Facts, Opinions

Course: 7 th GradeModel Lesson for Middle School ELARGrading Period: 3 rd Six Weeks Unit: The Quest for Humanity Arc: Reading About Humanity 2010-2011Lesson Title: Facts, Opinions, and AssertionsTEKS: 7.10A, 7.10B, 7.10CELPS: 1E, 2C, 2G, 2I, 3E, 3F, 3J, 4J, 4KCCRS: Reading A2, A4, Speaking B1, B2, Listening B3Lesson Components: Lesson, RWN Terms Sheet, Homeless ChartPacing: One class periodVocabulary: fact, opinion, assertionResources: “Homeless” p. 167 Interactive Reader for Holt McDougal Literature Grade 7Instructional StepsTeachers Do:Students Do:• Students take notes or copy definition for fact, opinion, and assertion intheir Reader’s/Writer’s Notebook. Ask them to leave space to addexamples• Take notes or copy the definitions for fact, opinion, and assertion inRWN. Leave space for examples.Fact: A statement that can be proved or verified (p. R111Holt…)Opinion: A statement that cannot be proved because itexpresses a person’s beliefs, feelings, or thoughts (p.R111 Holt…)Assertion: A strong statement that has no support orproof, often widely accepted as true (p. 492 Holt…)••Offer examples of each term and write the best in the RWN.Create a 3 column graphic organizer and label each column with Fact,Opinion, and Assertion.• Teacher models how to provide an example for each term, then asksstudents to supply examples for each term.Possible examples are:Fact: The sun rises in the east.Opinion: Chocolate ice cream is the best.Assertion: Chameleons can change color to match theirsurroundings.Write student examples on chart paper and post in the classroom toserve as an anchor of support.Note to Teacher: You may want to have ready access to the following websiteto prove that this statement is an assertion:http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalby tes/t-chameleon.html• Ask students to create a graphic organizer by taking a piece of paperand folding into 3 columns. Label the columns: Facts, Opinions, andAssertions. Model the folding and labeling for the students.• With a partner, ask students to skim the essay “Homeless” for facts,opinions, and assertions, copying their findings in the appropriatecolumn. (It is best if students have previously read the essay.) Monitorthe paired work and note possible points for discussion• Discuss student findings. Use accountable talk to ensure studentsknow where each statement belongs on the chart and why it belongsthere. Model filling in chart with some of the students’ findings.• Ask the students to write a summary of the essay in their RWNs, usingevidence from their charts in their summaries.• Students will staple or tape their charts in their RWNs.• Work with partner to review “Homeless” to find at least 2 examples offacts, 2 examples of opinions, and 2 examples of assertions. Write theexamples in the correct column of the graphic organizer.• Share examples with whole class and justify findings.• Summarize “Homeless” using some of the findings as text evidence.• Staple or tape the graphic organizer in RWN.

Differentiated Instruction:• Adapted Interactive Reader• Cloze sentences for vocabulary support• Teacher modeling• Pair experts with novices during partner workEvidence of LearningObservation: Teacher circulates and monitors during reading and independent work. Teacher evaluates quality of chart findings and summary.Formative Assessment: Class discussion and student examplesStudent Work Products/Rubric:Summative Assessment/Rubric:Other:© 2010 Austin Independent School District 7/21/10

Reader’s/Writer’s NotebookDefinitions1. Fact: A statement that can be___________________________________________Example: ______________________________________________________________This is a fact because _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2. Opinion: a statement that cannot be proved because it expresses____________________________________________________________Example: ______________________________________________________________This is an opinion because _______________________________________________3. Assertion: strong statements that have ________________________________________________, often widely accepted as true.Example: ______________________________________________________________This is an assertion because_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Possible facts, opinions, assertions for “Homeless”Facts Opinions AssertionsHer name was Ann, and we met in the PortAuthority Bus Terminal several Januarys ago.They were pictures of a house.The house was yellow.It is where I live.She said I was wasting my time talking to her…I’ve never been very good at looking at the bigpicture……the thing that seems most wrong to me rightnow is that there are so many people with nohomes.You are where you live.She was somebody.Home is where the heart is.That is everything.There was a time when where you lived oftenwas where you worked…until you could moveon to something else and something elseagain.And so we have come…who pull pictures ofhouses out of their bags.They are people who have no homes.I love my home….I love dumb things aboutit:….Homes have stopped being homes. Now theyare real estate.People find it curious that those withouthomes would rather sleep sitting up onbenches or huddled in doorways than go toshelters.Others are afraid of the violence and troublethey may find there.But some seem to want something that is notavailable…kills the bugs.This is a difficult problem….I think we work around it….Sometimes I think we would be better off….