FRANKLIN COLLEGE

Education Department
Field School Lesson Plan
Name___Ashley Myers__________________________________________Lesson Number___2_____
Subject Area________Language Arts_______________________________Grade Level_____4th __
Topic/Concept/Skill: Making inferences
Essential Questions:
What is power?
How is power liberating?
Related Standard:

ACEI: Language Arts: 2.1 Reading, Writing, and Oral LanguageCandidates demonstrate a high level of
competence in use of English language arts and they know, understand, and use concepts from reading,
language and child development, to teach reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills and
to help students successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations, materials, and ideas;
Languag
e Arts:
4.RL.2.1

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what a text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text.

Main Objective of Instruction: In order to understand how to read a text explicitly and draw inferences from that text by
using background knowledge, TSWBAT choose (understand) which inference best fits each scenario on Worksheet 2 (AJ), and they will be able to describe (analyze) what background knowledge they used in order to choose the correct
inference.
Teacher Materials/Resources:
SmartBoard
5 typed charade scenarios
Colored markers
Block Paper
Discussion Sheet
Worksheet with notecards A-E (Worksheet 1)
Worksheet with notecards F-J (Worksheet 1)
Worksheet with notecards A-E (Worksheet 2)
Worksheet with notecards F-J (Worksheet 2)
Answer key for notecards A-J for both Worksheet 1 and Worksheet 2
Student Materials:
Pencil
Anticipatory Set (Introductory Approach):
For the anticipatory set, the teacher will have five scenarios typed out on a piece of paper for certain students to act out.
The teacher will choose five students by handing them a piece of paper and then calling them up individually to act out
their given scenario. This will be like the game of charades; therefore, the students cannot speak when they are acting out
their scenarios. The teacher needs to make sure that the typed scenarios are folded when handed to the students, and the
students must be advised to not show anyone his/her paper. The teacher will call each student up with the correlating
number, and the students will come up and act out the following scenarios: (Bodily-Kinesthetic)
1. You are getting ready to go outside and build a snowman.

2. You are waking up and going through your normal routine to get ready for school.
3. You are sitting down at the table reading a book and drinking your favorite drink.
4. You are playing hide and go seek, and you are the seeker.
5. You are in football practice throwing the football back and forth.
The teacher will require the class to raise their hands to make guesses. Whichever student answers correctly, ask them,
How did you know that was what he/she was doing? After the students have guessed all of the scenarios, tell the
students that they just made inferences based off of the actions of their classmates. The teacher will tell them what it
means to make an inference, which is, making a conclusion based off of evidence and background knowledge. This will
lead the students into the next activity, which is the main part of the lesson. (Kinesthetic)
Instructional Procedures (Whole Group):
1. Anticipatory Set (10 minutes)
2. The teacher will review the example poster sheet that is provided with this lesson plan. The teacher will make this
poster step by step with the class as a whole group activity.
3. After reviewing the poster example, the teacher will begin teaching by following the discussion sheet that is
provided. This discussion sheet helps the teacher create the poster with the first set of notecards A-E on Worksheet
1. (Follow discussion sheet directions until homework is passed out.) The discussion part will take around 20
minutes. The partner activity, which is described in the discussion sheet, will last around 10 minutes with 5
minutes of discussion afterwards. (Interpersonal)
4. Closure (5 minutes)
5. After the students are done sharing their answers from the partner activity, the teacher will pass out the
independent practice worksheets. These worksheets contain the second set of notecards A-J. Give the students
around 15 minutes to work on this in class. If they do not finish notecards A-J in class, then the students must take
it home for homework. See below in the Provisions section for instruction on students who receive provisions.
Provisions for Individual and/or Group Differences:
Gavin- Gavins goal is to learn the basics of school and learn how to behave properly in a classroom. The teachers goal is
to keep him on task and to help him learn the basics of every lesson. Gavin will be handed the same worksheet as the rest
of the class during independent work time. They will be given the same instruction as the rest of the class, but they will
only have to do notecards A-E (Worksheet 2). After Gavin is done, make sure to give him his brain break. During his brain
break, he is to report to Mrs. Swartzs room across the hall to play on the computer. He is capable of going there on his
own as long as he lets the teacher know where he is going.
Lower-level students (Ivan, Matt, and Titus)- These students will be given the same instruction as the rest of the class, but
they will only have to do notecards A-E (Worksheet 2). These students take longer to read, so it will take them more time
to get through the worksheet. This is the reason that their independent practice needs to be shortened. Matt is at a 1 st grade
reading level, so he may also need help reading the problems. If these students get done with the 5 problems, tell them that
they need to take out their library book and read silently. (They are on a plan to do more independent reading to reach
higher reading levels.)
The provisions will be graded out of 10 points; however, whatever score the child gets, the teacher needs to double it so
that the grade matches the rest of the students grades in the grade book. For example, if the students get an 8/10, then the
teacher would double it and make it a 16/20. The worksheet is originally worth 20 points for the other students, so this is a
way to make it equal in the grade book for everyone. Each question will be worth 2 points. One point for circling the
correct answer, a half a point for providing background knowledge that connects to the question properly, and a half a
point for putting their background knowledge feedback into complete sentences. For the written responses, the teacher
needs to make sure that their background knowledge relates to the problem in order to earn a point. The background
knowledge that they provide does not have to exactly match the background knowledge that is provided on the answer
key. The teacher just has to make sure the students stated background knowledge is relevant to the scenario on notecard.
20/20=100%
, A+
19/20= 95%,
A
18/20= 90%,
A-

