Common Sense Ideas 1.V iolent crime is on the rise in Canada 2.I n terms of close personal relationships, opposites attract 3.P rimitive societies have very little technology 4. Poverty is decreasing in Canada 5. Capital punishment deters murderers 6. Children of divorced parents tend to have more problems in school

7. Homeless people want to be on the street 8. Some people dream and some do not 9. Young people from working class backgrounds are more likely to commit crimes than those from middle class backgrounds 10. Men have always been dominant over women

Fact and Opinion: Is There Really a Difference Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions. But no man has a right to be wrong in his facts. -Baruch, Bernard M American Financier {Click mouse to continue}

Let’s Get The Facts Straight! There is a difference between FACT and OPINION. Facts are statements that can be proven. Opinions can not be proven. They are based on someone's thoughts, their feelings and their understanding. Though you may be able to use facts to add credibility to an opinion, it is still an opinion! Though an opinion may be widely accepted, that does not make it a fact. {Click mouse to continue}

The Theory of Relativity. The Evolutionary Theory. Types of Opinions: Statements of Theory A theory is an opinion that is a widely believed explanation for a group of observations. Here are two well known examples: Though many scientists believe that these theories are true, we still consider them to be opinions rather than facts because they have not been proven. {Click mouse to continue}

Having accurate sources of information is crucial for getting reliable answers to questions How to Detect Bias

What is Bias? A person’s particular viewpoint or way of seeing an event, person or thing A person’s particular viewpoint or way of seeing an event, person or thing Can lead to harmful, incorrect prejudgments about a group or individuals in it Can lead to harmful, incorrect prejudgments about a group or individuals in it Examples? Examples?

A person’s bias is shaped by Frame of reference (personal experiences) Frame of reference (personal experiences) interests interests Concerns Concerns Knowledge Knowledge Influence of family and friends Influence of family and friends

Types of Bias in the Media selection and omission selection and omission Placement of story Placement of story Bias by headline Bias by headline Use of names and titles Use of names and titles Statistics and crowd counts Statistics and crowd counts Source control Source control Word choice and tone Word choice and tone

Read the article about water bottles and fill in the chart How to detect bias in a news article

Opinions: Words To Look Out For There are Certain Words that will Warn You that You are Being Given an Opinion and Not a Fact! Perhaps Apparently Experts Agree Necessary Best / Worst Successful Maybe Probably {Click mouse to continue}