Indiana Wesleyan University

Reading Lesson
Sara Eubank
UNIT BIG IDEA
Choices Always Involve Cost
Students are always making choices. In this lesson specifically, students have the choice of when they will go
to each reading center. It may be beneficial for some students to wait to go to the Writing Center until after
they have their Guided Reading group time with me. In both the Listening Center and the Partner Reading,
students will read books where characters have to make a choice. In one of the stations, students will compare
the books and find what they all have in common. In the other station, students will discuss the choice that the
character(s) had to make in the story and what that choice cost the character(s).

LESSON RATIONALE
Students have learned many reading strategies to help them better comprehend the texts they read in the third
grade. Making an inference is important for students to learn because they are learning to bring in their prior
knowledge and connecting it with the information in the text to discover or decide details that the author does
not tell the reader.

READINESS
I.Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goal—Students will determine how to make an inference using the text and their background
knowledge.
B. Objective—After completing the writing center, students will create a story, based on a book they are
reading, of inferences of what happened before the book began.
C. Standard: 3.RL.2.4 – Students are expected to build upon and continue applying concepts learned
previously. (2.RL.2.4 – Make predictions about the content of text using prior knowledge of text
features, explaining whether they were confirmed or not confirmed and why.)
II. Management Plan
a. Time: 87 minutes
i. Anticipatory Set: 7 minutes
ii. Mini Lesson: 15 minutes
iii. Reading Centers/Guided Reading Groups/Independent Reading: 60 minutes
iv. Closure: 5 minutes
b. Space:
i. Anticipatory Set: Students will be seated at their own spots on the carpet. I will be in
front of them sitting in my chair and/or standing by the easel whiteboard.
ii. Mini Lesson: Students will remain seated at the carpet. I will remain in front of them
sitting in my chair or standing, easily having access to the easel whiteboard.
iii. Reading Centers/Guided Reading Groups/Independent Reading: Students will be
moving around the room to work on the two choice centers, read independently, read
with a partner, listen to reading, or meet with me for guided reading groups. They will
be back at the kidney table for guided reading groups with me. The two choice
reading centers will be near one another on the opposing wall of the kidney table.
Then, independent reading will take place at students’ seats. Partner reading and
listen to reading will take place in the reading corner. Partner reading also can take
place throughout the room with students seated on the floor. I will remain at the
kidney table for my two reading groups. When I am not meeting with those groups, I
will walk around and talk to students about their reading or the activities they are
working on at the reading centers.

1
 iv. Closure: Students will come back to the carpet and sit there. I will be in the front
sitting in my chair or standing.
c. Materials:
 Bag of beach supplies (sunglasses, sunscreen, towel, little pail and shovel, bottle of
water)
 Anchor chart paper
 Markers
 Little slips of paper with scenarios on them
 Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White books
 Percy Jackson &Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan books
 Notebook(s)
 Pencil(s)
 Homophone matching game
 Homophone writing extension activity sheet
 Writer’s Notebook
 Independent reading books
 Listening center books on students’ one-to-one devices
 Partner reading books pulled from class library and placed in a little basket
 Exit Slip

d. Behavior: Students will be expected to…

 Raise their hands when they want to answer a question or give a response.
 Give their best efforts throughout the lesson.
 Clean up stations quickly.
 Ask questions if necessary.
 Participate in class discussions and throughout the stations.
 Work together with partner and take turns during word work center.
 Collaborate and discuss with others during group activities.
III. Anticipatory Set
 I will have a bag prepared that includes different items in it as if someone was going to the beach. One
of my friends is getting ready to go on a trip, but she left her bag behind. I’m not sure where she is
going. I want you to raise your hand if you know where she is going as I pull the items out of the bag.
I will pull out the items one-by-one to have students make a guess on the destination of my friend’s
trip. There’s some sunscreen. There’s a pair of sunglasses. There’s a towel. Ah, there’s a bottle of
water; she is going to stay nice and hydrated. The last two items are a little pail and a shovel. By
now, most students should/will have their hands raised. I will call on a student to tell me where my
friend might be going. Student A, where do you think my friend might be going based on the items in
the bag she left behind? I will give the student time to answer. I would agree with you, Student A, that
my friend was probably headed to the beach. But, how did Student A come to that conclusion? I will
call on another student to tell me how the student could infer my friend was going to the beach. Yes, I
can make the inference that my friend is going to head to the beach because she has packed a towel, a
pail and shovel, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
 Purpose: Today, we are going to talk about inferring, which is a reading strategy where you make a
guess using clues or facts from the text and your prior knowledge. The writer does not always write
down every detail, so sometimes we have to infer things based on what the writer does tell us.

