that she lied to her friends about having homework”?
Some supermarkets have a special way of getting people to come to the bakery counter. Sometimes they spray a cake smell into the air. At other times they spray the fresh smell of baking bread. These smells are enough to make people’s mouths water. The customers then race to the counter to purchase a cake, bread, rolls, and other baked goods!
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
What is “how people are attracted to the bakery counter at a grocery store”?
There was once some hardworking ants and a grasshopper who hated to work. The ants gathered food all spring while the grasshopper played. When winter came, the ants had enough food, but the grasshopper had nothing to eat.
What is the theme of this story?
A) There's a time for responsibility and a time to be carefree.
B) Summer foods taste better than winter foods do.
C) The Grasshopper's life is more fun and relaxed.
D) There's more time to play than to work.
What is "A) There's a time for responsibility and a time to be carefree."?
Did you know that you constantly shed skin? In one hour, humans can shed 2,000 skin cells per square inch of skin. Yearly, a house can collect 40 pounds of dust. About 90 percent of dust is made from human skin. I think it is fascinating that we leave a part of ourselves everywhere we go!
It is an opinion that...
What is "shedding skin by humans is fascinating"?
In 1963, a violent burst in the sea near Iceland's Westman Islands caused the ocean's floor to split. Mist, ash, and lumps of lava rose from an underwater volcano. Three hours later, a column twelve thousand feet tall was spouting upward. The following morning, a narrow black bulge appeared on the sea's surface. This was the beginning of Surtsey, a volcanic island that became part of the nation of Iceland in 1964.
From the paragraph you can determine thatWhat is "C) the birth of a volcanic island is sudden."?
Animals stay safe in different ways. Some can run very fast. Others have the ability to hide in plain sight. Their coloring blends in with their surroundings. This makes it hard for their enemies to see them. Insects can look like leaves. Lizards can look like tree bark.
For some animals, staying safe is an effect of…
What is “their ability to blend in with their surroundings”?
An ant’s antennae are used for touch and smell. Ants use their keen sense of smell in many ways. Ants can identify ants from another colony simply from the smell of the insect. Ants can also leave a scent trail for other members of their colony when a good food source is located.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
What is “how the ant uses its sense of smell”?
A monkey put his hand into a jar of cookies. He grasped as many as he could possibly hold, but when he tried to pull out his hand, he was prevented from doing so. His hand kept getting stuck in the neck of the cookie jar. Unwilling to lose the cookies, and yet unable to withdraw his hand, he burst into tears and bitterly moaned over his disappointment.
What is the theme of this story?
A) More can be accomplished when you work together.
B) Always try your best.
C) If we had all that we wished, we would be ruined.
D) Greediness can lead to negative outcomes.
What is "D) Greediness can lead to negative outcomes."?
Colorado is a good place to go for downhill skiing. The state has many ski resorts featuring snowcapped mountains. Instructors at each resort help people become better skiers. Everyone should take a lesson from an instructor. Even if you do not want to ski, Colorado ski resorts are still worth a trip because of the beautiful scenery.
Does this paragraph have more facts or opinions? How do you know?
What is "good place, everyone should, beautiful scenery"?
The tiny kangaroo rat must be careful. Every meat-eating animal is its enemy in the dry region where it lives. Because it is so tiny-only two inches tall-it must be clever in order to escape harm. The kangaroo rat has an unusual defense against snakes. It kicks sand into the snake's face. Away goes the snake.
The kangaroo rat probably lives in
A) the mountains.
B) the desert.
C) the weeds.
D) rain forest.
What is "B) the desert."?
Meredith was a contestant in a spelling bee, and she wasn’t happy about it. Her teacher, Mrs. Carmichael, was thrilled with Meredith’s spelling ability, and her family was very proud. Meredith was scared to death. She worried she’d be so scared she wouldn’t be able to walk. She was worried that she’d open her mouth to speak, and nothing would come out. She’d be really glad when it was over!
What are 2 reasons Meredith was scared to be in the spelling bee?
What are “scared she would be able to walk or talk”?
The wolf’s howl is generally thought to signal danger to anyone nearby. A Canadian researcher has discovered that this is often far from true. Wolves frequently like to get together and howl just for fun. After the wolves finish howling, they bark happily and wag their tails. Wolves also use their howls to identify each other. They can recognize wolves of their own or another pack.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
What is “why wolves howl”?
The Frog and the Ox
Many years ago there was a magnificent ox. One day, when he was taking an afternoon walk, a poorly dressed and unimportant looking frog saw him. The frog felt envy toward the beautiful, strong ox. But the frog yelled to his friends, "Look at this ox! But he is no better than I am, if I tried." The frog swelled up to twice his normal size. "Am I the size of this big ox now?" he asked his frog friends. "You will have to be much bigger to be his size," they said. The frog swelled up even bigger. "How about now?" he asked his friends. "No, but you better not swell up more or you will kill yourself," they warned.
