Making Inferences

Making Inferences

by Maiysha Laguerre

​What is an inference?

An Inference is using observation and background to reach a logical conclusion.

​

​When you are making an inference in literature, you should know what you are looking for. Your goal is to find the intended meaning of the text. Intended meaning is what we think the author is trying to teach us.

Making Inferences

Today we are going to practice making inferences!

What is an Inference?

• An inference is when you take clues from the text and what you already know to draw a conclusion. 

• -Schema is your background knowledge- what you ALREADY know.

• Text clues + What you know (schema) = Inference! 

What is an Inference?

• Inferences require you to read between the lines to figure out what the author is trying to tell you.  

• Inferences are NOT directly stated in the text.  You must think deeper to understand what is going on.  

​Making inferences in informational Texts

Poll

I can explain what inference means to someone else.

• I strongly agree with the statement

• I agree with the statement

• I some what agree with the statement

• I disagree with the statement

Multiple Choice

What is an Inference?

• A conclusion or judgement based on evidences and our background knowledge.

• Is what the story is about.

• In when you find the similarity between two or more things.

• Is when you compare two or more things using the words like or as.

Multiple Choice

To make good inferences you need to...

• read fast
• pay attention to details
• look up every unfamiliar word
• pick your nose

Multiple Choice

It is important to learn how to make inferences because many times...

• authors don't write well
• authors communicate ideas indirectly
• authors are lazy
• authors don't think about readers

Multiple Choice

In your daily life, you can make inferences about people by observing their behavior.

• true
• false

Multiple Choice

A VALID INFERENCE is...

• a wild guess
• never supported
• supported with evidence
• is hard to find

Multiple Choice

Drawing an Inference

You've made many inferences in your life, but you might not even know it. For instance, your cat runs up to you the minute you step through the door. She meows, rubs your legs, runs into the kitchen and stares at the cupboard where you normally store the cat food. It doesn't take much effort to figure out that your cat wants food. You've just drawn an inference.

You draw many inferences in your everyday life?

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Before the 1800's people didn't have right or left shoes.  They had shoes of just one shape that they used for both feet.  When people first saw right and left shoes, they laughed.  They called them "crooked shoes."  "What a silly idea," they said.  You can tell that shoes before 1800:

• were pretty
• didn't look alike
• didn't fit very well

Multiple Choice

The man came home from work. He walked into the kitchen and noticed the clock on his microwave was blinking 12:00.

What had happened while the man was at work?

• The microwave stopped working.

• The power went out.

• There was something cooking in the microwave.

Authors do not always tell everything, but you can always find out more about the story or text by using what you already know. Then you can learn more from what you read.

Take a close look at this picture.

Open Ended

What do you think is going on in that photo?

What are the people doing?

How are they dressed?

How would you describe the setting?

Did you know?

• Most writing and pictures suggests more than it says or shows

• By making inferences, you get more from the story

• Conclusions may be missing from the things you read, so you have to draw your own

Inference

An inference is an assumption that you make about something that you see, read, or experience.

For example:

If you have cleats and a baseball bat in your bookbag, I probably would infer that you have baseball practice or a game after school.

Conclusion

A conclusion is a decision about what may happen or about the result of an event (what will happen next).

For example:

Bill walks into the Verizon store wearing a wet bathing suit. He carries his iPhone in his hand. The screen is cloudy with condensation. A drop of water falls from the iPhone to the floor.

You can conclude that Bill is going into the store to get his iPhone repaired based on the facts.

Making Inferences

Darice Williams

Multiple Choice

An inference is

• Examining the evidence to understand its meaning and how it fits into the overall picture

• Drawing a conclusion developed from reasoning after investigating the evidence.

• Facts or information presented together to support a claim or statement.

Multiple Choice

An analysis is:

• Examining the evidence to understand its meaning and how it fits into the overall picture

• Drawing a conclusion developed from reasoning after investigating the evidence.

• Facts or information presented together to support a claim or statement.

An inference is not...

Read the passage on the next slide and answer the questions that follow

Multiple Choice

What is Textual evidence

• Examining the evidence to understand its meaning and how it fits into the overall picture

• A conclusion developed from reasoning after investigating the evidence.

• Facts/Information presented together to support a claim or statement.

