Fact or Opinion?

My 4th graders learned about fact and opinion today... their main way of remembering the difference is "if you're arguing about it, then it's an opinion."  Mrs. J tried to trip them up.  She wanted to move "math is boring" to the fact side.  The 4th graders about had a cow!  She kept saying, "But I feel really strongly about this!  And math is really boring!"  They would have none of it (even though some of them thought math was boring too).  I'm glad to know they understand the difference.  Another model of opinion was used, "Justin Bieber is the best singer in the whole wide world."  While some girls were positive this was a fact, they later on revealed that they knew it was an opinion, but to them it was a fact.

We started reading with our Daily 5 rotations and small group instruction.  The first group was going to start a book about ancient cities, including Ancient Memphis (in Egypt).  Mrs. J was asking them questions to get them thinking about the topic.  One of the questions was, "Where did they get water and food?"  The self-proclaimed class clown (but he was dead serious now) said, "Oh that question is easy.  I'm pretty sure they get it from cacti."  Another question was asked about the location of Memphis.  One boy, a super quiet guy who never has much to say, made the comment, "Ancient Memphis is where ancient Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated."

They had a bit of free-time in the day, and a group of boys began a game of checkers.  Checkers is my favorite game of all time, so I went back to watch.  A few weeks ago, I had told one of the boys my super secret tactic for success in checkers.  When he saw I was watching he gestured to his checkers, showing me (in code) that he was using my secret weapon... and he was trouncing the other boy.  One of the boys watching made the comment, "It's just like a battle.  They're fighting over hear, fighting over there..."

The final funny moment of the day was during science.  My 4th graders were putting their respiratory organs on their cutouts and one boy had grabbed his glue stick and was rushing back to his group.  "I have my large-intestine glue stick!" he called out.  Then he held it up to his eye, "It's the same size around as the large intestine."  I'm pretty sure he also stuck the word "mucous" in there, but I have to agree, his glue stick was very large intestine-like.