Unit of Study - Making Inferences

Making Inferences
Use your mind to read!
What are you thinking?
Making Inferences Page: 1

Unit of Study: Making Inferences Grade: ______
Prior Knowledge: Activating background knowledge about

What prior knowledge about reading strategies topic, author and genre (schema)
do students need to have before entering this Retelling
Unit of Study? Making connections
Monitoring for meaning
Asking questions
Definition An inference is something that is probably true.
What is inferring? How do readers talk about You take the information you read in the text,
it? combine it with your background knowledge, and
make a theory about what you think is probably
true. That’s an inference.
Concepts to Teach 1. Using dramatic action to define inferring
What are the important concepts that you will 2. Inferring with wordless books
teach within this Unit of Study? 3. Inferring with picture books
4. inferring with text without illustrations
5. Inferring by making predictions
6. Inferring with poems
7. Inferring about characters
8. Inferring about characters – Part II
9. Inferring about theme
10. Inferring the meaning of unfamiliar words
11. Inferring the meaning of unfamiliar words –
Part II
12. Inferring to answer questions

Anchor Lessons Text Key Concepts

1. Using dramatic action to define Act out situations • Definition of an inference
inferring
2. Inferring with wordless books Hiccup –Mercer Mayer
3. Inferring with picture books Encounter – J. Yolen •
4. Inferring with text without Slower than the Rest – Cynthia •
illustrations Ryland
5. Inferring by making predictions Legend of the Indian Paintbrush • We infer to make predictions
– DePaola
6. Inferring with poems • Dinosaur – Charles Malam • We infer with poems
• Garden Hose – Beatrice Janosco
• Compass – Georgia Heard
• The Tortoise – Douglas Florian
7. Inferring about characters • A Play – Eloise Greenfield • We make inferences about
• Babuska’s Doll – Patricia Polacco characters
8. Inferring about characters – • •

Part II
9. Inferring about theme • Fables – Arnold Lobel • We infer theme and author’s
intent
10. Inferring the meaning of • Piggens – J. Yolen • We infer word meanings
unfamiliar words • Super Stalkers and Fakers
11. Inferring the meaning of • •
unfamiliar words – Part II
12. Inferring to answer questions • Five Dollars – Jean Little • We make inferences to
answer questions that are not
explicitly answered in the
text.

Anchor Charts What is an Inference?
Venn Diagram – The intersection of meaning
Ways to Talk About our Inferences
Making Predictions Chart
Character Chart
Inferring the Meaning of Unknown Words (Three Column Chart)
Ways to Record Thinking • Post-its
Graphic Organizers, Post-its, • Reading Log
Journals • Just-right chart
Small Group Text/Level Concept
Independent Reading What kind of person is the character in your book?

Conference Points What clues from the text help you know that?
What do you predict will happen next?
Why do you think that?
Did you make inferences in your reading today?
What makes you think that?
Did you come to any tricky words in this book?
Show me how you figured out the meaning of the word.
Evidence of Understanding and Journal responses tracking thinking about inferences.
Independence I think____ is probably true because….”
(Oral and written) Maybe it means_____. I think this because….”
I predict______. I think this because.”
Written reflection – An inference is…

Interactive Read Aloud Response – oral discussion and stop and
jot.
Small group discussions.
Celebrations of Learning •

Unit of Study: Making Inferences
Recommended Model Text for Making Inferences
Title Author Notes

Hiccup Mercer Mayer Wordless Picture Book
Pancakes for Breakfast Tomie DePaola Wordless Picture Book
Free Fall David Wiesner Wordless Picture Book
Tuesday David Wiesner Wordless Picture Book
The Dot Peter Reynolds Picture Book - theme
Short Cuts Donald Crews Picture Book
Oliver Button is a Sissy Tomie DePaola Picture Book
Wednesdays Surprise Eve Bunting Picture Book
A Day’s Work Eve Bunting Picture Book
Fireflies Julie Brinkloe Picture Book
The Other Side J. Woodson Picture Book
Encounter J. Yolen Picture Book
Quiltmaker’s Gift J. Brumbeau Picture Book
Train to Somewhere Eve Bunting Picture Book
Legend of the Indian Paintbrush Tomie DePaola Picture Book
Abuela Arthur Dorros Picture Book – word
i
The Empty Pot Demi Picture Book - prediction
How Many Days to America? Eve Bunting Picture Book – Inferring to
Answer Questions
Yo! Yes? Chris Raschka Picture Book
Ring Yo? Chris Raschka Picture Book
Hey Al Arthur Yorinks Picture Book
An Angel for Solomon Singer Cynthia Rylant Picture Book
I Want to Be Thylias Moss Picture Book

Recommended Model Text for Making Inferences
Title Author Notes
A Chair for my Mother Vera. B. Williams Picture Book
Rose Blanche Roberto Innocenti Picture Book – Holocaust
Teammates Peter Golenbock Picture book
Good Grisselle Jan Yolen Picture Book - Vocabulary
Greyling Jan Yolen Picture Book
The Honest to Goodness Patricia McKissack Picture Book

