Inference Mini Lesson

Grade: 5th
Common Core State Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
Objective: Students will use clues from the text and their own background knowledge to make
inferences about what the author has not explicitly stated in the text.
Materials: Thank you, Mr. Falker, Inference worksheet, inference chart, reading notebooks,
pencils, independent reading books, post-its
Procedure:
1. Lesson Introduction/Objective and Purpose:
a. Hand out inference worksheets; gather on the carpet with a pencil and reading
notebooks.
b. I know youve been practicing making inferences lately, and Im going to share
with you a book called Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Before we read,
who can tell me what they remember about making inferences? We must put
together what the book tells us and our own background knowledge to make a
complete inference. Making inferences is like reading between the lines, because
the author does not tell you what to infer. It comes from text clues and
background knowledge.
2. Teach and Model (Modeling the thinking):
a. Im going to show you how I make an inference. Imagine youre walking
through a forest and you see large footprints. You recently heard about a
bear sighting in your town. What do you infer from this? You infer that
these could be bear footprints. Why, because you see footprints and heard
about the bear sighting (clue) and your background knowledge tells you
that some kind of animal must have made these large footprints.
b. Ask students What do you notice about the cover or title right now? After
responses, what clue makes you think that?
c. Begin reading, when you think you have come up with an inference; jot it
down. We will do a couple together, but if you have something different,
write it down.
3. Guided Practice: (Example 1: Extensive Teacher Help)

a. I just made an inference. I infer that Trishas family really values reading.
What clues tell me this in the book? (Her brother brought home books from
school to share with the family, her mother read to her every night, the
significance of the honey) what does my background knowledge tell me?
Share my thinking by writing in text clues and background knowledge onto
the chart.

Example 2,3: Less Teacher Help:

b. P.5 What can you infer about her grandmothers statement And she used to
say that someday she would be on the other side, where the light comes
from. I can infer that her grandmother will go to heaven soon. Text clues tell
us that the stars were the light of heaven coming from the other side.
Background knowledge tells us that we know this is heaven she is referring
to. I infer that Trishas grandmother passed away.
c. P.9. What can you infer about why Trisha suddenly gets sick? What are the
text clues that tell you this? Turn and talk: (stomachache, sore throat, other
kids laughed at her, calling her names dummy, she hated school more
and more) What background knowledge do you have about why Trisha is
saying she is sick? (She wont be very happy or motivated to do her best in
school when others kids arent treating her respectfully). This makes me
infer that she wanted to pretend she was sick so she wouldnt have to go to
school.

4. Independent Practice: (Example 4: No Teacher Help)

a. P.12 what can you infer about why Trisha hid in the stairwell? What are text
clues that would help you to make an inference? Turn and talk: (Eric was mean
to her, she was scared, and she wanted to avoid them). What background
knowledge supports why Trisha hid in the stairwell? (We know that the teacher
probably is not around during recess, whom is one of the only people she feels
safe with. Since he isnt around, Trisha wants to distance herself from the kids
who were teasing her). So now we can infer that Trisha hid in the stairwell, so
she can feel safe from anyone teasing her when her teacher is not around.
5. Assessment: (How will you know the lesson has been successful?)

a. I will assess students by listening to their text clues and background knowledge used
to form their inference during the guided and independent practice time. I will also
look for other inferences that the students took note of on the worksheets.
b. As an extension of this lesson, students will make another inference using a post-it
note to make and support an inference they found in their independent reading
books. There inference should follow the same format; text clue + background
knowledge.
4. Differentiation:
a. Students will be working at their own pace, jotting their own inferences and inferences
discussed as a class.
b. I will write the text clues, background knowledge, and inference on the chart (the same
worksheet) for students to refer to.
c. Plan for one or two turn and talks throughout the lesson. This gives all students a chance to
participate in the question.