Fact and Opinion

Fact and opinion skills help a student distinguish between statements that can be proven true (facts) from statements that express an attitude or judgment and cannot be proven true (opinions).

Duffy’s First Walk

Caitlyn was very excited. Her puppy was ready for his first walk outside. The puppy’s name was Duffy. He had never been outside before. Now he was six weeks old and could learn how to walk on a leash. “Here, Duffy!” Caitlyn called. Duffy ran to Caitlyn and licked her…

Ribbet and Rabbit

Ribbet was a very small toad. He lived in a shady corner of the garden where there were large horseradish leaves to shelter him from the sun. Ribbet was brown with dark spots. He was very hard to see in the grass. Ribbet was hopping around the garden looking for…

The Very Cold Day

Wyatt was seven years old. He was in second grade. Each September, his mom took him shopping to buy new clothes for the school year. Wyatt didn’t like shopping much, but this year he was excited about his winter coat. Wyatt’s new coat was red-orange. The inside was lined with…

The Turtle Pond

Melinda’s family moved to a new house in a new town in June. Their new house had an extra bedroom for visitors to sleep in. It was at the end of a short street lined with tall maple trees. Best of all, there was a pond across the street. Everyone called…

The Birthday Cake

Josie was a girl who loved to bake. She always helped her uncle at his bakery. Mostly she carried ingredients from the refrigerator to the large work table. Sometimes Uncle Dave let Josie stir the cake batter with a wooden spoon. Josie wanted to learn to bake a cake on…

The Lullaby

For six years, Sebastian slept in his own room at the top of the stairs. It was a big room with slanted ceilings. The whole room was painted a cheerful shade of yellow, and it was a wonderful place to play, read and snuggle into blankets on a winter night.…

The First Egg

Last April, Taylor got an unusual package in the mail. The postman carried the box to the door and handed it to Taylor directly. The box was peeping! “What have you got there?” asked the postman. “These are my chicks,” said Taylor. The box was full of six small, fluffy…

Laundry Day

Cameron lived in the city. His apartment was in a tall building. It was small, but there was a playground and a game room for sharing. There was also a laundry room with washing machines and clothes dryers. Cameron liked helping his mother because it always smelled very clean in…

Tricoteuses: Knitting During the Reign of Terror

The French Revolution, whose roots began in 1787 and continued until 1799, marked the creation of the modern era. It is widely considered one of the seminal events in human history. The Revolution’s origin stemmed from a complex interaction of factors including: (1) the political aspirations of a growing class…

The New Kid in Class

Jackson sat at his school desk and looked over at the new kid in class. His name was Billy and he just moved here from Florida. His first day in class was yesterday and, so far, Jackson had not talked to him. Today, at recess, Jackson was going to try…