Students read a text and highlight key elements using colours: green for facts, yellow for opinions, and red for weaknesses in the arguments.
The method trains students in critical reading and helps them distinguish between objective information, subjective assessments, and problematic arguments.
Explain to the students that they are to analyse a text by identifying facts, opinions, and weaknesses in the arguments. This is done by using colours to mark the different elements:
Green: Facts (objective and verifiable information)
Yellow: Opinions (subjective statements or value-based arguments)
Red: Weaknesses (fallacies, ambiguities, or lack of evidence)
Give the students a text that contains facts, opinions, and potential weaknesses in the argumentation.
Read the first paragraph together as a class and demonstrate how to highlight the text. Explain—or have the students explain—what constitutes facts, opinions, and weaknesses, and how to distinguish between them.
Students work individually, in pairs, or in groups with the rest of the text. They highlight the text using the three colours.
The method can be used to analyse various types of texts, such as news articles, opinion pieces, advertisements, scientific articles, or political speeches.
Students can compare their markings with those of other students to determine whether they disagree on the identification of facts, opinions, and weaknesses.
Optionally, add an extra colour (e.g., blue) for recommendations or solutions in the text.
You can also ask students to discuss how facts, opinions, and weaknesses affect the text’s persuasive power.
Encourage students to reflect on how this method can be used in other contexts, for example when writing their own texts, engaging in discussions, or evaluating sources.
The method is used, among other things, in activity XXX
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