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will review the definition of fact and opinion and explain that facts or opinions are more likely to show up in certain resources. I will explain that today we are going to review different genres of books and reference materials to see where readers are most likely to find facts and opinions. I will also explain that if readers know where to find facts or opinions, it will help then when they need to locate information to write a report or anything else. I will show students an informational book (teacher’s choice, but not a biography) and model how to read the first few pages to determine if I am finding facts, opinions or both in this type of book. I will explain how I know that these sentences are facts and I will write “informational books” on the “Facts” side of a “Facts, Opinions or Both” chart (or Venn Diagram). (Direct Teaching and Guided Practice Example Chart and Example Venn Diagram provided below in Teacher and Student Materials.)

Ask: How am I identifying books that have facts, books that have opinions, and books that have both? Students should respond that you are choosing books and reading the first few pages to determine whether there are facts, opinions, or both in the text.

will review several books from the classroom library (fiction chapter books and historical fiction books) and determine if we are reading facts or opinions or both in these books. We will add chapter books to the “Opinion” side of the chart (or Venn Diagram) and historical fiction to the “Both” category. (See Direct Teaching and Guided Practice Example Chart and Example Venn Diagram provided below.)

will examine several books from different types of books (biography, atlas, almanac, self-help, encyclopedia, dictionary, thesaurus, mystery, etc) and determine if you can find facts, opinions or both in these types of books or resources. You will add the type of each of the books to the Venn Diagram. (Student Independent Practice is provided below.)

TIP: Consider having students work with partners or in groups during the Independent Practice to encourage student exploration and discussion.