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 1870-1965 American Financier {Click mouse to continue}

How to Navigate Through a PowerPoint Workshop This PowerPoint Presentation is designed to be experienced as a workshop. To ensure that you do not miss important information, only use your mouse at this prompt: {Click mouse to continue} {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}

Let’s Get The Facts Straight! A fact is something that can be proven by a reliable authority such as: Proven scientific law A history book Statistics Governmental law Measurements Mathematics An observation Note : None of these authorities are fool proof, but information that they provide is considered to be fact. {Click mouse to continue}

Lets Look at Some Examples of Facts Reliable Authority Facts Must Have a John F. Kennedy was President 1961-1963 History Book The adult human body has 206 bones Science 56% of US gun Deaths are suicides Statistic 21 is the legal drinking age in Cincinnati, OH Governmental Law {Click mouse to continue}

More Examples of Facts Fact How it is Provable What About Observations? Observations are facts because they can be proven by the senses. Fact How it is Provable Some flowers are larger than others. You can bring in flowers of various sizes The shirt is green. You can bring in the shirt so that the color can be seen {Click mouse to continue}

Getting the Facts on Facts Some facts change over time. For example: It was once considered to be a fact that the world was flat. We believed that those traveling too far in either direction could literally fall off! Because new things are being discovered everyday, reliable authorities are sometimes forced to alter what we all once considered to be facts. {Click mouse to continue}

Lets Look at Some Examples of Opinions Here are some of the same topics that we saw as facts. Can you figure out how they were changed to opinions? John F. Kennedy was an President. the adult human body has more bones than that the US suicide rate will decrease soon. for the legal drinking age to be 21. excellent Apparently, All of these words are hints that there is an opinion present. necessary. It is likely It is unfair {Click mouse to continue}

Types of Opinions There are Several Types of Opinions: Hypothesis Statements Theory Statements Assumptive Statements Value Statements Exaggerated Statements Lets Take a Quick Look at all of them. {Click mouse to continue}

Types of Opinions: Statements of Hypothesis A Hypothesis is an assumption made in an attempt to explain an observation. Though an Observation is a Fact, a Hypothesis is an Opinion. For Example, if I were to elaborate on a previous observation and say: Some flowers are larger than others because they are in more fertile soil. This hypothesis would have to be further investigated and scientifically proven to be considered a fact. {Click mouse to continue}

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: The Theory of Relativity. The Evolutionary Theory. 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}

Types of Opinions: Statements of Assumption An assumptive statement is an opinion that is an improvable prediction. Here are three examples If Hillary Clinton ran for President she would definitely win. The war in Iraq will eventually cost the US all of its allies. When that new movie comes out it will definitely be at the top of the charts! Though these are stated as though they are true, they are only assumptive opinions. {Click mouse to continue}

Types of Opinions: Statements of Value A value statement is any claim that is based on someone's beliefs. Here are three examples Colin Powell is an excellent candidate for president. The use of animals in lab testing is cruel and must be stopped. The Bahamas is the most beautiful place on Earth. Value Statements are often opinions attempting to sway the reader to a certain belief. {Click mouse to continue}

Types of Opinions: Statements of Exaggeration An exaggerated statement is one that embellishes the facts, often to sway the reader. Here are two examples There were millions of people rioting on the streets of down town Cincinnati. The president has not made one good decision since he has been in office! Writers often use exaggeration to make their point more clear. They are still opinions. {Click mouse to continue}

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! Successful Maybe Perhaps Necessary Best / Worst Apparently Probably Experts Agree {Click mouse to continue}

Getting the Facts About Opinions An opinion is not necessarily wrong, it is merely not a provable fact. For example: “Bridgett is a very beautiful young lady.” Even if everyone agreed with this statement, it is still an opinion because it is not provable. Beauty is relative. {Click mouse to continue}

Keeping Your Facts Straight Do you think that you can separate facts from opinions? The next slide will have five statements. Decide whether each statement is a fact, or an opinion. Write down you answers on a separate sheet of paper. {Click mouse to continue}

Keeping Your Facts Straight Separate the facts from the opinions. The best way to choose a spouse is based on brains, not beauty. The car probably stopped running because it ran out of gas. The Learning Center is in the Educational Services Building. If I were to go on to receive my Bachelors, I would not be successful. There are 121 prescription drugs that come from plants. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. {Click mouse to continue}

Keeping Your Facts Straight How well did you do? The car probably stopped running because it ran out of gas. -Opinion: hypothesis The Learning Center is in the Educational Services Building. -Fact If I were to go on to receive my Bachelors, I would not be successful. -Opinion: Assumption The best way to choose a spouse is based on brains, not beauty. -Opinion: value statement There are 121 prescription drugs that come from plants. -Fact {Click mouse to continue}

Need more help Separating Facts from Opinions? Visit Us on Campus at: The Learning Center Room 100 Educational Services Building {Click mouse to end workshop}