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E9 G - Fact or opinion in a current-topic text

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E9 G - Fact or opinion in a current-topic text

Einleitung

Mini-Beschreibung: Du unterscheidest in einem kurzen englischen Text zentrale überprüfbare Informationen von Meinungsäußerungen. Du arbeitest mit einem aktuellen Alltagsthema, hörst und liest zuerst auf Englisch und reagierst mit einfachen, klaren Sätzen. Zielgruppe: Englisch als erste Fremdsprache, Klasse 9, Baden-Württemberg, G-Niveau.

Learning path: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.

Look and listen. What is the topic?
Understand. Find the key information.
Decide. Is it a fact or an opinion?
Respond. Give a short reason.
Ask. Ask for evidence or clarification.
Use a hint. Take only as much help as you need.
Improve. Check one language goal.
Use it again. Apply the skill to a new text.

I can ...

I can find the main topic of a short current-topic text.
I can mark a fact as information that can be checked with evidence.
I can mark an opinion as a personal view, judgement or preference.
I can give a short reason: I think ... because ...
I can ask: How do you know? or What is the source?
I can keep facts and opinions separate in my own short text.

Vorwissen aktivieren

Quick start – 60 seconds: Look at the image. Say three words you connect with news. Then complete one sentence:

I get news from ...
I trust information when ...
An opinion often starts with ...

Deutsch nur als Stütze: Ein fact ist überprüfbar. Eine opinion zeigt eine Sichtweise. Du musst nicht jedes Wort verstehen, um den Unterschied zu erkennen.

Input: Fact or opinion?

Two useful ideas

Fact: A fact is a statement you can check with evidence, for example a date, a measured number or a documented event.

Opinion: An opinion tells you what someone thinks, feels, prefers or judges. Signal words can be I think, I believe, in my view, better, boring, useful, unfair.

Important: A strong opinion can use facts as reasons. That does not turn the opinion into a fact.

Reading: a fictional current-topic text

Phones at lunch: a good idea?

Practice text – fictional school and fictional data.

Northbridge School is testing a phone-free lunch break for four weeks. The trial started on Monday. Students keep their phones in their bags from 12:30 to 1:15. The school has added board games and two table-tennis areas. I think the change is useful because lunch feels calmer. Some students say the rule is annoying because they want to message friends. The school council will collect feedback on Friday and report the results next week.

First read – understand: What is the text mainly about?

Second read – mark: Write F for checkable information and O for opinion. Start with the five most important statements, not every detail.

Statement	Your check
The trial lasts four weeks.	F / O
The change is useful.	F / O
Phones stay in bags from 12:30 to 1:15.	F / O
The rule is annoying.	F / O
The school council will collect feedback.	F / O

Key idea: Ask yourself: Can I check this with evidence? If yes, it can be a fact claim. If the sentence mainly shows a judgement or preference, it is an opinion.

Listening and viewing

First watch: no transcript, no full translation. Listen for the topic and for words that signal facts or opinions. You do not need to understand everything.

Task 1: Watch about the first two minutes. Write down two words or short phrases you understand.

Task 2: Watch again. Decide: Does the video talk more about information, opinion or both?

Task 3: Listen once more. If needed, slow the video to 0.75 speed. Only after this listening attempt use subtitles or the official transcript. Check one sentence you heard.

Optional second listening: BBC Learning English. Listen for one speaker’s opinion and one reason. The topic is veganism; your goal is not to learn every new word, but to notice how opinions and reasons are expressed.

Context vocabulary

English	Simple meaning	Useful chunk
fact	checkable information	This is a fact because ...
opinion	what someone thinks	In my opinion, ...
evidence	information that supports a claim	The evidence is ...
source	where information comes from	What is the source?
claim	a statement someone makes	This claim can be checked.
reason	why you think something	My reason is ...

Do not translate every word. Use the sentence and the topic to work out meaning first.

Pronunciation and fluency

Say the chunks in short groups. Speak clearly; being understandable is more important than sounding like a native speaker.

According to the text, ...
I think ... because ...
This is a fact because ...
This is an opinion because ...
How do you know?
What is the source?

Fluency drill: Read one chunk, look away, say it again, then change one part. Example: I think the rule is useful because ...

Use the skill

Speaking: respond and ask

Work with a partner.

A: Choose one statement from the text and say: Fact or opinion.

B: Ask one question: How do you know? / What is the source? / Why do you think that?

A: Answer with one reason.

Then change roles.

