Fact or opinion
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0:01 - 0:02Is it a fact,
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0:02 - 0:03or is it an opinion?
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0:03 - 0:04Does it matter?
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0:04 - 0:05Yes.
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0:05 - 0:07Both are important.
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0:07 - 0:09But knowing how to distinguish
between fact and opinion -
0:10 - 0:13can help us to better understand
what we read and hear, -
0:13 - 0:15and how we form our opinions.
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0:15 - 0:16Let's take a look.
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0:17 - 0:20A fact is a statement
that can be proven to be true. -
0:20 - 0:22Facts are objetive,
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0:22 - 0:25which means they are not influenced
by what someone thinks or believes. -
0:26 - 0:28A fact is indisputable
and cannot be changed. -
0:29 - 0:31Here are some key questions
to identify facts. -
0:31 - 0:351. Can it be measured or confirmed
with calculations or data? -
0:36 - 0:39For example, two plus two equals four.
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0:40 - 0:43We can add the numbers
and demostrate that this stament is true. -
0:44 - 0:472. Can it be observed?
Can we see it happen? -
0:49 - 0:52For instance, 99% of people
cannot lick ther elbow. -
0:53 - 0:54This is true.
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0:54 - 0:56This is a fact that can be observed.
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0:56 - 0:58Research has determined
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0:58 - 1:01that only one out of 100 people
can successfully complete this task. -
1:02 - 1:053. Can it be verified by primary sources,
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1:06 - 1:10such as research, photographs,
newspapers, and other facts? -
1:10 - 1:11Here is an example.
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1:12 - 1:14Nintendo was started in 1889.
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1:14 - 1:18This is a fact because it can
be verifed by many sources. -
1:18 - 1:20A man named Fusajiro Yamauchi from Japan
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1:20 - 1:24founded Nintendo
as a playing card company in 1889, -
1:24 - 1:27and now it is one of the largest
gaming companies in the world. -
1:27 - 1:29Now let's move on to opinion,
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1:29 - 1:32which can sometimes be a little trickier.
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1:32 - 1:34An opinion is a statement
of belief or judgement. -
1:35 - 1:38Opinions express
what someone thinks or feels. -
1:38 - 1:39An opinion can change.
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1:40 - 1:41Let's look at some examples.
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1:42 - 1:43Ice cream is delicious.
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1:44 - 1:46Many people believe this
but some people don't. -
1:46 - 1:49It is a judgement,
and therefore an opinion. -
1:49 - 1:51When we evaluate something or somebody
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1:51 - 1:56we often use adjectives such as
important, beautiful, fun or difficult. -
1:57 - 1:59An adjective that allows us
to judge something -
1:59 - 2:01is a clue that a statement is an opinion.
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2:02 - 2:05Another signal word for opinions
is the word "should". -
2:05 - 2:06Here is an example.
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2:07 - 2:09Everyone should learn
more than one language. -
2:09 - 2:13While there may be many good reasons
to learn more than one language, -
2:13 - 2:16not everyone would agree
about the personal value of doing so. -
2:17 - 2:19Political views are opinions.
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2:19 - 2:22Different people have different ideas
about what societie's problems are -
2:22 - 2:24and how to best address them.
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2:24 - 2:26Since opinion can´t
be proven or disproven, -
2:26 - 2:28there is no right or wrong answer:
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2:28 - 2:30just different viewpoints.
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2:30 - 2:33While opinions may be supported
by facts and evidence, -
2:33 - 2:36the issue we care about
may still be up for debate. -
2:36 - 2:38For example, I could say
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2:38 - 2:40that going to school year round
is better for students. -
2:41 - 2:44Now there are reasons
to support this viewpoint, -
2:44 - 2:46some may argue
that a shorter vacation period -
2:46 - 2:49would prevent students
from forgetting what they learnt, -
2:49 - 2:51or say that students often
get bored over the summer, -
2:51 - 2:55or that other countries around the world
use a year-round system. -
2:55 - 2:58However, we cannot prove
that the statement is true. -
2:59 - 3:02There are many reasons to think
that a 10 month calendar is better. -
3:02 - 3:04You could argue that students
need an extended break -
3:04 - 3:08and they should be allowed to participate
in camps or other summer activities, -
3:08 - 3:10or that a lack of air conditioning means
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3:10 - 3:13they shouldn't be inside a school
building in the summer. -
3:13 - 3:15If we look back at the statement,
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3:15 - 3:18we can also identify
another signal word for opinion: -
3:19 - 3:20the word "better".
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3:20 - 3:22When we're comparing different things
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3:22 - 3:25or we see words like "greatest",
"best" or "better", -
3:25 - 3:28it can suggest we are looking
at an opinion statement. -
3:29 - 3:31Another type of opinion is a prediction.
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3:32 - 3:35Often predictions are based
on experience, knowledge or research, -
3:36 - 3:38but because they are based on the future,
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3:38 - 3:40we can't actually verify them today.
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3:40 - 3:42Let's look at an example.
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3:42 - 3:46Driverless cars will represent
10% of all cars on the road by 2026. -
3:47 - 3:49That sounds both amazing and scary.
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3:49 - 3:53Although many auto manufacturers are
developing self-driveing car technology, -
3:53 - 3:55we have no way of verifying
the statement today. -
3:56 - 3:58So, it is an opinion.
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3:58 - 4:02One thing to remember is that just
because we believe something to be true, -
4:02 - 4:04that does not make it a fact.
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4:05 - 4:07Let's recap what we learnt.
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4:08 - 4:11A fact is a statement
that can be proven to be true. -
4:12 - 4:14Can it be measured,
or confirmed with data? -
4:14 - 4:15Can it be observed?
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4:16 - 4:18Can we verify its truth
with other sources? -
4:19 - 4:20Does it stay the same?
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4:20 - 4:23If we answer "yes"
to one of these questions, -
4:23 - 4:25then it means it is a fact.
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4:25 - 4:28An opinion is a statement
of belief or judgement -
4:28 - 4:29that cannot be proven true.
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4:29 - 4:31Does it evalute someone or something?
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4:32 - 4:33Can we debate it?
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4:33 - 4:34Does it make a prediction?
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4:35 - 4:36Can it change?
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4:36 - 4:38If you answer "yes"
to these questions, -
4:38 - 4:39it is an opinion.
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4:40 - 4:43Knowing how to separate
between fact and opinion -
4:43 - 4:45helps us to understand information
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4:45 - 4:47and shape our own beliefs about the world.
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4:47 - 4:49Try it and see if you can
use these questions -
4:49 - 4:51to tell the difference in your own life.
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4:51 - 4:53Subtitles by Carol Wang
Review by
- Title:
- Fact or opinion
- Description:
-
How to tell fact from opinion.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
Amplifying Voices
- Project:
- CIVIX
- Duration:
- 04:54
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Fran Ontanaya edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
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Thais Barros edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
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Ilona edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
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Carol Wang edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
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Carol Wang edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
![]() |
Carol Wang edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
![]() |
Carol Wang edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion | |
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CarinaMariani edited English subtitles for Fact or opinion |