Truth
The Wretched Stone Chris Van Allsburg Picture Book
Amazing Grace Hoffman Picture Book
The Pain and the Great One J. Blume Picture Book-

character/theme
Some Birthday Patricia Polacco Picture Book-character
My Rotten Red Headed Older Patricia Polacco Picture Book-character

Brother
Dr. Desoto William Steig Picture Book - vocabulary
Brave Irene William Steig Picture Book-vocabulary
Birthday Surprises Johanna Hurwitz Short Stories
The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros Short Stories
Hey World Here I Am! Jean Little Short Stories
Every Living Thing Cynthia Rylant Short Stories
Fables Arnold Lobel Short Stories - theme

Anchor Lesson: 1. Using Dramatic Action to Define Inferring
Title of Text Lesson Plan Notes to Build Next

Lesson
Select the materials. Text: No text used for this lesson.
Teacher uses actions to help students
Choose a text that infer emotion.
supports the strategy.
Name the strategy. A strategy readers use to think about

Explain. what they are reading is called
Making Inferences.
“I have noticed that…” An inference is something that is
“A strategy good readers probably true. The author or
use is…” illustrator doesn’t directly tell us
everything in a story, but sometimes
they give us clues to help us think
about things that are probably true.
We make inferences in our daily lives.
For example we can tell how someone
is feeling by the tone of their voice
or the way they act.
Demonstrate the Let me show you what I mean.

strategy. Scenario One: (Actions)
• Leave the classroom and walk in
Say: Think aloud. slamming the door as if you are
Show: Model. mad.
Explain: How this will help • Leave the room and walk in as if
them as a reader. you are shy.
• Leave the room and walk in as if
you are curious.
Scenario Two: (Voice)
• Say the word, “What” as if you
wonder, as if you are angry, as if
you don’t know, etc. (No/ Yes;
Great; Good-bye)
• Say the sentence, “You are so
smart.” in different ways
(genuine, sarcastic)
Scenario Three: (Facial Expressions)
• Have the students infer what you
are feeling by your facial
expression: happy, sad, shy,
angry, curious, bored, excited,

Anchor Lesson: 1. Using Dramatic Action to Define Inferring
etc.
We infer all the time to make
decisions about people and situations.
Authors expect us to bring our own
inferences to their writing. Inferring
helps us to create a fuller/deeper
understanding.
Provide guided practice. Invite students to participate in any
of these activities.
Invite the students to
practice the strategy with
teacher guidance.
Provide independent During Independent Reading see if
practice. you make any inferences about the
characters in your books by the
Remind students before illustrations and the way they look or
they go off to read. by the way they act.
“When you go to I.R. try…”
Conference Points • Have you made any inferences

about the characters in your
book? What are you thinking?
• Look at this picture. How does
the illustrator help you know what
this character is feeling?
Share/ Reinforce • Have two students share any
inferences they made while
reading.
• Have/remind students how their
inferences helped them
understand the story better.

Anchor Lesson: 2. Inferring with wordless books
Title of Text Lesson Plan Notes to Build Next

Lesson
Select the materials. Text: Hiccup by Mercer Mayer on Other titles:
overheads. Free Fall
Choose a text that supports Tuesday
the strategy. Pancakes for Breakfast
Level: Wordless Picture Book Other titles by Mercer
Mayer
Name the strategy. A strategy good readers use is
Explain. called Making Inferences. An
inference is something that is
“I have noticed that…” probably true. The author and
“A strategy good readers use illustrator don’t always tell us
is…” everything about a story directly,
but sometimes they give us clues to
Introduce the Text. help us think like a reader and say,
“This is probably true.”
Introduce the Wordless Picture

Book, Hiccup. In this book the
author only uses pictures and the
reader must analyze the pictures
and think what are the character is
probably feeling, or thinking, or
saying.
This book is about a male and
female hippopotamus who go on a
picnic in a row boat one summer day.
Demonstrate the strategy. • Place the first pages on the This lesson will probably
overhead. Think aloud by take 3-4 days.
Say: Think aloud. analyzing the illustrations and
Show: Model. what the characters are The finished book can be
Explain: How this will help probably saying and thinking. copied and bound for the
them as a reader. Write the dialogue in speech class collection.
bubbles over each character.
• Continue with your own think
aloud over the next few pages.
Continue to write the text in
speech bubbles. Make your
inferences explicit by sharing
how you are taking clues from
the illustrations and your own
experiences to decide what is
probably true.

Anchor Lesson: 2. Inferring with wordless books
Provide guided practice. • Decide at what point the Students can work with a
students should join in and help partner and write their own
Invite the students to to write the text. version.
practice the strategy with • Ask for a few options for each
teacher guidance. page and have the students Students can work with a
share how they made their partner on a different text.
inferences. (What clues from
the text made them think that?
What from their background
experience makes them think
their inference is probably
true?
Provide independent During Independent Reading see if Provide other Wordless

practice. you make any inferences about the Picture Book tiles for
characters in your books by the students to read through
Remind students before illustrations and the way they look inferring during I.R.
they go off to read. or by the way they act.
“When you go to I.R. try…”
Conference Points • Have you made any inferences

book? What are you thinking?
• Look at this picture. How does
the illustrator help you know
what this character is feeling?
• If students have wordless
book- Tell me how you are
thinking about what is
happening in this story.
Share/ Reinforce • Have two students share any
inferences they made while
reading.
• Have/remind students how
their inferences helped them
understand the story better.

