Fact vs. Opinion
Name that Claim
Where's the Evidence?
Loaded Language and Author's Bias
Relevant and Sufficient Evidence
100
Fact or opinion? "Everyone knows that pizza is better than cheeseburgers."
This is an opinion because not everyone may agree.
100
Name the claim: "Watching television is an experience shared by most adults and children. It is cheap, appealing, and within the reach of the general public. In this way, TV has become an important mass media around the world. Sadly, this resource isn’t used in a way that people could get the best possible benefits from it. People shouldn’t watch too much television because the content of many TV programs is not educational, it makes people waste time that could be used in more beneficial activities, and it negatively affects people’s mental development.
The claim is people need to watch less television.
100
Name the evidence: "Video games are also a waste of time. To get a high score, you have to play a game for hours and hours. Studies show that most boys waste two hours a day on the games. Since we're in school for only six and a half hours a day, we should spend that time learning, not playing games."
The evidence is "Studies show that most boys waste two hours a day on the games."
100
Name the TWO loaded words: "Facebook is a complete distraction to the minds of teens; like nowadays when all of their homework and research are online, they would get diverted into pointless Facebook just to check if there was anything updated among their friends.
The loaded words are complete and pointless. Just and diverted would work too.
100
Is this relevant evidence? How do you know? Claim: Chocolate ice-cream is the favorite in the U.S. Evidence: A survey from Safeway grocery stores show that consumers purchased chocolate ice-cream 70% more often than any other choice.
Yes! This evidence is relevant because it proves that chocolate ice-cream is favored over other ice-cream choices.
200
Fact or opinion? "I believe that sharks do not pose a danger to humans."
This is an opinion because it says "I believe."
200
Name the claim: "A lot of people, especially young people, go through the day without having breakfast. Many people believe that it is not necessary, or say they don't have time for it, and begin their day with no meal. I believe that everyone should eat breakfast before going to their activities. "
The claim is that people need to eat breakfast.
200
Name the evidence: "Returning to the old system would give students continuity. From kindergarten on, children could look forward to nine years in the same school. A recent survey revealed that 52% of the parents felt that the short span of middle school did not give students a strong connection to the school, and that this lack of connection contributed to discipline problems."
The evidence is "A recent survey revealed that 52% of parents felt..."
200
Name the ONE loaded word: "I would like to begin by defining “zoo.” It is a park-like area in which live animals are kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibit. Hold on, large enclosures? More like tiny cages.
The ONE loaded word is tiny.
200
Is this evidence sufficient? Why, or why not? Claim: We need to keep our two month summer instead of going to year-round school. Evidence: Students get bored in school. They need a longer break to take a breather and come back to school revitalized.
No! It is not sufficient because it does not provide strong facts, statistics, or expert opinions.
300
Fact or Opinion? "In 2003, 14% of drivers killed in crashes were between the ages of 15 and 20."
This is a fact because it has statistics and dates. Also, this is research.
300
Name the claim: "A bicycle is a mechanism that has transported man for many decades. Nowadays, bicycling is a great way to move from one place to another in short distances. I believe you should use a bicycle for short distances to protect the environment as well as your health. By riding a bicycle, people can decrease gasoline consumption, improve the quality of their lives, and protect the environment."
The claim is that people need to choose to ride bikes for short distance trips.
300
Name the evidence: "In addition, it is impractical to enforce an absolute ban on cell phones in school. In a recent survey, this newspaper learned that 67% of the students in school own cellular phones, and more than half of these students carry these phones to school, despite the ban."
The evidence is "In a recent survey, this newspaper learned that 67% of these students owned cellular phones and more than half...carry these phones to school"
300
Name the THREE loaded words: "Zoos claim to educate visitors. Yet we’ve all seen the one-sentence, measly signs that describe monkeys. What can be learned from this uselessness? Certainly not enough to justify inhumane captivity.
The loaded words are measly, uselessness, inhumane, certainly, yet, and claim.
300
Is this evidence sufficient? Why or why not? Claim: Music in schools can benefit students. "A study from The University of Illinois shows that workers listening to music had a 6.3% increase in productivity. Why was there an increase? Because music helps you concentrate."
Yes! It is sufficient because the fact supports the claim that music can benefit students.---"6.3 increase is productivity"
400
Fact or Opinion? "Older children consume more sugar than younger ones do, and boys consume more than girls according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. And they all consume too much."
This is a fact because it is research done by National Center for Health Statistics.
400
INFER the author's claim: "In 2008 nearly 800,000 Americans texted while driving. And out of that 800,000 people, 6,000 of them died"
The claim is people need to stop texting and driving.
400
Name the evidence: "Wilson High School should relax its ban on the use of cellular phones. In the mid-1990s, our state actually made it a crime for a student to possess a cellular phone. That law was abolished last year. Our school, however, has not caught up with the times, for a student can still be suspended for carrying a cellular phone in school."
The evidence is "In the mid-19902, our state made it a crime...That law was abolished last year."
400
Name THREE loaded words: "These animals are simply meant to entertain. For example, look at the red pandas at the Bronx Zoo. Are they treated with respect? No: these pandas are a few feet from hundreds of cars zooming by on the expressway, with only a fence to separate them. Are these fit conditions for an almost-extinct animal?"
The loaded words can be simply, zooming by, only, and almost-extinct.
400
Is this evidence relevant AND sufficient? Why or why not? Claim: Students should not have tons of homework. "According to guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA), a student should be assigned no more than 10 minutes per grade level per night. For example, a first grader should only have 10 minutes of homework, a second grader, 20 minutes, and so on. This means that a student in my grade – seventh – should have no more than 70 minutes of work each night. Yet this is often doubled, sometimes even tripled! "
Yes! This is relevant. It is relevant because it supports the author's claim, giving facts about how many minutes of homework a student should get. Yes! This is sufficient because it has facts and statistics, as well as an expert's statement.
500
Fact or Opinion? "Check out The Hunger Games in theaters this Friday! This film will not disappoint—much. Lead actress Jennifer Lawrence is at her best when she's miserable, and her character is not a happy survivalist as she's tossed into a giant outdoor cage match to the death. (After 3 minutes, you won't be able to imagine anyone else playing Katniss Everdeen, trust.)"
This is an opinion because the film may disappoint some...(probably not Mrs. Holzer, though!)
500
INFER the author's claim: "Remember back in the good old days, when teens would do their homework handwritten, play sports and hang out with friends? Today, most teens would only speak to their friends on Facebook, while we can see them battling obesity as they stare at their friend’s message on their wall. In summary, teens don’t have a life because they are on Facebook 24/7, except for those who don’t use Facebook or occasionally do."
The claim is that Facebook is a waste of time.
500
Name the evidence: "By the way, my sisters and brother and I never play video sports games. Instead we play soccer, basketball, and baseball outside on the playground. As a result, we get lots of good exercise and are really in good shape."
The evidence is...THERE IS NONE! ;)
500
Name SIX loaded words: "Many horrible things are done to the rainforests. Acres are torched for farming, hundreds of thousands of oxygen-providing trees are hacked down for lumber, animal’s homes and lives are destroyed, and species are driven extinct."
The loaded words are horrible, torched, hundreds of thousands, oxygen-providing, hacked, destroyed, and driven.
500
Is this evidence relevant AND sufficient? Claim: Dogs are cleaner than cats. Evidence: According to some owners, dogs are cleaner than cats because they go outside to do their duty.
Yes! This is relevant because it supports the claim that dogs are cleaner when it says "dogs go outside to do their duty." No! It is not sufficient because only some owners believe this. There are no facts to back it up.
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