1. FACT AND OPINION

2. A statement that can independently and objectively verified or proved. “Mississippi is a part of the U.S.” “Americans produce more than 230 million tons of garbage annually.” “Recycling is energy efficient.” “Justin Beiber performed at the 2010 MTV Music Awards.” Fact

3. One person’s belief that may or may not be shared with others…subjective… WORDS THAT INDICATE AN OPINION Better, nicer, kinder, easier, best, all, everyone, nobody, always, everybody, no one, every, never, none… Extreme words like “everybody” or “nobody” and highly descriptive or emotional words such as “amazing, wonderful, and incredible” also signal opinions. Opinion

4. “Everyone agrees that Americans produce too much garbage.” “People should never put paper in the garbage.” “Justin Beiber’s performance at the 2010 MTV Music Awards was legendary.” Opinions

5. The massive tax cuts promoted by the Reagan administration (1980-1988)created a huge federal debt that we are still paying off. President Reagan’s bold tax cuts of the 1980s led the U.S. economy into a period of unparalleled prosperity. It is unfair that students must now be subjected to random locker searches. FACT OR OPINION CHART

6. The Seven Wonders of the World (1)The Seven Wonders of the World, were according the ancient Greeks, the seven most monumental forms of architecture ever developed by man. (2)The list includes the Colossus of Rhodes, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Temple of Artemis. (3) While each of these was amazing in its own way, the most impressive is the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Fact or Opinion

7. (4) First of all, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was the first lighthouse ever built. (5)The thinking that went into the development of the idea for the lighthouse itself is impressive. (6) The designers would have realized that there was a problem with ships getting lost at sea or crashing into the land in the dark. (7) The idea to build a structure strictly to act as a beacon for travelers was a stroke of genius. (8) From there, designers had to figure out how to make a bright light at night, where to place the beacon, how to build it, and then how to maintain it.

8. (9) Secondly, at the time it was built, this structure was the tallest building in the world, after the Great Pyramid of Khufu. (10) Unlike the Great Pyramid, though, the Lighthouse of Alexandria did not have a wide base and a small top. (11) Instead, it was tall and narrow, which made it, in many ways, all the more difficult to build. (12) It was also built out on an island, rather than in a spacious, land-locked region. (13) Just the process of getting materials to the island must have been daunting for the laborers. (14) Despite these challenges, the designers and builders of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were successful.

9. (15) No one can deny that each of the structures on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World bears a rightful claim to its spot. (16) However, a combination of the designers’ ingenuity and the builders’ construction skill make the Lighthouse of Alexandria the greatest of the Seven Wonders.