Anchor Lesson: 3. Inferring with picture books
Title of Text Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next

Lesson
Select the materials. Text: Encounter Other texts:
Teammates by Peter
Choose a text that supports Golenbock
the strategy. Level: Upper Elementary Rose Blanche by Roberto
Innocenti
Wednesday’s Surprise by Eve
Bunting
Name the strategy. A strategy good readers use is

“I have noticed that…” probably true. The author doesn’t
“A strategy good readers use tell us exactly but we can take clues
is…” from the text and combine it with
what we already know and say, “This
Introduce the Text. is probably true.” That is an
inference.
Show the students the Venn

Diagram that illustrates inference
as the intersection of meaning.
Introduce the text by sharing the

title, author, and the cover
illustration.
Demonstrate the strategy. • Say: Readers make initial
inferences about what a text
Say: Think aloud. will be about just from the title
Show: Model. and cover illustration. (A
Explain: How this will help prediction is a type of
them as a reader. inference.) Think aloud your own
thinking and record your
thinking on the Venn Diagram.
• Show students some
illustrations from the text and
ask them to share what they
infer the text will be about.
Record some thoughts on the
Venn Diagram.
• (p. 1) “The moon was overhead

and our great fire had burned

low.” Reread this first sentence
and think aloud what you infer
it means. Record your thinking
on the Venn Diagram.
• Mark a few more spots to model
how you make inferences over
the next few pages.
Provide guided practice. • Decide when in the text to • Move from turn and talk
invite students to share some to stop and jot before
Invite the students to of their own inferences. sharing out.
practice the strategy with • Ask students to turn and talk to
teacher guidance. their partners about what they
are thinking and why they are
thinking that.
• Guide students to articulate
which clues from the text and
which experiences from their
schema helped them create the
inference. Record the thinking
on the Venn Diagram.
Provide independent Invite students to use a post-it to
practice. mark places where they made an
inference as they were reading.
Remind students before OR
they go off to read. Have students record their
“When you go to I.R. try…” inferences in their reading journals
by drawing a Venn Diagram and
recording their thinking.
Conference Points • Did you make any inferences in
your reading today? What are
you thinking? What makes you
think that?
• Use the Venn diagram to explain
what clues in the text and what
background knowledge you used
to make you come to that
conclusion.
Share/ Reinforce Have 1-2 students share inferences
they came up with today. Encourage
students to articulate how making
inferences as they read helped
them understand the story better.

Name______________________________________________ Date ____________________
Title_______________________________________________
An Inference is the Intersection of Meaning
Clues from
Inference Background
the text
Knowledge

Anchor Lesson: 4. Inferring with text without illustrations

Lesson
Select the materials Slower than the Rest, by Cynthia Other Texts:
Rylant, from Every Living Thing Stories from Every Living
Snippets - Attached Thing, Rylant
Excerpts from Hey World Here
I Am, Jean Little
Name the Strategy. I have noticed that you are very

Explain. successful making inferences
using picture books because not
only are you using the text, you
“I have noticed that …”
are also using the illustrations.
Now that you are in fourth grade
“A strategy readers use is …”
many of you are also reading
chapter books with very few or
no pictures. Today we will work on
making inferences in text without
Introduce the Text.
illustrations.
Put Slower than the Rest text on

the overheard.
Use the Venn diagram to remind

students how to make inferences.
Demonstrate the Let’s work on making inferences
Strategy. in a text without pictures so that
we can really focus on making
inferences and then using the
Say: Think aloud.
words in the text to support our
Show: Model.
thinking.
Explain: How this will help
Watch me.
them as a reader.
Model making inferences
throughout the first few pages.
p. 1 – I am thinking that Leo is a

caring person and an animal lover.
I am thinking this because in the
text it says, “There’s a turtle! “
It also says, “ Leo was allowed to
pick it up off the highway and
bring it home.”

Continue modeling inferences

from the first few pages of the
text.
Provide guided practice Place another page from the
Invite the students to story on the overhead. Ask
practice the strategy with students to read the text and
teacher guidance. have them discuss their
inferences with a partner.
Encourage partners to share what
lines in the text helped them to
make those inferences.
OR
(If you finished the story and
want additional guided practice)
Read the Snippets excerpts with
a partner and ask students to
record their thinking on the
appropriate sheet.
Provide Independent Today at independent reading I
practice want you to record a few of your
inferences on the Venn Diagram
Remind students before they
or on a two-column chart. Please
go off to read … “When you
make sure to think about the
go to IR try …”
information in the text and your
background knowledge that
helped you to make your
inference.
Conference Points What are you thinking?
What parts of the text
helped you to make that
inference?
Share/reinforce A few students share their

inferences. Students need to use
the Venn Diagram to explain the
thinking behind their inferences.

