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LiteracyB e n c h m a r k

Teacher’s Guide Grade 2 • Unit 5 1Week

® B e n c h m a r k e d u c a t i o n c o m p a n y

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A coral reef is a type of habitat. Coral reefs grow best near land in clean, warm water.

A coral polyp is a small animal that lives in the water. A hard skeleton forms around the coral polyp’s body. The skeleton protects the coral polyp. The skeleton stays when the coral polyp dies. More coral polyps attach to the skeleton. The coral reef grows.

An octopus can live on a coral reef. A puffer and

a stingray can live on a coral reef, too. A coral reef is also home to algae, a type of plant. Algae make food for coral polyps. Sea grass lives on coral reefs, too. Many animals use sea grass for food and shelter.

Coral Reefs

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We can group all things into living and nonliving things. We can group living things into animals and plants. Animals must find food to eat. Plants make their own food. Most animals move as they grow. Most plants stay in one place as they grow.

We can group animals by how they look. Some animals have backbones. Other animals do not have backbones. Insects, spiders, and snails do not have backbones. Five types of animals have

backbones, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Evidence: Inferences:

Grouping Living Things

The alarm went off. Lucy looked at the clock to see what time it was. A look of horror showed on her face.

Then she heard the honking outside. Quickly she put on her raincoat and grabbed her umbrella. She slid her feet into her boots.

Rushing to the door, Lucy picked up a stack of books from the table. With her arms full, she hurried out.

What’s the Rush?

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Clues: • Lucy looked at the clock

to see what time it was.• A look of horror showed

on her face.Inference: Lucy woke up late.

Clues: • She put on her raincoat

and grabbed her umbrella.

Inference: It’s raining.

Clues: • Lucy was rushing to

the door.• She hurried out.Inference: Lucy is late for school.

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Unit 5/Week 1 at a Glance

Day Mini-Lessons

ONE • Introduce the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

• Think Aloud and Use the Metacognitive Strategy: Make Connections

• Make an Inference from a Picture

• Connect Thinking, Speaking, and Writing

• Reflect and Discuss

TWO • Review the Metacognitive Strategy: Make Connections

• Use the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

• Connect Thinking, Speaking, and Writing


THREE • Extend the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

• Observe and Prompt for Strategy Understanding


FOUR • Read and Summarize

• Answer Text-Dependent Comprehension Questions: Make Inferences (Level 3: Prove It!)


FIVE • Metacognitive Self-Assessment

• Constructed Written Response

• Ongoing Comprehension Strategy Assessment

Make Connections/Make Inferences

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Coral Reefs

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What’s the Rush?

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Baseball

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Day One

Benchmark Literacy • Grade 2 • Unit 5/Week 1 ©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC2

Comprehension Anchor Poster 1

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Make an inference about a picture.

• Identify clues that support the inference.

• Make connections to the topic of a picture.

• Use academic sentence frames to discuss strategies.

Related Resources

• Whiteboard CD-ROM

• Home/School Connections (BLM 1)

About the Strategy

• Making an inference means figuring out something that is not stated directly in a text.

• An inference is based on one or two clues in the text.

• Authors do not always tell readers everything, but they include clues that readers can put together for themselves.

• Making inferences helps readers better understand the ideas in a text.

Read-Aloud (10 minutes)

Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.

Mini-Lessons (20 minutes)

Introduce the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

Say: With the car filled to the brim with suitcases, shovels, pails, and more, the family was ready to go! In the back seat, the kids talked about the shells they’ll collect and the castles they’ll build. Up front, the parents rolled down their windows to let in the warm, fresh air.

Ask: Where can you infer, or figure out, that the family is going? What season is it?

Turn and talk. Ask students to turn to a partner and share their inferences about where the family is going and the season. Ask a few students to share with the whole group.

Explain: You used clues in the story and what you already knew to figure out what was not said. This is called making inferences. You make inferences every day without even realizing it. Good readers know how to use clues in a text and what they already know to figure out, or infer, what the author does not state directly. We’re going to practice making inferences this week.

Think Aloud and Use the Metacognitive Strategy: Make Connections

Display Poster 1.

Draw students’ attention to the photo of the boys. (Whiteboard users can use the highlighter tool.)

Explain: When I look at this picture, the first thing I need to do is figure out what it’s trying to show me. One way I can do this is by making connections to my own life. Making connections helps make things clearer in my mind. Let me show you how I do it.

Baseball

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Day One

©2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC Benchmark Literacy • Grade 2 • Unit 5/Week 1 3

Make Content Comprehensible for ELLsUse the following strategies to help ELLs understand the poster content and acquire academic language.

