A history text reads: 'The canal opened in 1825. Toll records suggest trade shifted west. Boatmen were the bravest workers alive. Farmers may have hoped for lower fares.' Which sentence states a verifiable fact?

A textbook reads: 'Miners left Dry Gulch in 1879. Assay reports indicate the ore ran thin. In 1878 the camp saloon was a disgraceful place. Some families may have moved south.' Which sentence states a verifiable fact?

A report reads: 'The tannery closed in 1893. Ledgers suggest hides grew costly. Tanning was the filthiest trade in town. Workers may have hoped the mill would hire them.' Which sentence gives an opinion?

A text reads: 'The lighthouse was lit in 1841. Keepers' logs suggest fog closed the harbor often. The keeper was the noblest man on the coast. Sailors may have steered wide of the reef.' Which sentence gives an opinion?

A text reads: 'The depot burned in 1902. Freight bills indicate shipments moved to Kirby. The railroad's bosses were heartless men. Some clerks may have followed the work to another town.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment based on evidence?

A text reads: 'The quarry hired 60 men in 1876. Wage books show pay fell after the strike, so the strike likely cut wages. Quarry work was wretched. Families may have resented the owners.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment based on evidence?

A text reads: 'The ferry stopped running in 1889. Timetables suggest the new bridge took its traffic. Ferrymen were the finest sailors here. Riders may have missed the crossing.' Which sentence is speculation?

A text reads: 'The cannery packed 4,000 cases in 1911. Order books indicate demand rose in the winter months. The owners ran a splendid business. Workers may have feared the season would end.' Which sentence is speculation?

A text reads: 'Elmhurst voted to build a school in 1858. Attendance rolls suggest enrollment doubled by 1862. The teacher was a marvelous woman. Parents may have walked their children in.' Which sentence states a verifiable fact?

A text reads: 'The glassworks shut in 1921. Fuel receipts suggest coal prices broke the firm. Glassblowing was a glorious craft. Some men may have hidden their tools.' Which sentence gives an opinion?

A text reads: 'The levee failed in 1927. Building there was a foolish idea. Farmers may have blamed the county board. Cracks listed in three survey reports point to a weak base.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment based on evidence?

A text reads: 'The trading post opened in 1802. Account books suggest furs paid for most of the goods. The traders were shameless cheats. Trappers may have traveled 90 miles to reach it.' Which sentence is speculation?

A text reads: 'Shipping lists record orders from three states. Those orders suggest the rails had a strong reputation. The furnaces were a magnificent sight. Neighbors may have complained of smoke.' Which sentence states a verifiable fact?

A text reads: 'The streetcar line reached Bell Park in 1898. Fare counts suggest riders came mostly on Sundays. The route was a dreadful waste of money. Shopkeepers may have welcomed the crowds.' Which sentence gives an opinion?

A text reads: 'Rail receipts list 900 barrels shipped east in 1883. The high prices on them suggest buyers prized the fruit. Apple growing was noble work. Pickers may have camped in the rows.' Which sentence is a reasoned judgment based on evidence?

A history article states: 'Soil samples from the ditch suggest the channel silted up before the flood of 1854.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'The treaty was signed on March 4, 1832, and the text is held in the state archive.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'The governor's decision to move the capital was a cowardly retreat from a hard problem.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'The settlers may have hoped the river would return to its old bed one day.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'Because tax rolls list 38 empty lots by 1878, the fire probably drove families out of the district for good.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'The 1890 census lists 2,411 residents in the township.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'Anyone who studies the period will agree the mill owners were the true villains of the story.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'Ship logs record 14 vessels wrecked on the bar between 1866 and 1871, so the channel was likely too shallow for loaded schooners.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'Perhaps the townspeople expected the army to return before winter.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'The new road ran 12 miles from the courthouse to the ferry landing.' How is this claim best described?

A history article states: 'Letters written that spring show shortages in three counties, so the shipment was probably delayed at the port.' How is this claim best described?

A textbook says: 'In 1868 the council approved a reckless plan to drain the wide, shallow marsh for 200 acres of farmland.' Which word shows the writer's opinion?

A textbook says: 'The company raised a splendid brick depot beside the river in 1884 and laid four miles of narrow track that fall.' Which word shows the writer's opinion?

A textbook says: 'The mayor gave a rambling, hour-long speech at the county fair and then signed the water contract on July 9.' Which word shows the writer's opinion?

A textbook says: 'Settlers cleared 40 acres in a single season, a heroic effort in rocky ground that stayed frozen until April.' Which word shows the writer's opinion?

A textbook says: 'The board raised the toll to 25 cents in 1877, a greedy move that emptied the paved road of wagons by June.' Which word shows the writer's opinion?

A student writes: 'The harbor was incredibly busy in 1890.' Which revision replaces the opinion with a verifiable fact?

A student writes: 'The winter of 1888 was unbearably cold in the county.' Which revision replaces the opinion with a verifiable fact?

A student writes: 'The school was hopelessly overcrowded in 1905.' Which revision replaces the opinion with a verifiable fact?

A student writes: 'The new bridge was a total failure from the start.' Which revision replaces the opinion with a verifiable fact?

A historian says the mill town shrank after 1895. Text: 'Postal records list 12 empty storefronts by 1897. The square was gloomy. Owners may have retired. The town was chartered by the legislature in 1841.' Which sentence supports that claim?

A historian says the fishery collapsed by 1908. Text: 'Dock tallies show the catch fell by half after 1904. Fishing was a grand trade. Crews may have sailed farther. The first pier was built by hand by local men in 1859.' Which sentence supports it?

A historian says the road lost traffic after 1885. Text: 'Toll books record 40 wagons a week, down from 300. The road looked poor. Drivers may have preferred rails. The county graded that road back in the year 1862.' Which sentence supports it?

A historian says the town rebuilt fast after the 1911 fire. Text: 'Permit files list 63 new buildings by 1913. The mayor was splendid. Families may have borrowed. The fire began on a windy Tuesday in dry July.' Which sentence supports it?

A history text says: 'Rain gauge readings suggest the drought broke in the fall of 1894.' What makes this a reasoned judgment rather than a plain fact?