Two Column Chart to Record Inferences
Name ________________________________ Date ________
Title _____________________________________________________
Quote From Text My Inference

Making Inferences - Snippets
Name_____________________________________________
Date _______________________
Snippet My Thinking
“It sure is dark in here. Could we turn Clues from the Text
on some lights?” asked Wendy and ______________

Jack. ______________
______________
“The fun house is too spooky!” said Jack
______________
as he walked through it. Background Knowledge
______________
“I’m ready to go on the Ferris wheel,” ______________
said Wendy. ______________
______________
______________
I’m inferring,______________________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Making Inferences - Snippets
Name__________________________________________
Date __________
Snippet My Thinking
Clues from the Text
“I am not jealous of your new
dress,” said Mary. “I don’t like _________________
that color on me anyway. My _________________
mother buys me more expensive
things than that. I think the _________________
Background Knowledge
material looks like it would rip
easily and not wash well. Where _________________
did you buy it? Was that the _________________
only one they had left?” asked
Mary. _________________
_________________
_________________
I’m inferring, _____________________________________________

Anchor Lesson: 5. Inferring by making predictions

Lesson
Select the materials Text: The Empty Pot by Demi
Anchor Chart- Making Predictions
Level: Read Aloud

Name the Strategy. One way readers made inferences is
Explain. by making predictions and they
read. When you think about what
might happen in a story or what you
think a story may be about you are
making a prediction. Predictions
get your mind ready to expect
something and then as you read you
need to be on the look out for what
Introduce the Text.
you predicted. You will either
confirm or contradict the
prediction you originally made and
revise your prediction with the new
information you have from the text.
When we make predictions and
search for information it helps us
understand the story better. Let
me show you how.
This text is entitled The Empty

Pot. Let’s see if we can make some
predictions to help us understand
the story better.
Demonstrate the Before I read the text, I am going
Strategy. to think about the title and the
picture on the cover. I am going to
think about what I know about this
Say: Think aloud.
topic and what I think it is going to
Show: Model.
be about.
them as a reader.
Model: Think aloud about your
background knowledge on the topic
and share a few predictions you
have and how you will use these
predictions as you read to search
for information. Document your
initial predictions on an enlarged

anchor chart.
Read the first portion of the text

and think aloud about how you
search for information and interact
with the text to confirm/revise
your predictions. Think aloud about
your predictions and how you used
background knowledge and
information in the text to make
your predictions. Record ideas
about your thinking on the
overhead.
Continue reading and stop at turning

point in the text when you have the
opportunity to rethink your
prediction. (e.g. “Who would his
successor be? How will the Emperor
choose?” )
Think aloud: I think Ping is going to

be his successor because in the
text it said that both Ping and the
Emperor loved flowers and gardens.
I also know that Ping is a main
character in the story and often
authors introduce a character early
in the story when something big is
going to happen later in the story.
I am also thinking that the Emperor
is somehow going to use growing
flowers to choose the new Emperor.
I am going to read on to see what
happens.

Provide guided practice Read aloud another section of text

Invite the students to and invite students to share how
practice the strategy with they search for information as they
teacher guidance. read and make new predictions.
Guide students to explain how they
use information from the text and
background knowledge to form
their predictions. Record their
predictions on the anchor chart.
Provide Independent When you go to Independent
practice Reading today, think about the
predictions you have before you
read and as you read in your text.
Try to notice and remember how
go to IR try …”
you searched for information to
confirm/contradict your
predictions. You can use post-its to
track your thinking or this chart.
Good readers make predictions and
follow their thinking as they read.
Conference Points New text- What do you think this
book will be about? Why do you
think that?
In the middle of text: What is

happening in your book now? What
do you predict will happen? Why do
you think that?
Share/reinforce Have 1-2 students share predictions
students to articulate how making
predictions helped them understand
the story.


C = confirmed
Title:____________________________
Quote or Picture from Prediction Revision What Happened

Text

Anchor Lesson: 6. Inferring with poems

Lesson
Select the materials Text: Poems -Compass by Georgia Heard
- Dinosaurs by Charles Malam -Paper Clips by Rebecca Kai
- Garden Hose by Beatrice Janosco Doltlich
- The Tortoise by Douglas Florian
- What in the World? by Eve
Merriam
Level: Elementary
Name the Strategy. A strategy good readers use is
probably true. The author doesn’t
tell us exactly but we can take clues
from the text and combine it with
is probably true.” That is an
Introduce the Text.
inference.
This is a poem. The author

purposely does not tell us what s/he
is writing about. We need to look
for clues and make a decision what
the poem is probably about. We
need to infer.
Demonstrate the Place a poem on the overhead. Read
it through one or two times.
Strategy.
Think aloud about how you take
Say: Think aloud.
certain clues to decide what the
Show: Model.
poem is describing.
them as a reader.
Use the two column format
Inferring With Poetry to “track”
your thinking.
Provide guided practice Place a second poem on the

Invite the students to overhead. Read it through one or
practice the strategy with two times.
teacher guidance.
Guide students in finding clues that
help them infer what the poem is
about.

Provide Independent Provide students with a third poem

practice to work on independently or with a
partner. Have them record their
thinking on the two-column sheet.
go to IR try …”
OR…
Invite students to use a post-it to

mark places where they made an
inference as they were reading.
Conference Points • Did you make any inferences in
your reading today?
• What are you thinking? What
makes you think that?
Share/reinforce Put the poem that you gave the
students for I.R. on the overhead.
Ask the class what they think the

poem is describing. Have them
identify the clues in the text and
their own background knowledge
that made them come to that
conclusion.

