The Art of…The Art of…INFERENCEINFERENCE

Grade 7Grade 7

Can you make Can you make an inference?an inference?

Can you make an inference?

• Short pieces of text are a great place to start.

• Read the sentences on the next slide and see if you can infer:• what is happening

• what might happen next

What Can You Infer?What Can You Infer?• We bought tickets and some

popcorn.

• Mary plays her flute for two hours every day.

• I forgot to set my alarm clock last night.

• Everyone stopped when the referee blew the whistle.

What can you Infer?What can you Infer?• When I woke up, there were branches and

leaves all over the yard.

• Yesterday, we cleaned out our desks and took everything home.

• Rasheeta was the star pitcher, but she had a broken finger.

What did you DO to Infer?What did you DO to Infer?

You probably:

• Read the words in each sentence;

• Combined the words with your own background knowledge;

• Made an inference!

Did You Notice?Did You Notice?

• You should have noticed that sometimes when we infer, we are not positive what the author means. What can you INFER from this sentence?

• The boat drifted in the middle of the lake.

You might infer that …You might infer that …

• The engine broke;• The engine ran out of gas;• The people in it fell asleep;• A strong storm tore the ropes that held it;• It was not tied up properly and broke loose.

Each of these are text-based and use background

knowledge. Without more information, all could

be true.

How does this help?How does this help?

Adding additional information ( from therest of the text or frompictures) can allow you

tomake a more accurateinference!

Try This One …Try This One …

The crowd cheered.

List FIVE inferences you can make from this

sentence. Be certain that each inferencecombines the words in the sentence with

yourprior knowledge.

How does this help?How does this help?

Revise your inference

to include thisADDITIONALinformation.

One More …One More …

Mother shut off the TV.

List FIVE inferences you can make from thissentence. Be certain that each inferencecombines the words in the sentence with

yourprior knowledge.

How does this help?How does this help?

Revise your inference

to include thisADDITIONALinformation.

So … after all of thispractice, what does itmean to make aninference?

To make an inference is to To make an inference is to ……

• … think and make meaning about something beyond what is written in the text

• …combine what is read with what the reader already knows about that subject

• …read “between the lines”

Inferences Readers MakeInferences Readers Make• Recognize the antecedents for pronouns• Determine the meaning of new words • Determine the grammatical function of an unknown

word• Identify characters’ beliefs, personalities, and

motivations• Understand character’s relationships to one

another• Provide details about the setting• Provide explanations for events or ideas in the text• Understand the author’s view of the world• Relate what is happening in the text to their own

knowledge of the world (Text to World Connection)

The Inference FormulaThe Inference Formula

Author’s Words+

Prior Knowledge _____________________________

Inference

AW + PK = Inference

Inference Graphic Inference Graphic OrganizerOrganizer

Author’s Words (AW)

PLUS

Prior Knowledge (PK) EQUALS

Inference

Let’s practice using the Let’s practice using the inference formulainference formula

Take a look at this Take a look at this excerpt---excerpt---Seth had researched this famous building and could not wait to

see the view through the wire fence on the observation deck or tolook through the telescopes onto the sights below. After alengthy elevator ride he found the wind was blowing through hishair as he looked down onto the large, busy city. The cars on thestreet looked like miniature toy cars. Tiny people on the groundwere scurrying from one place to another. The water glistened inthe sunlight as tiny boats sailed by. What an amazing buildingthis was! Seth could now understand first-hand why it wasconsidered to be an engineering sensation of it’s time!

How can you answer this question ---

Where does this take place?

Author’s Words (AW)

PLUS

Prior Knowledge (PK) EQUALS

Inference

famous building If it’s famous, I should know about it. They could be

at the top of:

•The Empire State Building

•The Space Needle

•The Sears Tower

observation deck This building has an outside area that people can go out on and look at the sights below.

•lengthy elevator ride•The cars on the street looked like miniature toy cars. Tiny people on the ground were scurrying from one place to another

The building is incredibly tall.

large, busy city This must be a city I should recognize.

The water glistened inthe sunlight as tiny boats sailed by

This city is near a lake, river, or ocean

considered to be an engineering sensation

This building must have special features that made it difficult to build.

Let’s Try Another Sample Let’s Try Another Sample …… Joshua went into the backyard to play on the swing

set. His new puppy, Rascal, ran beside him. As Joshuawas running toward the play area, he twisted his ankle.The accident caused him a lot of pain. Joshua’s fatherwas always doing yard work and making sure that thegrass was perfectly cut and the ground was even.Certainly, he would have noticed that hole and filledup. Neither Joshua nor his father could figure out howthat hole appeared.

How do you know?

How can you explain why Joshua’s father did not fix the hole?

The puppy must have recently dug the hole in the yard.

The hole must have been dug since the last time the yard was cared for.

Certainly, he would have noticed that hole and filledup.

His father did not know about the hole.

Joshua’s father spends a lot of time making sure everything thing in the yard is perfect and would have noticed a hole.

Joshua’s fatherwas always doing yard work and making sure that the grass was perfectly cut and the ground was even.

This puppy is responsible for something having to do with Joshua.

Puppies love to run, play and dig.

His new puppy, Rascal, ran beside him.

