What technique can a teacher use to help students distinguish between facts and opinions?

Using a pre-assessment followed by explicit instruction is an effective technique for helping students distinguish between facts and opinions. This approach allows the teacher to first gauge students' prior knowledge and understanding of these concepts through the pre-assessment. By identifying students' starting points, the teacher can tailor explicit instruction to address any misconceptions and deepen their comprehension.

This method provides a structured way to directly teach the differences between facts, which are objective statements that can be proven true or false, and opinions, which are subjective beliefs or judgments. Through targeted lessons and examples, students can develop the analytical skills necessary to evaluate statements critically. Furthermore, explicit instruction often includes modeling, guided practice, and opportunities for students to apply what they've learned, reinforcing their understanding of the distinguishing factors between facts and opinions.

Other techniques, while they may have their value in different contexts, do not focus as directly on this critical understanding. Drawing pictures or choosing favorite statements may engage students but does not systematically address the cognitive distinction between factual information and personal viewpoints. Memorizing definitions, on the other hand, lacks the engagement and application necessary for true understanding, and it can lead to surface-level learning rather than deeper comprehension.