BeginningRead the title of the poster. Discuss the concept of teamwork. For example, say: We use teamwork to play sports. We use teamwork to clean up the classroom. We use teamwork to solve problems.

Point to and name items in the photograph (boys, cap, ball, bat, mitt).

Beginning and IntermediateDraw and label, or ask ELLs to draw, objects that represent other sports that require teamwork. For example, they can draw a basketball to represent basketball.

All LevelsModel the use of academic sentence frames to support ELLs’ academic vocabulary and language development. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Comprehension Quick-CheckObserve whether students are able to articulate inferences about the poster. If they have difficulty, use the following additional explicit instruction.

Draw the make inferences graphic organizer on chart paper.

In the Clues column, write smiles.

Say: All of the boys are smiling. I know that smiling means you’re happy.

In the Inference column, write The boys are happy to be on the baseball team.

Say: I looked at clues in the picture, and I made connections to what I know to make an inference about how the boys feel.

Say: Now think of another inference we could make about the photo.

Think aloud: This photo reminds me of my brother’s baseball team. Like this team, my brother’s team wears pinstripe pants and shirts with their team’s name across the front. I see a baseball, a bat, and a mitt in the picture. I know you use these things to play baseball. Based on what I see and what I know, I can make the inference that this picture is of a baseball team. Making connections to my own life helped me make an inference about the picture.

Write your connections on chart paper. Ask students to generate other connections they could make about the picture and add these to your list. Explore possible answers together.

Post these connections on the wall as a Make Connections anchor chart or have students write them in their reading journals or notebooks to use in the future.

Make an Inference from a Picture

Ask students to make an inference about how these boys feel about baseball.

Tell students they can make an inference by connecting what they see with what they know.

Prompt students to connect prior knowledge if they don’t do so naturally.

Provide the following academic sentence frames to support ELLs and struggling students:

My inference is .These clues help me make this inference .I already knew . This helped me make my inference.

Connect Thinking, Speaking, and Writing

Write down the inferences students make and reread them as a group. Then write the information and connections they used to make the inferences. Give students the opportunity to expand on their shared writing.

Reflect and Discuss

Ask and discuss the following questions: •Whatdoesitmeantomakeaninference?•Howmanycluesdoyouneedtomakeaninference?•Howcanmakingconnectionshelpyoumakeaninference?

Connect and transfer. Say: Remember, you can make inferences based on clues in a text, too. Tomorrow, we will practice making inferences based on clues in a text.

Day One


Support Special Needs LearnersSupport visual learners and students with attention issues by projecting the whiteboard version of the posters. Allow students to come to the whiteboard and circle, underline, or highlight sentences and illustrations. Have them discuss and then make inferences about what they see.

Access the graphic organizer provided on the whiteboard. Record clues and inferences with students.

Provide opportunities for active involvement. For example, ask students to make connections to the content of a poster, or point out clues on the poster and have students make an inference based on the clues.

Home/School ConnectionsOn Day 1, distribute copies of Home/School Connections (BLM 1). Each day during the week, assign one of the six home/school connection activities for the students to complete. Ask them to bring their completed assignments to class the following day. Make time at the beginning of each day for students to share their ideas.

Small-Group Reading Instruction (60 minutes)

Based on students’ instructional reading levels, select titles that provide opportunities for students to practice making inferences. See the list provided on the Unit at a Glance chart.

Use the before-, during-, and after-reading instruction provided in the Teacher’s Guide for each text.

Individual Student Conferences (10 minutes)

Confer with individual students on their text selections and application of strategies. Use the Reading Conference Note-Taking Form to help guide your conferences.

Phonics Workshop (20 minutes)

Use the Day 1 instruction provided in SpiralUp Phonics Skill Bag 13.

Home/School Connections (BLM 1)

Name Date

Benchmark Literacy • Grade 2 • Unit 5/Week 1 ©2010 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

BLM 1

Home/School Connections:Make Inferences

1. Make Text-to-World Strategy ConnectionsParticipate in a conversation with your family about a recent event at home or in the community. Write an inference based on facts that were not directly stated in the conversation. Then write the evidence on which the inference is based. Bring your inference and evidence to school to share with the class.

2. Make Text-to-Text Strategy ConnectionsRead an article in a newspaper or magazine. Write an inference about facts that are not directly stated in the article. Then highlight or circle evidence in the article that supports your inference. Bring your inference and evidence to school to share with the class.

3. Make a Strategy Connection to MathWhen do you make inferences in math? Give a specific example of making an inference to figure out a math problem. Write the evidence that you use to make the inference.