PLAN FOR INSTRUCTION

IV. Adaptation to Individual Differences and Diverse Learners
 I will make an Anchor Chart about making an inference during the mini lesson that students can refer
back to as they move through the independent time/reading centers. There will be both pictures and
words to help students visualize the concept. The Anchor Chart will also have sentence stems at the

2
 bottom of it to help students remember how to begin a sentence when making an inference. Students
will work on inferring the next day as well, so students can reference the anchor chart continually
throughout the unit.
 Students will work in partner groups and groups throughout the entire lesson. Students can help one
another with making an inference during the mini lesson and when working through the stations.
 At both the partner reading station and the listening center, students will have a variety of books to
choose from to read. While the selected books may be ones the students have read before or books that
may seem “too easy”, the selected books allow the students to focus on analyzing the texts.
 Students will fill out an Exit slip at the end of class so I have an idea of how comfortable they feel
with the concept of making an inference, and I can discuss with students individually on how we can
move forward in helping them learn this concept.
 If students finish early, they will be expected to read their independent reading material.
 I will give examples of inferring as needed throughout the lesson.
 Students will have my support as necessary throughout the lesson.

V.Lesson Presentation (Input/Output)

 Mini Lesson
o Inferring, which is also called making an inference, is figuring out something about the text
that the author did not tell you. I will make an anchor chart for the students as I explain
making an inference. You make an inference by taking the information from the text and the
information that you already know…does anyone remember what that is called? I will call on
a student to tell me what information that they already know is called. Yes, the information
that we already know is called background knowledge, or it is also called prior knowledge.
So, you use the information from the text and your background knowledge, put them together,
and make an inference of the details that the author did not tell us.
o For example: If I told you that I could not get in my car and I had to ask my friend to grab
the spare key at my house, you can infer that I either locked my keys in my car or I lost my
car keys. There are several sentence stems that you can use to state your inference such as “I
infer…”, “I think…”, “My guess is…”, “Perhaps…” “This could mean…”, and more. So,
you could say, “My guess is Miss Eubank locked her car keys in her car” or “Perhaps Miss
Eubank lost her car keys”.
o Students will then have a chance to make their own inferences. Now, you are going to try
making your own inference based on a scenario. Students will be given a little slip of paper of
a scenario on it. You will have a couple of minutes to work with the person beside you to
come up with an inference based on the scenario on your slip of paper and your background
knowledge. When you hear the timer, we will discuss your scenarios and inferences. I will
give students two to three minutes to discuss with their partners. Then, I will bring the class
back together when the timer goes off. Alright, you have had time to discuss with your
partner the scenario and the inference you made based on it. Would anyone be willing to
share with us the inference they made based off of their scenario? I will give time for two or
so partner groups to share with the class. Thank you for sharing with us your inferences.
o Now, we are going to move into our Reading Centers for the day. You need to complete the
two choice centers by the end of our reading centers tomorrow. There can only be four
students at each of these centers at a time. There will be plenty of time for each of you to
complete both of the choice centers between the two days. At one of those centers you will be
continuing to work with words that are homophones, and at the other center, you will apply
the strategy of making an inference. There will be four rotations today, each lasting 15
minutes. I will set the timer on the board, so you can see how much time you have left at each
one. Then, as always, when you hear the timer go off, you will have one minute to clean up
and prepare to move to the next place. Then, when you hear the timer again, you will move to
the next station. Go ahead and prepare to head to your first station. The students will have a
free choice of going to whichever station they would like during the independent

