Making Inferences

​Making Inferences

I can make an inference using text evidence and explain my thinking.

Open Ended

What do you think is happening in the picture?

Think about:

• What did you notice?

• What clues helped you decide?

How did you know?

Multiple Choice

Did the picture tell us directly what was happening?

• Yes

• No, we figured it out.

• What is an inference?

• An inference is something we figure out using clues and what we already know — even when it is not stated directly.

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Making an Inference

What can you infer about how the student in the yellow shirt is feeling?

Multiple Choice

Which one of these is a strong inference based on the image?

• The student failed the test.

• The student feels embarrassed because the paper has a low grade and classmates are watching.

• The student is bad at school. That's why everyone is staring at him.

• When the student gets home, his parents will be upset with him.

Multiple Choice

Why was that answer the strongest choice for an inference?

"The student feels embarrassed because the paper has a low grade and classmates are watching."

• It uses evidence

• It explains thinking

• It goes beyond what is stated

• All of the above

From Images to Text

The thinking process is the same.

Images give us clues we can see.
Texts give us clues, or evidence, we must read carefully.

Multiple Choice

Turner almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella. He would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.
Which probably happened?

• Turner realized that he had an unnatural fear of falling radio parts.
• Turner had promised himself to do something silly that morning.
  
• Turner had heard a weather forecast that predicted rain.
• Turner planned to trade his umbrella for a bus ride.

What will this look like in class? Let's practice with a text:

from "We Beat the Street"

George loved school. Even though it was located in what was described as the “inner city,” it was relatively new and neat and clean. His third-grade teacher, Miss Viola Johnson, was a tiny ball of energy with a high-pitched voice and the same honey-colored skin as George’s mother. There was no doubt as to her power and authority in that classroom. Miss Johnson made every day an adventure, and George hated to miss school, even on days when he was sick.

What clues do I notice?
What do I know?

George loved school. Even though it was located in what was described as the “inner city,” it was relatively new and neat and clean. His third-grade teacher, Miss Viola Johnson, was a tiny ball of energy with a high-pitched voice and the same honey-colored skin as George’s mother. There was no doubt as to her power and authority in that classroom. Miss Johnson made every day an adventure, and George hated to miss school, even on days when he was sick.

• Students don't normally love school

• A good teacher can change how a student feels about school

• School may be more consistent than home

What can I infer?

I can infer that Miss Johnson made George feel safe, motivated, and excited to learn because he loved school and "hated to miss it, even when he was sick."

Clues/Evidence

• “George loved school”

• “Miss Johnson made every day an adventure”

• “George hated to miss school, even when he was sick”

What I know

• Students usually don’t like missing school, but I wouldn't often hear them say they "love" it

• Teachers can affect how students feel about learning

• Feeling comfortable and safe matters

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Most students would want to stay home if they were sick, so this detail suggests that being in Miss Johnson’s class made school feel positive and important to him.

What's my reasoning/explain?

Your turn!

You will do the same thinking with your own text:

• Find clues

• Use what you know

• Make an inference

• Explain how you know