Understanding Facts vs. Opinions and Exploring Journalism Vocabulary
Lesson Plan: English Grammar, JSS 2, First Term, Week 8
Subject: English Grammar
Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 8
Age: 12-13 years
Topic: Reading and Comprehension
Sub-topic:
a) Reading to explain facts and opinions in a selected passage
b) Vocabulary Development: Word Families (Journalism)
Duration: 40 minutes
Behavioral Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
- Distinguish between facts and opinions in a passage.
- Identify and highlight words associated with journalism.
- Explain the meanings of these journalism-related words in context.
- Generate and use sentences that contain these words.
Keywords:
- Facts
- Opinions
- Journalism
- Word families
- Context
Set Induction:
The teacher will begin by asking the students if they can recall any news stories they have read or heard recently. The teacher will then ask if they can tell whether the news stories were based on facts or opinions. This will introduce the concept of distinguishing between facts and opinions.
Entry Behavior:
Students should be familiar with reading simple texts and identifying main ideas.
Learning Resources and Materials:
- A short passage containing facts and opinions
- Newspapers or digital articles about journalism
- Flashcards with journalism-related words
Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge:
The students have learned about how to extract the main idea from a passage. They will now use this knowledge to identify facts and opinions and learn vocabulary specific to journalism.
Embedded Core Skills:
- Critical thinking
- Reading comprehension
- Vocabulary development
Reference Books:
- Lagos State Scheme of Work
- Standard English textbooks for JSS 2
Instructional Materials:
- Short comprehension passage
- Newspapers or magazine articles
- Flashcards
Content:
Step 1: Revising Previous Topic
- The teacher will review with students what they learned about distinguishing facts from opinions in previous lessons.
Step 2: Introducing the New Topic
- Facts vs. Opinions: Explain that a fact is something that can be proven true, while an opinion is a belief or feeling. Examples:
- Fact: “The Earth orbits the sun.”
- Opinion: “Summer is the best season.”
- Vocabulary Development: Word Families (Journalism): Discuss words related to journalism such as reporter, editor, headline, article, and broadcast. Use each word in a sentence.
Step 3: Allowing Pupils to Contribute
- Read a passage aloud to the class. As the passage is read, the teacher will ask students to identify which parts are facts and which are opinions.
- Discuss the meanings of the new words from the passage and ask students to create sentences using the words.
Teacher’s Activities:
- The teacher will guide the students in reading the passage.
- Ask questions to help students distinguish facts from opinions.
- Write vocabulary words related to journalism on the board and explain their meanings in context.
Learners’ Activities:
- Students will listen to the passage being read and identify facts and opinions.
- Write down the journalism-related vocabulary words.
- Create sentences using the new vocabulary.
Assessment:
- Identify whether each of the following statements is a fact or an opinion: a) “The internet is a useful tool for journalists.”
b) “Journalists should always report the truth.” - Write five words related to journalism and use each in a sentence.
Evaluation Questions:
- What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
- List three words associated with journalism.
- Use “editor” in a sentence.
- Explain the meaning of “headline” in the context of journalism.
- Give an example of a fact from the passage.
Conclusion:
The teacher will review the key points from the lesson, ensuring that students understand how to differentiate between facts and opinions and are able to use journalism-related vocabulary in sentences.