Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Opinion Smuggler Case: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Opinion Smuggler Case is a free printable English worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children play detectives and examine sentences seized from a Great Fire of London leaflet. They write F or O in each box, then read the first letters of the O sentences in order to find the hideout. Page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children act as detectives, reading sentences seized from a leaflet about the Great Fire of London. The leaflet is sneaky, because it slips opinions in among the facts. In the table, children read each numbered sentence and write F or O in the box. They then collect the first letters of the O sentences, in order, to decode the hideout. There are also lines for writing.
- No.
- Seized leaflet sentence
- F or O
A worked example: sorting two sentences
Sentence A: Our school has a library. Sentence B: Our library is the cosiest room in the building. Which is a fact and which is an opinion?
This example is about a school, not the Great Fire of London. It shows two ways to decide.
Method 1: ask, could I check this?- Read Sentence A. You could visit the school and look for a library. It can be checked.
- Read Sentence B. You cannot measure how cosy a room is. People feel differently about it.
- Mark A as F and B as O.
- Look for words that show what someone thinks or feels, such as cosiest.
- Sentence B has one. Sentence A has none.
- Then test it with Method 1 to be sure.
Why learn to tell fact from opinion?
A fact is a statement that can be checked, for example by looking in a reliable book, measuring, counting or asking an expert. An opinion is what a person thinks or feels. People can sensibly disagree about an opinion. Non fiction writing often contains both, and good readers learn to notice which is which as they read.
Leaflets, adverts and websites often want us to feel a certain way. A writer may tuck an opinion in beside a fact so that it sounds just as solid. When children pause and ask whether a sentence can be checked, they read more carefully and trust their own thinking. That habit helps in every subject, not only English.
Skills and curriculum link
- Sorting fact and opinion
- Spotting opinion words
- Rewriting opinions as checkable facts
- Careful non fiction reading
- Following a code
Handy ideas for fact detectives
- The checking testAsk, could I check this? If you could look it up, count it or measure it, it is probably a fact.
- Feeling wordsWords that show a judgement, such as best, lovely or amazing, often signal an opinion. Always test the whole sentence too.
- The disagree testCould two sensible people disagree about this sentence? If yes, it is likely an opinion.
- The rewrite testTo turn an opinion into a fact, swap the feeling for something you could check, such as a number, a place or an event.
Key words
- FactA statement that can be checked.
- OpinionWhat someone thinks or feels. Others may think differently.
- EvidenceInformation that helps show whether something is true.
- LeafletA small printed sheet that gives information or tries to persuade you.
- Non fictionWriting about real things, such as events, places and people.
- PersuadeTo try to make someone think or do something.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first sentence in the table aloud. Ask, could I check this?
- Write F or O in the box for each sentence. Talk about the choice before writing.
- Pick out the O sentences, read their first letters in order and decode the hideout. Then use the lines to rewrite an opinion as something checkable.
- Check with page 2. Come back another day to try again. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Circle the feeling words first, such as brilliant, best, lovelier or amazing. Sentences with these words are usually opinions. Then ask of each remaining sentence, could I check this? Work through the first few together, then let your child try alone.
To stretch confident children
Write a sneaky leaflet of your own on any topic. Include three facts and three hidden opinions. Ask someone to catch the opinions and explain how they know. Try making the first letters of your opinion sentences spell a secret word.
Make it a game
Swap sheets with another detective. Mark each other's sorting and see if the same hideout appears. If your answers differ, explain your thinking to each other and decide together which choice you can defend.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child marks a sentence F because it sounds serious or has lots of detail.
Try thisDetail does not make a fact. Ask whether someone could check the sentence in a book or by looking.
Watch forA child marks a sentence O just because they disagree with it.
Try thisDisagreeing is not the test. A fact can be checked, even if you did not know it. An opinion is a view or feeling.
Watch forThe decoded letters make no word.
Try thisUse only the O sentences, in the order they appear in the table. Underline each first letter, then check each F or O choice again.
Talk about it
- Which words in a sentence make it sound like an opinion?
- Why might a leaflet writer mix opinions in with facts?
- How could we check a fact if we had a book or a trusted website?
- Can you think of an opinion that many people share? Is it still an opinion?
- How would you rewrite one of the opinions so it could be checked?
- Where else do we see opinions that sound like facts, such as adverts or posters?
Take it off the page
Fact or opinion hunt
Find a leaflet, a cereal box or a poster at home. Highlight one fact and one opinion. Explain how you can tell.
Two truths and an opinion
Say three sentences about your day. Two should be facts and one an opinion. Others guess which is the opinion.
Opinion to fact rewrite
Write three opinions about your favourite food or game. Rewrite each as a statement someone could check.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first few sentences, then let them lead. Ask, how do you know? rather than saying right or wrong. Praise careful thinking, and use page 2 to check the answers together.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity when teaching fact and opinion in non fiction. It links to the reading comprehension strand. Page 2 offers support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a library book on the Great Fire of London, or a visit to a local museum. Children can then check facts for themselves. Print again later for brothers, sisters or revision.
Where this fits in learning
Before this, children learn to find and retrieve information from non fiction texts and to explain what they have read. They also begin to notice how writers use words to describe or persuade.
After this, children can look at how adverts and persuasive writing try to sway readers, and compare sources on the same topic. They can also use the skill when writing their own balanced non fiction pieces.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Opinion Smuggler Case for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. Older or younger children can try it too, with more or less support from an adult.
- What will children practise?
They practise telling statements of fact from statements of opinion in non fiction reading, using a Great Fire of London leaflet. They also spot opinion words and rewrite opinions as checkable facts.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages and give page 1 to your child. Read each sentence and ask, could I check this? Write F or O in each box. Then read the first letters of the O sentences in order to decode the hideout.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start by circling feeling words, such as brilliant, best, lovelier or amazing. Sentences with these words are usually opinions. Work through the first sentences together, then let your child try the rest alone.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision.
- Where are the answers?
They are on page 2, which is for the grown-up. Page 2 also has notes on using the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and it prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.