Using Facts and Opinions

Students often struggle to differentiate fact from opinion. They will praise their favorite rapper, saying he is "the best of all time, and that's a fact." No, that's an opinion. The rapper may have had more #1 singles than any other and may have sold more records, but perhaps another rapper has better rhymes, or has made a deeper impact on culture, or is more original. Though facts can support the person's opinion, they cannot prove it outright, and many people will still disagree.

Similarly, students may struggle with the idea of facts as provable statements, thinking everything is an opinion. Our age of "alternative facts" does not help in this regard. However, facts  can be objectively demonstrated and so are not opinions. Facts are measurable and provable. As Patrick Moynahan once said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."

Use the explanations and examples on this page to help students understand the difference between opinions and facts. 

Avoiding Logical Fallacies

Whether students have learned their argument skills on playgrounds and streets or by listening to politicians and media, they are likely to use a number of thinking short-cuts that compromise their logic. The ancient Greeks first recognized these logical fallacies millennia ago, and they still persist.

Lead your students through the explanations and examples on this page and the next. Then challenge students to find some of their own examples in speeches, tweets, and articles about modern politics.

Solving Problems

Some problems seem insoluble. Students have no idea where to begin or how to make progress. Help them understand that they don't have to solve a problem all at once. Instead, if they take a series of smaller steps, they can work at the problem until it is solved. Help them (1) name the problem, (2) analyze the problem, (3) consider solutions, (4) evaluate solutions, (5) apply the best solution, and (6) evaluate the solution. This process works for simple problems (what should we eat tonight?) or complex ones (how do we send people to Mars?).

Afterward, model the process with students. Write a school or community problem on the board, for example, "The cafeteria is too crowded." Then lead a discussion, having students go through each step of the problem-solving process to come up with a solution.

At the bottom of the page, introduce students to this acronym for the scientific method, which is one version of problem solving.

Asking Thoughtful Questions

A question asks for information. It therefore opens a space that needs to be filled with answers. Small questions open up small spaces, and big questions open up big spaces. That's why students need to use a variety of effective questions to inspire their research and learning.

Use the material under "Problems," "Policies," and "People" to demonstrate the kinds of questions that will help students think more deeply about different topics. Also, have students flag this page so that they can return to it whenever they are writing assignments with subjects like these.