Name __________________________________________
Date _________________________________
POEM MY THINKING
The dinosaurs are not all dead.

_____________
I saw one raise its iron head
To watch me walking down the road

_____________
Beyond our house today.
_____________
Its jaws were dropping with a load
_____________
Of earth and grass that it had _____________
cropped. _____________
It must have heard me where I _____________
stopped, _____________
Snorted white steam my way, _____________
And stretched its long neck out to
_____________
see,
I’m inferring, _______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Name _________________________________________
Date _________________________________
POEM MY THINKING
I wear a helmet
On my back.
______________
It’s hard ______________
And guards ______________
Me from attack.
______________
Or if I wheeze,
Or sneeze,
______________
Or cough, ______________
The shell I dwell in ______________
Won’t fall off.
It’s glued without

______________
A screw or mortise. ______________
I’m born with it, ______________
For I’m a __________.
I’m inferring, ______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Name __________________________________________
Date _________________________________
POEM MY THINKING
______________
In the grey evening
I see a long green serpent

______________
With its tail in the dahlias. ______________
______________
It lies in loops across the grass
And drinks softly at the faucet.

______________
______________
I can hear it swallow. ______________
______________
Beatrice Janosco
I’m inferring, _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Name _______________________________________________
Date _________________________________
POEM MY THINKING
With tiny teeth
of tin ______________
they take
one slender ______________
breath
before they make
______________
a move,
and then ---
______________
a silver pinch!
With jaws
______________
no bigger
than an inch
______________
these dragon grips
are small and slight—
______________
but
conquer pages
______________
with
one
______________
bite. Rebecca Kai Dotlich ______________
I’m inferring, _____________________________________________

_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Name__________________________________________
Date _________________________________
POEM MY THINKING
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
I’m inferring, _____________________________________________

_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Anchor Lesson: 7. Inferring about characters

Lesson
Select the materials Text: “A Play” from Childtimes by Other Texts:
Eloise Greenfield Stories from Every Living
Thing, Cynthia Rylant
Anchor Chart- Two Column Chart Excerpts from Hey World
for Making Inferences- Quote from Here I Am, Jean Little
Text/ My Inference
Level: Elementary
Name the Strategy. A strategy good readers use is
probably true. The author doesn’t
tell us exactly but we can take clues
from the text and combine it with
is probably true.” That is an
inference. We can infer how a
Introduce the Text.
character probably feels, what a
character may be thinking, or what
a character may do by using
information from the text and what
we know about those situations
from our own life.
Place the text on an overhead. You

may decide to also give students
copies of the text to read along
with you.
As I read this story I know the

author doesn’t tell me everything
about the characters. I have to
think about what is probably true.
Let me show you how.
The name of this short story is

called “A Play.” It is a true story
about when the author was in fifth
grade.

Demonstrate the Read aloud the first paragraph and

Strategy. then stop to think aloud. I think
Eloise was probably shy when she
Say: Think aloud.
was in fifth grade. I think that
Show: Model.
because she didn’t want the part
and because here she says she liked
them as a reader.
being part of a group. I understand
that because when I am not
comfortable with something I don’t
want to be in front of a group. But
it does say that she was famous. So
I think she probably did a good job.
Record your thinking on the chart.
Continue to read the story one

paragraph at a time. Think aloud…
(para. 2) Here I am thinking that
the teacher probably wanted to
show Eloise that she could do it. I
think the teacher had faith in her.
I know that because teachers often
try to push us to try new things. I
think that is why she said she had
to do it anyway.
Provide guided practice (para. 3)Right here (pointing), it
Invite the students to says that her voice couldn’t come
practice the strategy with out loud, why do you think that?
teacher guidance. Record the students thinking on a
2-column chart.
(para. 4) It says Eloise was famous

and the other children were
pointing… Show me how they said
that. Show me how they were
pointing. How do you know that is
probably true? Have you seen
people do that before?
What do you think was the
expression on Eloise’s face? What
do you think she was probably
feeling? Why do you think that is
probably true?

(paragraph 4) Pretend you are the

teacher. How did she say that?
What kind of person do you think
the teacher is? Why do you think
that? What clues from the text
form that inference?
Provide Independent Invite students to use post-its or
practice their own two- column chart to
record their inferences.
go to IR try …”
Conference Points Did you make any inferences in
your reading today?
Share/reinforce Have 1-2 students share inferences

students to articulate how Making
Inferences as they read helped
them understand the story better.

A Play
by
Eloise Greenfield
When I was in the fifth grade, I was famous for a whole day, and all because
of a play. The teacher had given me a big part, and I didn’t want it. I liked to be in
plays where I could be part of a group, like being one of the talking trees, or
dancing or singing in the glee club. But having to talk by myself ---uh uh!
I used to slide down in my chair and stare at my desk while the teacher was
giving out the parts, so she wouldn’t pay any attention to me, but this time it didn’t
work. She called on me anyway. I told her I didn’t want to do it, but she said I had
to. I guess she thought it would be good for me.
On the day of the play, I didn’t make any mistakes. I remembered all of my
lines. Only—nobody in the audience heard me. I couldn’t make my voice come out
loud.
For the rest of the day, I was famous. Children passing by my classroom
door, children on the playground at lunchtime, kept pointing at me saying, “That’s
that girl! That’s the one who didn’t talk loud enough!”
I felt so bad, I wanted to go home. But one good thing came out of it all. The
teacher was so angry, so upset, she told me that as long as I was in that school, I’d
never have another chance to ruin one of her plays. And that was such good news, I
could stand being famous for a day.

