Do You Agree or Disagree?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

You just read three fun statements and decided if you agreed or disagreed with them.

Being able to think for yourself and not just go along with something you hear or read is an essential skill to have.

When you read texts where an author shares ideas, you should consider the author's thoughts and decide whether you think and feel the same way. Then, you need to be able to properly share YOUR thinking with your reasons why.

Remember that when an author shares facts proven true, you cannot disagree. You may have your thoughts and feelings about those facts, but you cannot disagree that they are true.

However, when an author presents a point of view based on their thoughts, feelings, or ideas, it is considered an opinion. Opinions are not always true, so you can decide if you agree or disagree.

If you want a little more help with the difference between fact and opinion, watch the video below.

After reading a text, you must ask yourself two questions.

• Did the author write about facts?
• Or is this the author's opinion?

If the text is factual, it is true whether you like it.

If the text is based on the author's opinions, however, you need to ask yourself more questions.

• Do you agree with it?
• Do you disagree?
• Why? What are your reasons?

You can agree with some of an author's opinions but not all of them. You can also still like a book or author even if you disagree with it all!

Look at examples.

You can like or dislike that northern states are colder than southern ones, but it is true either way. This isn't the author's opinion or own thoughts or feelings. It is a fact.

• What about this next text?

First, you need to ask yourself if snow being the best weather is a fact or an opinion.

It is only the author's point of view that snow is the best weather.

Once you know it is not a fact, you can decide if you agree with it or not.

Maybe you love snow. Or maybe you hate it. Or maybe you like snow, but you think stepping out on a warm, sunny day is more exciting. If you like sunny days better than snow, you disagree with the author's point of view that snow is the best weather.

If this is making sense, move to the Got It? section to try some practice activities!