But the frog wanted to be as big as the ox and puffed, and puffed. He never got as big as the ox because he burst first.
What is the theme of this story?
A) Do not try to be something that you are not.
B) Stand up for what you believe in.
C) Do not try to be bigger than you are.
What is "A) Do not try to be something that you are not."?
Twenty years ago the California condor, the largest raptor in North America, was close to extinction. Only several dozen were living in the wild. Scientists captured the last 25 condors and began a successful breeding program. By 2001 their numbers had grown to more than 184. I believe the condor population will continue to increase.
Which fact best supports the opinion that the number of California condors will increase?
What is "population increased from 25 to 184 in 2001"?
Clocks using weights came into use after sundials and hourglasses. Many early clocks were put in village squares. They were decorated with fancy birds and other figures. The clocks had only one hand. Minutes didn't seem to matter. None of the clocks kept time very well. To help a clock keep time, a clock setter corrected the clock several times each day.
You can conclude thatWhat is "C) early people cared little about getting the exact time."?
Many different objects have been used as money. Knives, salt, rice, beads, babies’ teeth, shovels and cattle have all been used as money in different places and at different times. A long time ago people in Europe traded in gold. However, trading in gold was not convenient. Gold is very heavy. It is hard to move from place to place. For these reasons, gold trading became unpopular.
Why did people stop trading in gold?
What are “too heavy and too difficult to move from place to place.”?
Gold is soft-almost as soft as putty. Without being heated, it can be hammered into a thin wafer five-millionths of an inch thick. Just one ounce of gold can be beaten into a thin sheet 100 feet square or drawn into a thin wire stretching 50 miles. In addition, gold is a superb conductor of electricity and a marvelous reflector of heat and light.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?What is "D) what wonderful qualities gold has."?
A lion was about to eat a mouse, when the mouse pleaded, “Let me go, and someday I may help you.” Laughing, the lion let the mouse go. Later, hunters caught the lion in a trap. The mouse, seeing what happened came to chew the ropes that bound the lion. The lion escaped.
A) Appreciate what you have.
B) Hard work can bring a reward.
C) Honesty is the best policy.
D) Help others, because you never know when they you may need the help.
What is "D) Help others, because you never know when they you may need the help."?
When Harriet Tubman was a slave growing up in Maryland, she learned about the woods from her father. After escaping to Philadelphia, Tubman used that knowledge to help other slaves escape, eventually aiding 750 people. During the Civil War she served the Union as a spy, nearly being caught several times. Harriet Tubman was a very brave person.
Which facts would support the opinion that Harriet Tubman was a very brave person?
What are "escaping slavery, helped other slaves escape, served as a spy (almost getting captured several times)"?
In Alaska the family car is often a plane. Many people in Alaska fly-college students to classes, doctors to patients, and businesspeople to customers. Special planes called float planes and ski planes are most commonly used because they can land on water or on snow-covered land. Those who live in this huge state are called "the flyingest people in the world."
What are 2 reasons people must use planes in Alaska?
What are "climate (amount of snow) and size of the state"?
Pablo Picasso was born in Spain; however, he spent most of his life in France. He was a genius and created works of art from many different materials. People were stunned and surprised by his artwork. They had never seen anything like it before. Many artists were influenced by Picasso. He kept exploring new ideas for art throughout his life.
Why were people stunned and surprised?
What are “used many different materials and never seen anything like it before”?
The human body can adapt remarkably to difficult living conditions. For example, high in the Andes Mountains, the air is very thin and contains less oxygen than areas of lower elevation. The native people have extra hemoglobin in their blood. Hemoglobin is a protein that helps the blood pick up and deliver oxygen throughout the body. With this ability to process oxygen efficiently, the natives of the Andes Mountains don’t experience altitude sickness as nonnatives would.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
What is “how people’s bodies can adjust to a climate”?
A woman and her son were on their way to market in the next village. They walked beside their donkey, which would carry their purchases home. A man on a horse passed by. “How foolish!” he exclaimed. “You have a fine donkey, yet neither of you is riding!” Hearing his advice, the boy hopped onto the donkey’s back.
A little later, a woman passed by. “Tsk! Tsk! How selfish you are to make your mother walk while you ride!” Red-faced, the boy helped his mother climb up, too.
Still later, an older passed them. “How cruel to make that little donkey carry you!” she scolded. Fed up with the advice of others, the mother and her son both got off the donkey and walked the rest of the way to the village
A) People are afraid to change.
B) Try to please everyone, and you will please no one.
C) Beware of strangers.
D) Actions speak louder than words.
What is "B) Try to please everyone, and you will please no one."?