Anchor Lesson: 8. Inferring about characters – Part II

Lesson
Select the materials Text: Babuska’s Doll, Patricia
Polacco
Name the Strategy. A strategy that good readers use

Explain. while reading fiction is to gather
information about the characters in
the story. Good readers think
about the characters in the story
and determine some of the
characters’ traits. Good readers
also look for the ways that
Introduce the Text.
characters change or grow or what
they learn throughout the story.
Doing these things is a way of
making an inference.
Introduce the text.

Demonstrate the Authors don’t’ usually tell us a
Strategy. character’s traits. They rarely say,
“________ is brave.” However,
Say: Think aloud.
the author writes the story so that
Show: Model.
the reader can figure out if the
character is brave.
them as a reader.
Introduce the Character Recording

Sheet.
Authors often tell us about their

characters by describing what they
look like, telling what they say and
explaining what they are doing.
Watch me as I look for these clues.
Read the first few pages of the

book showing the students how to
find information about a character.
Record the information on the
chart.
Once you have collected a lot of

information on the chart, talk to
students about how you can use

these traits to figure out important

aspects of a character’s personality
– or character traits.
Provide guided practice After reading several pages, ask
Invite the students to practice the students to read a page and
the strategy with teacher talk with their partners
guidance.
Provide Independent Today when you go to read

practice independently, try to make
inferences about the personalities
of the characters in your books.
go off to read … “When you go
Complete the 3-column sheet on
to IR try …”
one of the characters in your book?
Conference Points • Did you make any inferences

book?
• What words in the text helped
you to make that inference?
• How has the author let you
know that about the character?
• What are you thinking? What
makes you think that?
• Use this Venn diagram to
explain what clues in the text
and what background knowledge
you used to make you come to
that conclusion.
Share/Reinforce Have 1-2 students share inferences
students to articulate how they
determined some of the character’s
traits.

Determining Character Traits
Name __________________________________
Date:___________
What does the What does the What does the

character look like? character say? character do?
Character Traits:

Anchor Lesson: 9. Inferring about theme

Lesson
Select the materials Text: Fables by Arnold Lobel “The
Hippopotamus at Dinner”
Name the Strategy. Authors sometimes write to teach

Explain. us something or to send us a
message. Good readers often finish
a book and are left thinking and
wondering why the author wrote
the story. When readers draw
conclusions or think about the
theme of a story, they are making
Introduce the Text.
inferences. They are using their
background knowledge, the pictures
and the words to come up with the
theme or lesson of the story. Let
me show you how.
This is text is entitled The

Hippopotamus at Dinner. It is a
fable. Fables are written to teach
a lesson. Let’s see if we can infer
the message Arnold Lobel is
teaching us.
Demonstrate the As I read the text, I am going to
Strategy. think about my own life and if I can
make any connections to the plot of
the story. I am going to think about
Say: Think aloud.
what I know about this situation
Show: Model.
and what is happening in the text.
This will help me draw conclusions
them as a reader.
and determine the lesson in this
fable.
Model: Think aloud as you read

about the personal connections you
are making. Make explicit how you
felt in the situation and how you
therefore can infer how the
character would feel. Demonstrate
how you would use this knowledge
and the information in the text to
determine the lesson the author is

trying to teach us.
This reminds me of a time when I

went hiking with my husband. We
went to the Half Dome, which is a
huge mountain and decided we could
hike it in one day. Everyone told us
it was a long hike for one day, but
we thought we could do it. No one’s
advice could stop us from what we
thought we could accomplish. We
wanted to get that hike done the
first day so we could do other hikes
throughout the week.
The hike was so long that we both

got sick and hurt our feet so badly
that we could not hike for the rest
of our trip. We didn’t get to see
the other waterfalls and mountains
we wanted to visit.
Thinking about how I felt that day

makes me understand the
Hippopotamus in the story.
Sometimes our eyes are bigger than
our stomachs or our feet in my
case. When you have too much of
something you want, sometimes you
regret it.

Provide guided practice Read the text aloud again and ask
Invite the students to students if they learned a lesson
practice the strategy with from the fable. Ask students to
teacher guidance. explain how they used their prior
knowledge and textual clues to draw
a conclusion.
story you are reading. Try to
notice if you are left thinking about
a message or lesson the author has
go to IR try …”
sent you. Are you thinking about
something in a new way?
You can use post-its, your reading

response journal or a 2-column
chart to track your thinking.
Conference Points • Have you made any
connections in the book?
• Have you made any
inferences?
• What do you think the
author is trying to teach us?
Share/reinforce Let’s share some of what you were
thinking about in your books during
Independent Reading.
Have students share any inferences

of about the themes in their books
Remind students how their

inferences helped them understand
the story better.

