Newsroom Fact Audit

This worksheet engages students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 in critical reading, media literacy, and analytical reasoning by placing them in the role of a junior fact-checker reviewing a newspaper draft. Learners analyze twelve statements and decide whether each one is a verifiable fact or a non-verifiable claim or opinion, focusing on wording, realism, accuracy, and provability across multiple subject areas.

Skills Reinforced

• Media Literacy (Grades 5-7)
  Students practice evaluating news-style statements to determine whether claims are factual, supported, and reliable.
• Verifiability & Accuracy
  Learners distinguish between information that can be proven true or false and statements based on belief, assumption, or opinion.
• Cross-Curricular Reasoning
  The activity draws on science, geography, human biology, and general knowledge to support informed decision-making.
• Critical Analysis of Language
  Students examine phrasing and clues that signal unsupported or misleading claims.

Instructional Support

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary and middle school ELA and media literacy standards.
• Real-World Application
  The newsroom format mirrors authentic fact-checking tasks used in journalism.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for media literacy units, ELA lessons, small-group discussion, independent practice, or assessment.
• Encourages Explanation & Reasoning
  Students are prompted to justify answers, reinforcing evidence-based thinking.

This printable worksheet helps students build confidence in evaluating news content, identifying factual accuracy, and questioning unsupported claims. By practicing careful analysis and verification strategies, learners strengthen critical thinking, information literacy, and media awareness. It’s a practical, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This worksheet is part of our Fact vs. Opinion Worksheets collection.