Checkable or Contestable?
A 55-minute Grade 5 lesson on the difference between a claim that can be checked and one that has been.
Checkable or Contestable? is a free 55-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D3.2.3-5 — use the difference between fact and opinion to judge whether sources can be trusted. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- D3.2.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence
D3.2.3-5
Use distinctions among fact and opinion to determine the credibility of multiple sources.
Objective
Students will be able to sort statements by checkability and identify a checkable claim nobody can check.
Students are successful when they can
- Sorts statements into fact and opinion.
- Names how a fact could be checked.
- Identifies a checkable claim with no available check.
What you need
- Twelve statement cards from the national sources
- Two headings plus a third: cannot be checked here
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — check this one
5 min- Read '140,000 homes were built' and ask how to check it.
- Read 'materials remain scarce' and ask the same.
Teach — the third column
18 min- Fact: 140,000, checkable against building returns.
- Opinion: the programme was a success. Nothing settles that; it depends on the standard.
- Now the third column: 'materials and labour remain scarce'.
- It is the kind of claim that could be checked, and only the government could measure it.
- Say why that matters: a checkable claim with no available check is a claim on trust.
- Apply it to the poll: its percentages are checkable, its representativeness is not, from the table alone.
- Draw the trust conclusion: trust a source on what it is placed to know AND has shown.
“Could this be checked, and could it be checked by us?”
Guided practice — sort into three
17 min- Pairs sort twelve statements into fact, opinion and cannot-be-checked-here.
- For four facts they name the record that would check it.
- Groups say what a government should publish to move a statement out of the third column.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'Checkable or Contestable?' page.
- Watch for opinions sorted as facts because they are widely held.
Close
3 min- Ask which source has the highest ratio of checkable statements.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Sorts by whether they agree with it.
Why: Agreement feels like truth.
Fix: Ask how you would check it. That test ignores what you think.
Treats an unchecked claim as an opinion.
Why: Neither can be verified today.
Fix: One has a fact of the matter and one does not. Keep them apart.
Treats any number as a fact.
Why: Numbers look objective.
Fix: Ask who counted and how. Checkable is not the same as correct.
If they are not there yet
- Six statements and two headings.
- Give the check and ask which statement it tests.
If they finish early
- Find another claim that belongs in the third column.
- Say what publication would move it into the first.
- Rewrite an opinion so that it becomes checkable.
Exit ticket
'Materials and labour remain scarce.' Is that fact, opinion or something else? Say why.
What to look for: Checkable in principle, but only the government could measure it, so it stands on trust. Calling it opinion means the third column needs another run.
Printable practice for D3.2.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Checkable or Contestable?Sort each sentence into fact or opinion.
Questions about Checkable or Contestable?
How long does the Checkable or Contestable? lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 18 min, guided practice 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Checkable or Contestable? teach?
D3.2.3-5 — D3.2.3-5, Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Use distinctions among fact and opinion to determine the credibility of multiple sources.” In plain terms, use the difference between fact and opinion to judge whether sources can be trusted.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Twelve statement cards from the national sources, two headings plus a third: cannot be checked here and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: sorts by whether they agree with it; treats an unchecked claim as an opinion and treats any number as a fact. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “'Materials and labour remain scarce.' Is that fact, opinion or something else? Say why.” Checkable in principle, but only the government could measure it, so it stands on trust. Calling it opinion means the third column needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Checkable or Contestable??
Yes — 1 printable D3.2.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Checkable or Contestable? free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D3.2.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.