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Students explore how opinions are personal feelings or thoughts that can differ between people.
If you think chocolate ice cream is the best, but your best friend thinks strawberry is the best, who is actually right?
An opinion is a personal thought or feeling. It is what you believe about something. Unlike a fact, which is always true for everyone (like saying a dog has legs), an opinion can change from person to person. Your opinion belongs to you! It tells others how you see the world. For example, if you say, 'This book is exciting,' that is your opinion. Someone else might think the book is boring, and that is their opinion. Neither person is 'wrong' because opinions are about how we feel inside.
Let's look at how to spot an opinion: 1. Imagine it is a sunny day. 2. Sam says, 'The sun is out.' (This is a fact). 3. Lily says, 'This is the best weather ever!' 4. Because Lily used the word 'best' to describe her feelings, she is sharing an opinion.
Quick Check
If you say 'Blue is the prettiest color,' is that a fact or an opinion?
Answer
It is an opinion because it describes a personal feeling about a color.
How can we tell when someone is sharing an opinion? We look for clue words! These are special words that show a person is talking about their feelings rather than a proven fact. Common clue words include favorite, best, worst, pretty, ugly, and delicious. When you hear these words, your 'opinion alarm' should go off! For example, saying 'Pizza is food' is a fact if you are counting it, but saying 'Pizza is the most delicious food' is an opinion.
Read these two sentences and find the opinion: 1. 'The cat has fur.' (No clue words here!) 2. 'The cat is the cutest animal in the house.' 3. The word cutest is the clue! It shows a personal feeling, making sentence an opinion.
Quick Check
Which of these is a clue word for an opinion: 'Green', 'Large', or 'Wonderful'?
Answer
Wonderful
The most amazing thing about opinions is that two people can look at the exact same thing and have different opinions. This doesn't mean they are arguing or that one person is lying. It just means their brains and hearts feel differently! If you think a movie is too scary, but your brother thinks it is funny, you are both telling the truth about your own feelings. Respecting opinions means listening to how others feel, even if you don't feel the same way.
Imagine a group of friends deciding what to play: 1. Maya thinks the swings are the most fun. 2. Leo thinks the slide is better than the swings. 3. They realize they have different opinions. 4. To solve the problem, they decide to play on the swings for minutes and the slide for minutes so both opinions are respected!
What is an opinion?
Which sentence contains an opinion clue word?
Two people can have different opinions and both be right.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to remember the three 'clue words' we learned today that help you spot an opinion.
Practice Activity
Ask a friend or family member: 'What is your favorite animal?' Then tell them yours. Notice how your opinions might be different!