Mini-presentation: In 30–45 seconds, explain one fact and one opinion from the text. Use at least one reason.

Writing: short comment

Write 70–90 words for the fictional school council.

Structure:

Topic sentence: The text is about ...
One fact: According to the text, ...
Your opinion: I think ...
One reason: ... because ...
One question: I would like to know ...
Closing sentence: For me, the most important point is ...

Accuracy focus – only three goals: sentence starts with a capital letter; use because to connect a reason; check the present simple in your main sentences. Communication comes first.

Mediation: explain, do not translate everything

An exchange student asks what this German note means:

„Vier Wochen lang bleiben Handys in der Mittagspause in den Taschen. Der Schülerrat sammelt am Freitag Rückmeldungen. Danach wird über die Regel gesprochen.“

Give the student the three key points in English. Do not translate word for word. Start with:

The school is testing ...

On Friday, ...

After that, ...

Functional grammar

You need only a few structures:

Function	Pattern	Example
report a fact	According to the text, + sentence	According to the text, the trial lasts four weeks.
give an opinion	I think + sentence	I think the idea is useful.
give a reason	sentence + because + reason	I like it because lunch is quieter.
ask for evidence	What is + noun?	What is the source?

One useful contrast: The text says ... reports information. I think ... shows your own view.

Hilfen

Hint 1: Find signal words

Look for words like I think, I believe, useful, annoying, better, unfair. They often point to an opinion.

Look for dates, times, measured numbers, named sources or documented actions. They often point to a fact claim.

Hint 2: Use sentence frames

This is a fact because I can check ...
This is an opinion because it shows ...
According to the text, ...
My reason is ...
I am not sure. What is the source?

Hint 3: Use the two-question check

Question 1: Can I check the statement with evidence?

Question 2: Does the statement mainly show a judgement, feeling or preference?

If both seem possible, explain what part is checkable and what part is a judgement.

Feedback and error analysis

Peer feedback

Use F-O-R-S:

F = Fact: Is the fact checkable?
O = Opinion: Is the opinion clearly marked?
R = Reason: Is there a reason with because?
S = Source: Does the writer say where information comes from when needed?

Give one positive comment and one next step.

Common errors

Error 1: I think phones are bad. This is a fact.

Improve: I think phones are bad. This is my opinion.

Error 2: The school test a new rule.

Improve: The school tests a new rule.

Error 3: I like the rule. It is calm.

Improve: I like the rule because lunch feels calmer.

Error 4: A learner copies a full sentence from a source but gives no source.

Improve: Keep your own wording and name the source when you use outside information.

Safe and responsible use of media and AI

Check important AI-generated facts against a reliable source.
Check AI feedback before you accept it.
Keep your own original text so you can compare versions.
Do not enter private social-media data or real application data.
If you record your voice, keep the recording voluntary and private unless you have clear permission to share it.
Do not upload other people’s work, voices or images to external AI tools without permission.
No task in this course requires an upload or access to an external AI tool.
Avoid cultural stereotypes. Check statements with evidence, not assumptions about groups.
Use Wikimedia Commons files according to the licence on the file page. Embedded YouTube videos stay on their original platform.

Transfer

New mini-text

Refill station at school

Practice text – fictional.

Greenfield School installed a new water refill station near the sports hall on Tuesday. The school says it can fill about 200 bottles on a normal day. I think the station is a great idea because carrying a reusable bottle is easy. One student says the water tastes better than tap water at home. The caretaker will check the machine every morning.

Task: Find two fact claims and two opinions. Then ask one question that would help you check a fact.

Optional job link: Use the same method with a short internship notice or workplace review: first mark checkable information, then mark personal judgement.

Can-do check

Mark what you can do now:

☐ I can find the topic of a short current-topic text.
☐ I can identify central fact claims.
☐ I can identify opinions and signal words.
☐ I can give a reason with because.
☐ I can ask for a source or evidence.
☐ I can write a short text that keeps facts and opinions separate.

If you tick fewer than four boxes, repeat the Reading section with Hint 1 and Hint 2.

Folgekurs

Continue with E9 G - Check sources in a current-topic text. There you practise checking who published information, what evidence is given and whether another reliable source confirms it.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which sentence is a fact claim? (The trial lasts four weeks.) (!The rule is wonderful.) (!Lunch is much better now.) (!Phones are really annoying.)

Which sentence is an opinion? (I think the change is useful.) (!The trial started on Monday.) (!Students keep phones in their bags.) (!The council collects feedback on Friday.)

