Making Inferences and Citing Evidence

Iready Lesson 3 Citing Evidence and Making Inferences

LAFS.6.RI.1.1

Open Ended

What do you know about citing evidence from a text and making inferences about it?

Poll

How do you rate your knowledge on the subject?

• I know everything! I can teach this lesson.

• I know a few things but have room to learn more!

• I know at least one thing but not much more

• I don't even know what you're talking about.

Sometimes you need to make a

reasonable guess about what the writer thinks. A reasonable guess, which is based on both evidence and your prior knowledge of a topic, is called an inference.

What you know + what the text says = inference

By using text evidence and what you already know, you can make and support inferences.

Now, let's read about Bigfoot...

A Scientist's Search for Bigfoot

Many anthropologists criticize Meldrum’s work. They feel he is trying to find an imaginary creature that exists only in folklore. Meldrum tells critics he is not saying that Bigfoot exists. He just believes there is enough evidence to justify scientific investigation.

Unsurprisingly, most anthropologists reject Meldrum’s evidence. Dr. David J. Daegling, a University of Florida anthropologist who thinks Meldrum’s methods of analyzing data are unscientific, sums up this feeling: “Meldrum’s evidence doesn’t look better on deeper analysis; it looks worse.”

Multiple Choice

Which of the ideas below is unrelated background knowledge for this text?

• If a scientist is interested in something, he or she might think it has scientific value.

• Men dominate the field of science

• A scientist might keep samples that could lead to a discovery.

Multiple Choice

True or False: this detail was mentioned in the text:

"Meldrum’s laboratory houses more than 200 casts and artifacts relating to Bigfoot.”

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Based on what the reader knows and what the text says, is this a good inference about the text?:

Dr. Meldrum is most likely interested in those other samples because he likes looking at unique foot structures.

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Which sentence from the text best supports the idea that most scientists do not find value in investigating Bigfoot artifacts?

• “Many anthropologists criticize Meldrum’s work."

• “They feel he is trying to find an imaginary creature that exists only in folklore.”

• "Meldrum tells critics he is not saying that Bigfoot exists.”

• “He just believes there is enough evidence to justify scientific investigation."

Let's read another text...

Tales of Chupacabras

Legend tells of the chupacabra, a monster that sucks the blood of livestock. Chupacabra means “goat sucker” in Spanish. For many in the southwestern United States and Mexico, these tales are more than just stories; they have been accepted as fact. In Puerto Rico in 1995, hundreds of livestock fatalities were blamed on the chupacabra.

Some describe chupacabras as two-legged, lizard-like creatures with claws, spikes, and piercing red eyes. Others insist they are hairless, four-legged creatures that are part kangaroo, part dog, and part rat. Many similar beasts have been brought to labs for DNA testing, but most have been coyotes with mange, a disease that strips animals of fur.

Why do we want these mythical beasts to be real? Surely not because we want livestock to fall prey to vampires! Perhaps it is because of our natural desire to shed light on the unknown. Scientists constantly identify new life-forms. According to the World Wildlife Federation, more than 1,200 species of plants and vertebrates were discovered in the Amazon rain forest between 1999 and 2009. Given this fact, the idea that undiscovered species could exist empowers our imaginations and gives us hope.

Although we have explored much of this planet, there are still creatures that lurk in the underbrush, evading recognition. That is a thrilling concept. So even as evidence mounts against the existence of chupacabras, a part of us hopes that one will creep from the shadows and boggle our minds.

Multiple Choice

A student makes the following claim about the author of “Tales of Chupacabras.”

The author believes that chupacabras are imaginary even though she would like to think they exist.

Which sentence from the text best supports this claim?

• “Chupacabra means ‘goat sucker’ in Spanish."

• "Some describe chupacabras as two-legged, lizard-like creatures with claws, spikes, and piercing red eyes.”

• “Why do we want these mythical beasts to be real?”

• "Scientists constantly identify new life-forms.”

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT true about citing evidence and making inferences

• Think about what you know and what the text says

• You can make solid inferences without text evidence

• You can think about how the writing think, feels, or why they might do something

• Inferences have text evidence to support them

Poll

How do you rate your knowledge of citing evidence and making inferences after today's lesson?

• Expert! I could teach a friend

• I am confident in my knowledge but not enough to teach someone else

• I learned a couple of new things!

• I didn't learn anything from this lesson