3
 reading/stations time. They may read independently, listen to reading, or partner read. The
two reading choice centers are ones that I will rotate, so students would be interacting with
different reading centers throughout the rotation time. I also plan to only meet with two small
guided reading groups a day at this point.
 Reading Centers
o 2 Groups of Guided Reading with Miss Eubank: I grouped students by interest for the guided
reading groups. One group of students were interested in animals, and the other group
enjoyed reading the “Harry Potter series” or at least one book from the series. Students will
have a “Guided Reading” notebook that they will bring when they meet with me for guided
reading.
 Inferring – Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
 Pre-Reading: Today, we are going to begin reading the book Charlotte’s
Web by E.B. White. I will give each student a copy of the book. I want you
to take a look at the book and read the back of it to see what it’s about. After
you’ve finished reading the little summary of the book, I want you to go
ahead and think about what the book might be about. Then, make an
inference of what the author does not tell us on the back of the book of
something you suspect to be true. Remember to use a sentence stem to begin
your inference, which you can find on the bottom of the anchor chart. I will
give students time to make an inference. Alright, now as you begin reading,
I want you to think about how what details the author has left out.
 Reading: Students will read silently to themselves for a few pages. I will
stop students after a few pages. What are some things you can infer
happened before the story actually began? Allow time for students to
respond. Have students continue to read. Stop students after a few more
pages. What can you already guess about Fern and her personality? Allow
time for students to respond. Allow students to read until they finish the first
chapter.
 Responding: Allow time for a grand conversation, even though students
have only read the first couple chapters of the book. What do you think
about the book so far? What can you infer about Fern’s father and what his
job is?
 Exploring: While you were reading, we stopped a couple of times to talk
about inferring, which we learned about today at the beginning of class.
When reading, it is important for us to infer because there are details that
the author of the book leaves out, but we can make an educated guess of that
information. I will ask the following questions, allowing students to use their
texts for reference and then respond to the questions. What is the big idea of
this chapter? (Author and you) What is the smallest pig of the litter called?
(Right there) Have you ever made the choice to stand up for something you
thought was not right? (On my own)
 Applying: During your independent reading time, I want you to make
inferences as you read to discover details that the author does not tell us.
 Inferring – Percy Jackson & Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
 Pre-Reading: Today, we are going to begin reading the book Percy Jackson
& Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, which is the first book
in the series and a series that is similar to the Harry Potter series. I will give
each student a copy of the book. In this book, you will read about Percy
Jackson, the main character, who goes on the most dangerous quest. As you
read, I want you to think about the details that the author leaves out of the
story.

