Fact, Opinion, and Evidence

Grade 3 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the answer.

1. Read this first

   A Skate Park or a Garden?

   The town of Cedar Falls has a big empty lot on Hill Street. For two years, nothing has been built there. Now the town council must decide what to do with it. Some people want a skate park. Others want a community garden.

   Here are the facts. The lot is about the size of two basketball courts. A skate park would cost about eighty thousand dollars to build. A garden would cost about fifteen thousand dollars. The town has saved fifty thousand dollars for the project. The council will vote on May 3.

   Many young people support the skate park. Jayden, who is eleven, spoke at the last meeting. "Skating is the best way to stay active," he said. "Right now, kids skate in the library parking lot. That is not safe." Jayden also brought a paper signed by sixty students who want the park. It is true that the library lot is busy. About three hundred cars park there each day.

   Other people prefer a garden. Mrs. Chen, a retired teacher, also spoke. "A garden would bring the whole town together," she said. "Fresh vegetables are better than any skate trick." She pointed out that the town has no public garden now. The nearest one is twelve miles away in Pine Grove. She said a garden could also give fresh food to the town food bank.

   Some people say skate parks are too loud. Others say gardens are boring. No one can prove which one is more fun. These are opinions, and people will keep arguing about them. But the vote will depend on facts, too. A skate park costs more money than the town has saved.

   In my view, the town should build both, one at a time. A garden could open first because it costs less. The skate park could come later, once the town saves more money. That plan would be fair to everyone.

2. 1.

   Which sentence is a fact from the text?

   • A garden would cost about fifteen thousand dollars.
   • Skating is the best way to stay active.
   • That plan would be fair to everyone.
   • A garden would bring the whole town together.
3. 2.

   Which sentence is Mrs. Chen's opinion?

   • Fresh vegetables are better than any skate trick.
   • Skating is the best way to stay active.
   • The town has no public garden now.
   • The nearest garden is twelve miles away.
4. 3.

   Jayden says kids skate in the library parking lot. How could you check this?

   • go to the library lot and watch
   • ask Jayden if skating is fun
   • read Mrs. Chen's words again
   • vote at the council meeting
5. 4.

   Which fact supports Jayden's point that the library lot is not safe?

   • About three hundred cars park there each day.
   • The nearest garden is in Pine Grove.
   • The council will vote on May 3.
   • The Hill Street lot is the size of two courts.
6. 5.

   Which word in 'Skating is the best way to stay active' signals an opinion?

   • active
   • skating
   • best
   • way
7. 6.

   The writer says, 'These are opinions.' Which statements is the writer talking about?

   • The town has saved fifty thousand dollars.
   • The lot is the size of two basketball courts.
   • The council will vote on the third of May.
   • Skate parks are too loud, and gardens are boring.
8. 7.

   Which fact shows a problem with building the skate park right now?

   • Kids skate in the library lot now.
   • The lot has been empty for two years.
   • It costs more than the town has saved.
   • Jayden spoke at the last meeting.
9. 8.

   The town council must decide. What is a council?

   • a public garden for a town
   • a group of people who make decisions
   • a kind of trick on a skateboard
   • a large empty lot in a town
10. 9.

    Which sentence states the writer's own opinion?

    • In my view, the town should build both, one at a time.
    • Skating is the best way to stay active.
    • The council will vote on May 3.
    • A garden would bring the whole town together.
11. 10.

    Which pair labels a fact and an opinion correctly?

    • Fact: Skating is the best way to stay active. Opinion: The vote is May 3.
    • Fact: Gardens are boring. Opinion: The nearest garden is in Pine Grove.
    • Fact: A garden brings the town together. Opinion: The lot is empty.
    • Fact: The nearest garden is in Pine Grove. Opinion: Gardens are boring.