Multiple Choice

If something is explicit,

• it's stated clearly and directly

• it needs to be interpreted

• it give hints for the reader to infer

• there is no information is given and is not important

Multiple Choice

Which inference can you make about young Joe's family?

• They were wealthy.

• They were admired.

• They were poor.

• They were fortunate.

Multiple Choice

When an author conveys an idea, they

• create a mystery and suspense

• gives resources for the reader to investigate

• foreshadow

• make an idea or feeling known to others.

Multiple Choice

From the article, you can infer that:

• A nickname usually describes something about the person to whom is given.

• Most athletes prefer to be addressed by their real name rather than a nickname.

• It is uncommon for a baseball player to be given a nickname.

• Most athletes believe that a good nickname will make them more memorable.

Multiple Choice

If a reader needs to infer what the author is saying, they should look for

• hints that lead the reader to determine the underlying meaning

• explicit statements that clearly state information

Multiple Choice

From the article, you can determine that Shoeless Joe:

• continued to play baseball for several more years after the World Series

• and the other White Sox players did something that was illegal

• was wrongfully accused of helping throw the World Series

• was reluctant to be involved in throwing the World Series

Multiple Choice

can something be inferred if it is stated explicitly?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

The information in the article suggests that:

• There was little interest in professional baseball during the early 1900’s.

• People felt sympathy for Shoeless Joe in 1919.

• Reporters were interested in hearing what Shoeless Joe had to say after leaving the courthouse.

• The World Series has not been played since 1919.

What is an inference?

Prior Knowledge + Textual Evidence = Inference

An inference is not...

Read the passage on the next slide and answer the questions that follow

Multiple Choice

Which inference can you make about young Joe's family?

• They were wealthy.

• They were admired.

• They were poor.

• They were fortunate.

Multiple Choice

From the article, you can infer that:

• A nickname usually describes something about the person to whom is given.

• Most athletes prefer to be addressed by their real name rather than a nickname.

• It is uncommon for a baseball player to be given a nickname.

• Most athletes believe that a good nickname will make them more memorable.

Multiple Choice

From the article, you can determine that Shoeless Joe:

• continued to play baseball for several more years after the World Series

• and the other White Sox players did something that was illegal

• was wrongfully accused of helping throw the World Series

• was reluctant to be involved in throwing the World Series

Multiple Choice

The information in the article suggests that:

• There was little interest in professional baseball during the early 1900’s.

• People felt sympathy for Shoeless Joe in 1919.

• Reporters were interested in hearing what Shoeless Joe had to say after leaving the courthouse.

• The World Series has not been played since 1919.

Multiple Choice

The Sphinx was carved with very simple tools. Among them were copper chisels and pounders of harder stone such as granite and diorite to knock off bits and pieces of the limestone. To do the final shaping and to smooth the surface, the master artisans used sand and sandstone.

QUESTION: What can you infer about the building of the Sphinx?

• They were created by hand.

• They were machine built.

• They were built quickly.

• They were cheap.

Multiple Choice

"I think" means you are

• making an inference

• providing evidence

Multiple Choice

You can infer that:

• The small boy was proud of Shoeless Joe.

• The small boy was inspired to play baseball.

• The small boy wanted to be near Shoeless Joe.

• The small boy didn’t want Shoeless Joe to be guilty.

Multiple Choice

"I know" means you are

• making an inference

• providing evidence

Multiple Choice

The Sphinx was carved with very simple tools. Among them were copper chisels and pounders of harder stone such as granite and diorite to knock off bits and pieces of the limestone. To do the final shaping and to smooth the surface, the master artisans used sand and sandstone.

QUESTION: What can you infer about the building of the Sphinx?

• They were created by hand.

• They were machine built.

• They were built quickly.

• They were cheap.

Multiple Choice

In making an inference you must

• Make a claim

• Make a claim

  back it up with the best evidence possible

• Make a claim

  back it up with the best evidence possible

  explain why the evidence supports the claim

• Make a claim

  back it up with the best evidence possible

  explain why the evidence supports the claim

  discredit any other potential claims that can be made

Open Ended

Explain how to make inferences when reading literature.

Poll

I can explain what inference means to someone else.

• I strongly agree with the statement

• I agree with the statement

• I some what agree with the statement

• I disagree with the statement