4
  Reading: Students will read silently to themselves for a few pages. I will
stop students after a few pages of the first chapter. What are some details
about Percy that the author does not tell us, but you can guess about him
based on what you know? I will allow time for student response. Students
will continue to read, and I will stop them after a few more pages. Mrs.
Dodds pulls Percy into the museum and asks him to confess about who he is,
what can you infer that Mrs. Dodds already knows about Percy? I will give
students time to respond and talk to one another and me. The students will
then read until the end of the first chapter.
 Responding: I will allow time for the grand conversation, eliciting students’
natural responses to the first chapter of the book. What do you think about
the book so far? What do you think will happen in chapter two? How do you
think the book will end?
 Exploring: While you were reading, I stopped you a couple of times to ask
some questions about details that the author does not tell us. This is also
called inferring which we talked about today during our mini lesson. When
reading, it is important for us to infer because we can better understand
what is happening in the story, due to using our background knowledge and
the text to make a guess on the details that the author left out of the story. I
will ask the students the following questions, allowing students to reference
their books and answer the questions. What do you think happened to Mrs.
Dodds? How would you feel if you were Percy in this book? Do you ever
find it difficult not to become frustrated by someone who is annoying you?
 Applying: Now, during your independent reading time, I want you to
continue to make inferences about the text you are reading. It could be
about what has happened before the story even began, about the characters,
or about what has happened in time that has passed.
o Two Choice Centers
 Word Work: Homophone Matching Game
 Students have been working on homophones, and this activity will provide
them with practice. The students will work with a partner to play a game
where they match together homophones. Just like in regular go-fish, students
will place all cards face down. Then, each player will turn over the cards two
at a time to try and find words that sounds the same but have different
spellings and a different meaning. If you get a match, you can then pick up
the cards and keep them. However, if you get a match, you do not get
another turn right away. Be sure to take turns with your partner. The player
with the most matches/pairs wins the game. An extension activity would be
for students to use the matches they found in the matching game to write
sentences. Students would have a sheet where they write both of the
homophones on the sheet. Then, students will write a sentence using both of
the homophones. This requires students to take deeply about how to create a
sentence using both words. They can work together with their partners if the
words are more difficult to put in a sentence together.
 Writing Center
 Students will write a story about what they would infer happened before
their book began in their writers’ notebooks. They could use their
independent reading novels or guided reading books. Before they begin
writing, they can discuss with a peer about what their books are about and
how they will construct the story.
o Other Centers

5
  Independent Reading: Students will read silently to themselves a book of their
choice. This could be their literature circle books, or just books they are reading for
fun.
 Listening Center: Students will have a select few books which they can listen to on
their one-to-one devices. Books will include Henry’s Freedom Box, Arlene Sardine,
The Dot, and The Day You Begin. There will be a prompt where students have to
decide what these books have in common. They should come to the conclusion that
all of these books talk about the main character making a choice and how that comes
with a cost and affects the character.
 Partner Reading: Students will take turns with their partners reading a book or books
from the selection in the reading corner. Books will include Click, Clack, Moo: Cows
that Type, Strega Nona, A Baby Sister for Frances, and The Other Side. After
finishing reading one of the books, students will discuss with their partners the
choice that the character(s) had to make in the story and what that choice cost the
character(s).

VI. Check for Understanding

 I will ask students questions about inferring during the mini lesson.
 Students will make an inference with a partner and share with the class using a scenario during the
mini lesson.
 I will ask multiple questions during my guided reading groups to see how students understood the text.
 I will monitor students playing homophone matching game to see if they can match homophones
together, and then write a sentence using both homophones.
 The writing center activity will be a check for understanding.
 Reteaching or extended teaching of making an inference will take place during guided reading groups
or in small strategy focus groups as necessary.

VIII. Review Learning Outcomes /Closure – Great job cleaning up your stations quickly and working
hard today! Now, what did you learn today about making an inference? I will call on students as they
raise their hands to share their discoveries with the class. Yes, making an inference is to figure out
something about the text that the author did not tell you. It is putting together evidence from the text
that you read and what you already know. Now, I am going to pass out an Exit slip for you to
complete to let me know how you are feeling about making an inference and then give a brief
description of what making an inference is. I will pass out the Exit Slip. Whenever you finish, please
place your Exit slip in the green basket.

PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT

Formative: asking students questions throughout the lesson; monitoring students at the reading centers;
observing students matching homophones together; listening to students’ discussions with their partners during
the mini lesson and at the reading centers
Summative: Some students will have completed the Writing Center by the end of this lesson, which will be
the summative assessment for the strategy of making an inference. However, students have two days to
complete this center. Also, the exit slip will provide me with how comfortable students are with the concept
and if they understand what making an inference is.

REFLECTION AND POST-LESSON ANALYSIS

 How could I assess students’ knowledge of making an inference in a different way?
 Were students actively participating in the reading centers presented in the lesson? Why or why not?
 What are other reading centers that could be included in this lesson to provide enhancement to fit the
lesson objective?
 What were my strengths during the mini lesson?

6
 Should I have made the mini lesson content part of the guided reading groups and allowed more time
for reading centers instead? Why or why not?