InferenceEQUALS

Prior Knowledge (PK)PLUS

Author’s Words (AW)

And Another Sample …And Another Sample …Emma is a very cautious shopper. She rarely takes risks,and she has a hard time buying new items unless sheknows she won’t waste her money. Emma sticks to hershopping list unless there is a sale and she has beenwanting to buy the item. You won’t ever see Emmawasting her money. In fact, her family calls her theTightwad Money Manager. At the store she could notfigure out which of the following items to purchase: aBCBG handbag that she has had her eye on for months,a winter coat, or a new pair of shoes.

What item will Emma purchase? How do you

know?

•She must like each of the items, but feels as though she can only buy one.•Since she is such a cautious shopper, she will most likely buy the item she needs most.

When I need to make a decision like this, I always choose the item that is either the best deal or the item I most need.

she could not figure out which of the following items to purchase …

Emma must spend money only on the items she absolutely needs.

Tightwad means she does not spend money easily.

her family calls her theTightwad Money Manager

Emma is concerned about spending too much money, even for things she wants.

If she waits for a sale, she wants to be sure she doesn’t pay too much.

a sale and she has been

wanting to buy the item

Emma is concerned about spending money on things she does not need.

Cautious shoppers and those who have a hard time buying things either do not have enough money or are frugal.

• very cautious shopper• hard time buying new items•You won’t ever see Emma wasting her money.

InferenceEQUALS

Prior Knowledge (PK)PLUS

Author’s Words (AW)

Let’s Practice with a Book Let’s Practice with a Book ……

Cinder Edna is a strong, positive person who uses humor to help through life’s difficulties.

Spunky means energetic and courageous.

But she was strong and spunky and knew some good jokes …

Cinder Edna is trying to take care of herself, prepare for the future, and plan a better life for herself.

oPeople who take on extra work are show initiative. oThey also tend to have goals that they are working toward.

Instead when the housework was done, she kept warm by mowing the lawn and cleaning parrot cages for the neighbors …

Cinder Edna must be a happy person.

People who sing and whistle while working are usually happy people.

But she sang and whistled while she worked.

oCinderella must be unhappy.oShe might be able to find another way to keep warm if she would spend less time thinking of her troubles.

oPeople who think of their troubles day after day are usually unhappy.oShe isn’t trying to problem- solve another solution to keeping warm

When her work was done, she sat among the cinders to keep warm, thinking of her troubles.

oInferenceEQUALS

oPrior Knowledge (PK)PLUS

oAuthor’s Words (AW)

Author’s Words (AW) PLUS

Prior Knowledge (PK) EQUALS

Inference

Instead she had used her cage-cleaning money to put a dress on lay-away for just these kinds of occasions.

Fairy godmothers do not exist and cannot provide a dress for a special occasion.

The fairy godmother was surprised that her god-daughter couldn’t seem to figure out anything for herself.

I know someone who relies on others for solving every problem. I worry about this person!

Cinder Edna took the bus.

People without a car (like Cinder Edna) can always take the bus to travel.

She was afraid of mussing her hair, and she knew those fragile glass slippers would break if she danced too hard.

The people I know of like this are more concerned with their appearance than with having fun or being active.

Author’s Words (AW) PLUS

Prior Knowledge (PK) EQUALS

Inference

“Excuse me, but we recycle plastic around here,” said a little man …

He lives in a cottage in the back and runs the recycling plant and a home for orphaned kittens.

Cinder Edna and Rupert danced and danced.

They were deep in conversation about gum wrappers and rusty tin cans when the clock began to strike twelve.

Author’s Words (AW) PLUS

Prior Knowledge (PK) EQUALS

Inference

Inference Graphic OrganizerOn Your Own

Now its your turn … “YOU DO”

• Silently read “Home.”

• Complete the graphic organizer.

• Respond to each question.

You Show

• Read “Sand Art, On Deadline”.

• Complete the graphic organizer.

• Respond to each question.

WASL Stem QuestionsWASL Stem Questions• What does the author mean when he/she says

“_________” in paragraph ___ of the story / selection/ poem?

• Based on the information in the story/ selection/ poem, what inference/assumption can the reader make about_______?

• Based on the information in the story/selection/poem, what do you predict (character) will do now that (cite circumstances at end of story/selection/poem)?

WASL Stem QuestionsWASL Stem Questions

• Based on the information in the story/ selection/poem, what will most likely happen to (character) after (cite circumstances at the end of the story/selection/poem)?

• How did (character) most likely react to ______?

• What is the most likely reason that (character)(action)? Provide two details from the

story/selection/poem in your answer.

WASL Stem QuestionsWASL Stem Questions

• Based on the information in the story/ selection/ poem, predict what will most likely happen if the (character) (action). Provide information from the story/selection/poem to support your prediction.

• What will (character) do now that (cite circumstances at end of story/selection/poem)? Support your prediction with information from the story/selection/poem.

WASL Stem QuestionsWASL Stem Questions

• Based on the information in the story/ selection / poem, what inference/assumption can you make about (event/theme/character) ? Include information from the story/selection/ poem to support your inference/assumption.

• Explain how _______ was important to the author/poet/character. Support your answer with two details from the story/ selection/poem.