It's April Fool's Day. You pick up the newspaper off the porch and find this picture on the front page.

"SCIENTISTS DISCOVER FUTURISTIC COLONY ON MARS," the headline declares.

"Wow! That's amazing," you think to yourself.

All day long you go around asking your friends if they heard about the futuristic colony on Mars. They are just as amazed as you are until your teacher comes into the room with some disappointing news:

"That was a great April Fool's joke the newspaper played on everyone today, wasn't it?"

If you had know the difference between FACT and FICTION you may not have been duped by the newspaper's story.

A FACT is something that can be proven. It is real.

FICTION is something that is made up. It is make-believe.

When you're reading, it is usually pretty easy to distinguish facts from fiction. If you're reading a story, chances are what you're reading is fiction. If you're reading an informational book, chances are what you're reading is fact.

However, sometimes you have to dig a little further to figure out what is fact or fiction. This is true when you're reading:

To figure out if something is fact or fiction, ask yourself the following questions:

Just because you haven't heard something before doesn't mean it's not true, but it's a good indication that what you're reading might be fiction.

Just because others say it is true, doesn't mean it's true, but it's a good indication that what you're reading might be a fact.

The best way to determine if something is fact or fiction is to try and prove it. 

For example, if you're reading a book that says penguins can fly, you can go online or read a book to find out if that fact is true. If you did, you'd learn that penguins have wings, but they can't fly like traditional birds.

Or maybe you're reading a book about a place called Oz and want to know if it's a real place. If you look it up, you'll learn that Oz is a place made up by L. Frank Baum.

Look at the following and determine whether it is fact or fiction:

Chocolate milk offers the same calcium and benefits as white milk. While it may contain more sugar, it is a way to encourage kids to drink more milk instead of sugary juice.

1. Have you heard this before? Yes, I have heard that chocolate milk contains more sugar than white milk.

2. Does anyone else say it's true? The lunch lady says chocolate milk has the same calcium and benefits as white milk.

3. Can you prove it? Yes, I can look it up online and discover that each statement is true.

The paragraph above passes the test, so you know it is a fact.

Look at the following and determine whether it is fact or fiction:

When Princess Maribella laid on the bed, she could feel a lump in the middle of her back. She barely slept a wink all night. In the morning, the Queen removed the pea from under the mattress and said, "She truly is a real princess."

1. Have you heard this before? Yes. I heard it in a story.

(You can also ask where you have heard it before, which can help you determine if it is fact or fiction.)

2. Does anyone else say it is true? No.

3. Can you prove it? No.

Based on the answers, you can tell that this is fiction, not fact.

Think you've got it down. See how well you can distinguish fact from fiction in the practice questions and worksheets below.