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Middle School Lab

Fact or Opinion?

Tell facts from opinions and pick how you'd verify each one — the core skill of thinking clearly.

Fact or Opinion Detective

A great detective always asks: Can I check this? Facts can be looked up, measured, or tested. Opinions are what people think or feel. Sort each statement and climb the detective ranks!

Detective Score

0 / 10

Statement 1 of 10

Fact or Opinion?

"Dogs make better pets than cats."

How does it actually work?

A fact is a statement that can be verified — you can check it in books, measure it, or test it, and everyone who checks carefully will get the same answer. A opinion expresses how someone feels or what they prefer, and reasonable people can disagree without anyone being wrong.

The key question a detective always asks is: How could I check this? If there is a reliable method (a ruler, an encyclopedia, a qualified expert), it is probably a fact. If checking it comes down to personal preference or values, it is an opinion.

This skill is the first step in critical thinking — separating what is true from what is believed, and knowing how to look things up. AI systems can state opinions confidently, so asking "how could I check this?" is more important than ever.