15/20= 75%, C
14/20=70%, C13/20= 65%, D
12/20=60%, D11 and below=F

Closure: For the closure, the students will share the answers from the partner activity. After the teacher goes over the
answers using the key and lets the students tell what background knowledge they used, the teacher will then go back over
the top part of the poster. The teacher will ask the students the following questions:
*What is an inference?
* How can it help us when we read?
*How can it help us outside of reading?
*What types of background knowledge can help us make inferences? (Experiences, vacations, books, families,
cultures, TV, etc.)
After this closing discussions, hand out the homework for the students to get started on. Then explain to the students that
next they will be focusing on how to compare and contrast different objects or ideas.
Evaluation of Learning: I will evaluate the students on their independent practice, which will be Worksheet 2 (A-J). The
students will continue to use the same types of notecard problems that they did as a class and with a partner. They will
have to circle the correct inference and provide feedback on what background knowledge they used to come up with their
answer. Their feedback must relate to the scenario on the notecard and must be written in complete sentences. Worksheet
2 (A-J) will be worth 20 points total. One point for circling the correct answer, a half a point for providing background
knowledge that connects to the question properly, and a half a point for putting their background knowledge feedback into
complete sentences. For the written responses, the teacher needs to make sure that their background knowledge relates to
the problem in order to get credit. The background knowledge that the students provide does not have to exactly match the
background knowledge that is provided on the answer key. The teacher just has to make sure the students stated
background knowledge is relevant to the scenario on the notecard.
20/20=100%, A+
19/20= 95%, A
18/20= 90%, A17/20=85%, B
16/20= 80%, B15/20= 75%, C
14/20=70%, C13/20= 65%, D
12/20=60%, D11 and below=F
Independent Practice:
The students will continue to use the same types of notecard scenarios that they did as a class and with a partner. I will
pass out Worksheet 2 (A-J) for the students to work on independently. They will have to circle the correct inference from
each passage and provide feedback on what background knowledge they used to come up with their answer. Their
background knowledge feedback must relate to the scenario on the notecard and must be written in complete sentences.
The students will work on this for 15 minutes, and whatever they do not finish is homework.

Example poster:

Discussion Sheet and Instructions for making the poster:

1. Write making inferences at the top of the paper.
2. Ask the students to restate the definition of inference.
3. Guide the students to saying that an inference is a connection from what the text says and a connection
from self-knowledge. After the students are guided to this definition, write book + person=inference,
like shown in the example. The teacher then needs to write:
*The text says______________________.
*I know from my schema (background knowledge says)__________________________.
*Therefore, I can infer_______________________.
*Explain to students that we are following the process of how to make an inference.
4. The teacher will then make the columns labeled Text + Schema = Inference This will lead into the
next part of the lesson. Refer to example. Text, Schema, and Inference will be the three columns.
5. After the students understand what the definition for inference is, tell the students that they are going to
be making inferences with small written scenarios like they just did with their classmates.
6. Pass out Worksheet 1 (A-E) , which is the first 5 scenarios from the notecards. As the teacher goes
throughout these notecards with the class, have the students follow along on the worksheets and write
down the answers. The students need to guide the discussions while going through the notecards.
7. The teacher will review notecard A. He/she will guide the students as to why a is the answer. (Key
sentence: The Canadian province of Quebec was originally settled by French fur traders.) Ask students
how they got their answer. Each column should read: Text= French fur traders; Schema= language
helps with trade; Inference= Quebec residents spoke French *Make sure that the students are writing
down the answer and the background knowledge they used in the spaces provided on the worksheet.
8. Continue with notecard B: Text= vegetarians eat carrots for their source of retinol; Schema=vegetarians
do not eat meat; Inference= It is the same or greater than the amount in carrots.
9. Continue with notecard C: Text= Molly did not get a spot in the musical; Schema= judges and directors
give the spot to the person who is more talented; Inference= The directors thought Emily was a better
singer than Molly.
10. Continue with notecard D: Text= The teacher asked Tim, What happened; Schema= Teachers say that
when you flunk a test; Inference= Tim did not do well on the test.
11. Continue with notecard E: Text: the words slammed and Ugh! Schema= People say Ugh and
slam things when they are frustrated; Inference= Katie is having difficulty with math.
12. After the chart is all filled out, hand out the next five notecards to the students (F-J). Tell them to then
choose a partner to do the activity with. Explain that they are going to continue the same activity that
they were doing as a class with their partners.
13. Give the students 10 minutes to work on this. After the students are done, have them share their answers
by raising their hands. Make sure the students are also sharing the background knowledge that they used
to help them make inferences. Background knowledge is going to vary amongst the students, so just
make sure that they are making reasonable connections. (Answer key provided)
14. After the students are done sharing their answers, the teacher will pass out the homework. The
homework will be the second set of notecards A-J. The students need to work individually on this. See
Provisions to get instruction on which students will receive provisions and what those provisions are.

**Cut each sentence into single strips and fold them. Hand them to five random students, and
tell them not to show any other student. **

1. You are getting ready to go outside and build

a snowman.

2. You are waking up and going through your

normal routine to get ready for school.
3. You are sitting down at the table reading a
book and drinking your favorite drink.

4. You are playing hide and go seek, and you are

the seeker.
6. You are in football practice throwing the
football back and forth.