Anchor Lesson: 10. Inferring about the meaning of unfamiliar words

Lesson
Select the materials Piggens – J. Yolen Other Texts:
Good Grisselle, Jane Yolen
Greyling, Jane Yolen
Picture Books written by
William Steig
Name the Strategy. Sometimes when you are reading,

Explain. you come across a word that you
don’t know but you can figure it
out by information in the
sentence, the rest of the
paragraph or a nearby
illustration. When you figure out
the meaning of a word, it is an
Introduce the Text.
inference.
Demonstrate the Read the text and think aloud to

Strategy. show students how to infer the
meaning of unknown words.
Watch Me:
Say: Think aloud.
Pg. 2 – (dither, lavaliere)
Show: Model.
Dither – I can say dither but I
don’t know what it means. So I
them as a reader.
am going to have to make an
inference. To do that I am going
to read on to get more
information.
I am thinking that dither means:

being confused or upset.
Let me tell you why I think that:
Text Part: I cannot find my
diamond lavaliere – She can’t find
something
Background knowledge: When I
can’t find something, I get upset.
Now, let’s see how we can infer

the meaning of Lavaliere. I am
thinking that it must be
something kind of jewelry

Anchor Lesson: 10. Inferring about the meaning of unfamiliar words
because the text says the word

diamonds, and then later on the
text says, “At last they find the
necklace right where it belongs in
Mrs. Ray.
Background Knowledge: Diamonds
are in jewelry.
Provide guided practice Continue to read the text. Pause
Invite the students to after reading a portion with a
practice the strategy with difficult vocabulary word. Ask
teacher guidance. students to turn and talk and
discuss possible meanings for the
vocabulary words. Ask students
to talk about how they could
figure out the meaning of the
word.
Provide Independent Ask students to record a few
practice unknown words as they read.
Explain to students that these
words will be words that they
might be able to pronounce but
they are unsure of what they
mean.
Conference Points • Take me to a place in the text
where you saw an unfamiliar
word.
• Show me how you figured out
the meaning of this word.
• What were you thinking when
you read this passage?
Share/reinforce Share a strategy you used to
figure out an unfamiliar word.

Anchor Lesson: 11. Inferring about the meaning of unfamiliar words – Part II

Lesson
Select the materials Text: “Super Stalkers and
Fakers”
Anchor Chart: Inferring the

Meaning of Unknown Words
Name the Strategy. Good readers notice when they

Explain. read a word and they are
unsure of its meaning. They
stop and think about what they
can do to help themselves
figure out the meaning of an
unknown word. When the text
is nonfiction, it helps to think
Introduce the Text.
about what you know about the
topic. Thinking about your prior
knowledge about this topic and
using other words in the text
may help you figure out the
meaning of the unknown word.
Let me show you how
This is a nonfiction text

entitled “Super Stalkers and
Fakers.”
Demonstrate the I am going to read this article
Strategy. on the overhead.. When I come
to a word I do not understand I
am going to stop and try to
Say: Think aloud.
infer its meaning. I will circle
Show: Model.
the word I do not understand
and write what I think it means
them as a reader.
next to it. I will reread the
sentence and see if it makes
sense with my definition.
Model: Read aloud the text and

stop when you come to a word
that you do not understand.
Think aloud about how you
would use the picture, the
surrounding words and your

prior knowledge to infer its

meaning.
Continue to read aloud and
infer the meaning of words you
do not understand. Think aloud
about what helped you figure
out the meaning.
Show how rereading helps
figure out the meaning of
unknown words.

Provide guided practice Decide at what point the

Invite the students to practice students should join in and
the strategy with teacher identify words they do not
guidance. understand. Ask for a few
ideas on the meaning of the
unknown word and have the
students share how they made
their inferences. (What clues
from the text made them think
that? What from their
background experience makes
them think their inference is
probably true?)
Provide Independent During Independent Reading

practice see if you find any words that
you do not understand. If you
do stop and think about how
you can help yourself figure out
the meaning. Write the word on
a post-it and also write the
sentence you found the word in.
Then write what you think it
means.
Conference Points • Did you come to any tricky
words in this book?
• Show me how you figured
out the meaning of t his
word.
• Check your post-its to see
if there were any words you
wanted to talk about
together.
Share/Reinforce Let’s share some of what you
were thinking about in your
books during Independent
Reading.
Did anyone come across a word

they did not know today in
Independent Reading?
How did you infer its meaning?

SAMPLE ANCHOR CHART
Inferring the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words
Word What We Infer it Why We Think That

Means

Anchor Lesson: 12. Inferring to answer questions

Lesson
Select the materials Text: “Five Dollars” from Hey
World, Here I Am! by Jean Little
Name the Strategy. Good readers ask themselves

Explain. questions as they read. When you
ask questions it helps you set a
purpose for your reading and
stimulates our thinking as we read.
We read more deeply as we our
driven to find the answers to our
questions. Sometimes authors do
not directly answer our questions in
Introduce the Text.
the text and leave us wondering.
We have to infer to answer these
questions. Let me show you how.
This text is entitled Five Dollars.