4. Make a Strategy Connection to ScienceThink about a topic you are studying in science. Write a paragraph on that topic. Then write an inference based on one or two pieces of evidence in your paragraph.

5. Make a Make Inferences ChartThink of a friend or family member. On a Make Inferences chart, write an inference you can make about the person. Then write one or two pieces of evidence that support your inference. You can ask a family member to help you. Sign your name and your family member’s name on your chart. Bring your chart to class to share.

6. Think and Write About the StrategyThink about how learning about making inferences has helped you become a more strategic reader. Write about how and when you use this strategy to help you understand what you are reading.

Day Two


Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Identify clues that help readers make inferences about a text.

• Make inferences based on clues in a text.

• Make connections to understand a text.


Related Resources



• Comprehension Anchor Poster 2 (BLM 2)

Comprehension Anchor Poster 2 (BLM 2)


Select a favorite fiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Review the Metacognitive Strategy: Make Connections

Display Poster 2 with annotations hidden and/or distribute BLM 2 and read aloud the title.

Read aloud the text with students.

Explain: Yesterday when I looked at the photo of the baseball team, I made connections to my own life. The connections helped me better understand the photos. To make connections, I think about my own life and how it is like what I’m reading. I’ll show you how I do this.

Reread the first paragraph. Think aloud: When Lucy sees what time it is, she has a look of horror. I know that feeling of horror. One time, I was home taking a nap and when I woke up, I saw I had missed my swim meet. It was a horrible feeling. Thinking about what I know helps me better understand why Lucy had a look of horror.

Write your connections on chart paper.

Reread paragraph 2. Think aloud: Lucy wears a raincoat and boots. She grabs an umbrella. I use an umbrella and wear a raincoat and boots when it’s raining. Making connections with what I know helps me make the inference that it must be raining.

Ask students to generate other text-to-world connections. Add their connections to the list on the chart paper. Have students write the connections in their reading journals to use in the future.

Build academic oral language. Reread paragraph 3. Ask students to think about where they go with books every day to figure out, or infer, where Lucy is going. Encourage students to think aloud. Have students describe their process of making connections. Reinforce the idea that good readers make connections to better understand text. Support ELLs and struggling readers with the following sentence frames:

My inference is .These clues help me make this inference .I already knew . This helped me make my inference.




What’s the Rush?

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BeginningRead aloud the poster title and passage. Point to each object as you say its name (alarm clock, Lucy, raincoat, umbrella, boots, books).

Beginning and IntermediateHave students look around the room and find clocks, watches, or anything else that tells time.

If you have students whose first language is Spanish, share these English/Spanish cognates: horror/el horror, boots/las botas.

All LevelsPair ELLs with fluent English speakers during partner discussions and activities. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Day Two

Use the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

Reread the poster text with students, annotations still hidden.

Say: Now think about what the author wants readers to know, but doesn’t state directly. What clues does the author provide that help you make an inference?

If necessary, point out that one thing the author wants readers to infer is that Lucy woke up late. Rather than state this directly, the author provides a clue to help readers make this inference.

Say: Let’s look more closely at the text and find the clue that helps us make the inference about Lucy waking up late. What clue tells you that Lucy woke up late?

Write the clue that students identify. Then reveal the first Clue annotation. Say: Did we find the clue? Let’s compare.

Build academic oral language. Say: When we make inferences, we use clues in the text and what we know. Now let’s use the clues we found to help us make inferences. What does Lucy’s face look like when she sees the clock? (look of horror). What inference can you make about why Lucy has a “look of horror”? (She’s late.)

Clues:

•Lucylookedattheclocktoseewhattimeitwas.

•Alookofhorrorshowedonherface.

Inference:

Lucywokeuplate.

Clues:

•Sheputonherraincoatandgrabbedherumbrella.

Inference:

It’sraining.

Clues:

•Lucyrushedtothedoor.•Shehurriedout.

Inference:

Lucyislateforschool.

Comprehension Anchor Poster 2 Sample Annotations


Day Two

Comprehension Quick-CheckTake note of which students can or cannot contribute to the discussion of Poster 2 inferences. Use the following activity to provide additional explicit instruction for these students.

Use an additional real-world example to help students understand how to make inferences. For example, say: Matt plays a sport every Saturday. This Saturday, he grabs his mitt and cap.

Ask students to state the clues and make an inference. Record the clues and inference on a graphic organizer. Then write the clues and inference as a paragraph. Ask students to underline the inference and circle each clue.