What makes a fact claim different from an opinion? (It can be checked with evidence.) (!It always uses the word think.) (!It is always a long sentence.) (!It must be positive.)

Which phrase clearly introduces an opinion? (In my opinion) (!According to the timetable) (!The report states) (!The survey counted)

Which question helps you check a fact claim? (What is the source?) (!Do you like it?) (!Is it cool?) (!Are you bored?)

Which sentence gives an opinion with a reason? (I like the rule because lunch feels calmer.) (!The break starts at twelve thirty.) (!The school added two table-tennis areas.) (!The trial lasts four weeks.)

What should you do first with a short listening text? (Listen for the topic and key words.) (!Translate every word immediately.) (!Read the full transcript before listening.) (!Stop after the first unknown word.)

What is a useful speaking follow-up? (How do you know?) (!Say nothing.) (!Change the topic.) (!Repeat every sentence.)

What should you do with important information from an AI tool? (Check it with a reliable source.) (!Use it without checking.) (!Delete your own draft.) (!Share private data for better results.)

What is the main goal in pronunciation practice here? (Be understandable.) (!Sound exactly like one native accent.) (!Speak as fast as possible.) (!Avoid asking for repetition.)

Memory

Fact	Checkable information
Opinion	Personal judgement
Evidence	Support for a claim
Source	Origin of information
Reason	Explanation for a view
Claim	Statement to examine

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Checkable statement	Fact
Personal judgement	Opinion
Support for a claim	Evidence
Origin of information	Source
Why someone thinks something	Reason

Kreuzworträtsel

Evidence	What can support a fact claim?
Opinion	What word means a personal view or judgement?
Source	Where does information come from?
Claim	What do we call a statement that can be checked or discussed?
Reason	What explains why someone thinks something?
Headline	What short text gives the title of a news item?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Fact hunt: Mark three checkable statements in the fictional school text and explain what could prove each one.
Opinion hunt: Find three opinion words or phrases in the course and write one new opinion sentence.
Ask back: Practise three questions with a partner: How do you know?, What is the source?, Why do you think that?
Word cards: Make six small cards for fact, opinion, evidence, source, claim and reason. Add one simple English example to each.

Standard

Mini news check: Choose a short age-appropriate English school or youth news text. Identify two fact claims and two opinions. Name the source.
School comment: Write 70–90 words about the phone-free lunch idea. Include one fact from the practice text, one opinion and one reason.
Guided mediation: Explain the three key points of the German school note orally in English without translating every word.
Mini presentation: Give a 45-second talk with one fact, one opinion, one reason and one question for the audience.

Schwer

Two-source check: Take one simple fact claim from a current youth topic and check it in two reliable sources. Describe whether they agree.
Headline comparison: Compare two headlines about the same topic. Explain which words are factual and which words sound evaluative.
Balanced paragraph: Write 100–120 words that clearly separates verified information from your own view. Add one source reference in your own words.
Improve a draft: Keep your first version, use peer or AI feedback, check the feedback, and create a second version. Explain two changes you accepted and one suggestion you did not accept.

Lernkontrolle

Unknown topic transfer: Read a new short English current-topic text. State the main topic in one sentence and separate three fact claims from two opinions. Explain your decisions.
Evidence choice: For two fact claims, name what kind of evidence would be useful, for example a timetable, a measurement, a survey result or an official notice.
Reasoning: Choose one opinion from a text and add one relevant fact that could support it. Then explain why the fact supports the opinion but does not make the opinion a fact.
Source question: Write three questions you would ask before trusting a fact claim from an unfamiliar website or AI tool.
Oral transfer: Explain a new school rule to a partner, then give your own view and respond to one follow-up question.
Revision: Improve a short paragraph in which facts and opinions are mixed. Mark what you changed and why.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis ist wichtig:

Du erkennst das Hauptthema eines kurzen englischen Textes.
Du unterscheidest zentrale überprüfbare Aussagen von Meinungsäußerungen.
Du begründest Deine Zuordnung mit einfachen englischen Sätzen.
Du nennst oder erfragst Quellen und passende Belege.
Du reagierst auf Rückfragen und kannst selbst nachfragen.
Du schreibst einen kurzen strukturierten Text mit klar getrennten Fakten und Meinungen.
Du nutzt wenige zentrale Sprachmittel korrekt genug, damit Deine Aussage gut verständlich ist.
Du überarbeitest einen eigenen Text und kannst eine Verbesserung erklären.

OERs zum Thema

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E9 G - Fact or opinion in a current-topic text

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