Demonstrate the As I read the text, I am going to
Strategy. think about the questions I have as
I read. I am going to write these
questions on the anchor chart and
Say: Think aloud.
then when I am finished with the
Show: Model.
text I will choose a question to try
to answer.
them as a reader.
Model: Share a few questions you
have as you read and think aloud
about how to answer a question that
is not explicitly answered in the
text. Document your questions on
an enlarged anchor chart. After
you read the text, think aloud about
how you search for answers by
using your schema, the pictures, and
the words in the text to construct
meaning and infer answers. Record
ideas about your thinking on the
anchor chart.
Key Questions for “Five Dollars”

• Why is it always the wrong

time?
• Why does she remember during
history?
• Why didn’t she just ask her?
• What did she really use the
money for?
Provide guided practice Choose another unanswered

Invite the students to question on the anchor chart and
practice the strategy with invite students to share how they
teacher guidance. use their schema, the pictures and
the words to infer answers. Record
their ideas/questions/answers on
the anchor chart.
questions you have as you read. If
it is a question that leaves you still
wondering at the end, write it down.
go to IR try …”
Think about how you use your
schema, pictures, and words to
infer the answers to your questions
that are not explicitly answered by
the author. You can use post-its to
track your thinking.
Conference Points • Is there a question you are
wondering about in your
reading?
• What do you think might be the
answer? What do you infer?
• What clues from the text help
you think that? What in your
background knowledge makes
you think that?
Share/reinforce Let’s share some of what you were
thinking about in your books during
Independent Reading.

Five Dollars
by Jean Little
A long time ago, last August or September, I took a five-dollar bill

from my Mother’s purse. I even forget, now, what I needed it for. She
was sleeping and I didn’t want to bother her. I think I had to pay a fine
at the Library and pick up some shoes that had been repaired. I really
don’t know.
I was going to tell her, though, as soon as I got back, but I

forgot. And she never missed it. When I did remember, she was at
work. I kept forgetting--- and remembering again, always at the wrong
time.
In bed at night, I’d think of it, or in school, right in the middle of

History. The absolutely crazy part of it is, she wouldn’t have minded.
Not back then. But, by now, it’s been too long. By now, if I told her, it
would be like confessing. By now, I feel as though I stole it. I didn’t
though. I’ll tell her. I’ll just casually tell her. (I can’t. I’ve tried.)
I’ll have to put five dollars back sometime when she has enough
money she won’t notice. But five dollars! There are always so many
places to spend five dollars.
I’ll tell her tonight. She’ll understand. It’s nothing really. We’ll
both laugh about it once it’s done. Oh, I wish it was over!
Little, J. (1986). Hey World, Here I Am!.

NY: Harper Trophy.
Making Inferences 48
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Making Inferences

Use your mind to read!

What are you thinking?

Making Inferences Page: 1

Prior Knowledge: Activating background knowledge about

Making Inferences Page: 2

Anchor Lessons Text Key Concepts

8. Inferring about characters – • •

Making Inferences Page: 3

Small Group Text/Level Concept

Independent Reading What kind of person is the character in your book?

Written reflection – An inference is…

Making Inferences Page: 4

Recommended Model Text for Making Inferences

Title Author Notes

Making Inferences Page: 5

Recommended Model Text for Making Inferences

Title Author Notes

A Chair for my Mother Vera. B. Williams Picture Book

Rose Blanche Roberto Innocenti Picture Book – Holocaust

Teammates Peter Golenbock Picture book

Good Grisselle Jan Yolen Picture Book - Vocabulary

Greyling Jan Yolen Picture Book

The Honest to Goodness Patricia McKissack Picture Book

Amazing Grace Hoffman Picture Book

The Pain and the Great One J. Blume Picture Book-

My Rotten Red Headed Older Patricia Polacco Picture Book-character

Brave Irene William Steig Picture Book-vocabulary

Birthday Surprises Johanna Hurwitz Short Stories

The House on Mango Street Sandra Cisneros Short Stories

Hey World Here I Am! Jean Little Short Stories

Every Living Thing Cynthia Rylant Short Stories

Fables Arnold Lobel Short Stories - theme

Making Inferences Page: 6

Anchor Lesson: 1. Using Dramatic Action to Define Inferring

Title of Text Lesson Plan Notes to Build Next

Name the strategy. A strategy readers use to think about

Demonstrate the Let me show you what I mean.

Making Inferences Page: 7

Anchor Lesson: 1. Using Dramatic Action to Define Inferring

Conference Points • Have you made any inferences

Making Inferences Page: 8

Anchor Lesson: 2. Inferring with wordless books

Title of Text Lesson Plan Notes to Build Next

Introduce the Wordless Picture

Making Inferences Page: 9

Anchor Lesson: 2. Inferring with wordless books

Provide independent During Independent Reading see if Provide other Wordless

Conference Points • Have you made any inferences

Making Inferences Page: 10

Anchor Lesson: 3. Inferring with picture books

Title of Text Lesson Plan: Notes to Build Next

Name the strategy. A strategy good readers use is

Show the students the Venn

Introduce the text by sharing the

Making Inferences Page: 11

Anchor Lesson: 3. Inferring with picture books

and our great fire had burned

Making Inferences Page: 12

Anchor Lesson: 3. Inferring with picture books

Name__________________________ Date

Name ________________________ Date