Oral Language ExtensionDuring independent workstation time, pair students to discuss foods they enjoy. Ask one partner to describe a food. Then ask the second partner to make an inference about the information and to identify the clues on which the inference is based. The partner can state whether the inference is correct or not. For example, Partner A says she enjoys sausages for breakfast, roast beef sandwiches for lunch, and meatloaf for dinner. Partner B infers that Partner A enjoys meat. Then partners switch roles. Tell students to be ready to report on their inferences and clues during individual conference time.

Home/School ConnectionsAt the end of the day, ask students to complete another home/school connection activity from BLM 1 and bring their assignment to class the following day.

Connect Thinking, Speaking, and Writing

Prompt students to use the clues and what they know to make inferences about the weather and where Lucy is going.

Record students’ inferences on chart paper. Then reveal the second Inference annotation.

Say: Let’s compare our inferences to the second inference on the poster. Allow time for discussion.

Reflect and Discuss

Ask and discuss the following questions:•Howdoesmakingtext-to-worldconnectionshelpyouasareader?•Whyisitimportanttolookforcluesasyouread?•Howdoesmakinginferenceshelpyouunderstandwhatyouare

reading?

Connect and transfer. Ask:Howwillyouusewhatwehavepracticedtodaywhen you read on your own?










Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Make an inference about unstated information in a passage.

• Identify clues that support the inference.

• Make connections to information in a text to help make inferences.


Related Resources




Day Three


Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Extend the Comprehension Strategy: Make Inferences

Display Poster 3 and/or distribute BLM 3 and read aloud the title.

Say: Today you’re going to practice reading and making inferences about a text. Remember to use what you’ve learned. You can make connections to the text to help you understand.

Read aloud the passage or have students read the passage independently or with a partner. Instruct them to locate and write in the Evidence box clues to information the author does not provide. Have students make an inference based on the clues in the Inference box. Students should feel free to underline, circle, or flag key information as they read.

Have individual students or pairs share the clues they identified and the inferences they made. Record students’ findings on the poster or on chart paper. See the sample annotations.

Observe and Prompt for Strategy Understanding

As students work together, observe those who demonstrate understanding and those who struggle. Use appropriate responsive prompting to provide additional support or to validate students who demonstrate mastery.

Goal Oriented• I am going to read slowly and reread if necessary to locate clues.• I am going to use clues in the text and what I know to make inferences.• The clue word(s) help(s) me infer that .

Directive and Corrective Feedback• Does that word (phrase) provide a clue to what the author does not state?• What clues help you understand what the author means?• What inference can you make? What prior knowledge helped you?

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Evidence:•Wegroupanimalsbyhowthey

look.•Someanimalshavebackbones.

Otheranimalsdonothavebackbones.

•Insects,spiders,andsnailsdonothavebackbones.

Inference:Insects,spiders,andsnailsareinthesameanimalgroup.




BeginningPoint to the poster photo and provide the language for what you see. For example, say: sea, sharks, plants. Invite ELLs to point to and name people and objects with you.

Beginning and IntermediateIf you have students whose first language is Spanish, share these English/Spanish cognates: animal/el animal, plant/la planta, insect/el insecto.

Intermediate Describe the poster content in your own words. For example, say: We group living things. Plants and animals are two groups of living things. We group animals by how they look. Encourage students to add their own comments about the poster.

All LevelsPair ELLs with fluent English speakers during partner discussions and activities.

Comprehension Quick-CheckThe responsive prompts on pages 8–9 are designed to help you meet the needs of individual students. Based on your observations, identify students who may need additional explicit reinforcement of the strategy during small-group instruction or intervention time. Use similar responsive prompts during small-group instruction to scaffold students toward independent use of the strategy.

Home/School ConnectionsAt the end of the day, ask students to complete another home/school connection activity from BLM 1 and bring their assignment to class the following day.

Day Three

Self-Monitoring and Reflection• What could you do to help yourself make an inference?• What connections could you make?• Did you connect what was happening in the passage to your own life?

Validating and Confirming• You really understand what the author did not state directly.• You really picked up on the clues and used what you knew to make an

inference. Good job! • I like the way you made connections between the text and your life.

Reflect and Discuss

Ask and discuss the following questions: •Whattextshaveyoureadforwhichyouhadtomakeinferences?•Whatkindsofinferencesmightyouneedtomakeinafictionalstory?•Whyisitimportanttomakeinferences?

Connect and transfer. Say: Remember that authors do not always state facts directly. Look for clues that you can use to make inferences today when you read in small groups. Make connections to help you make inferences.











Select a favorite nonfiction read-aloud from your classroom or school library with which to model the metacognitive strategy “Make Connections.” Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.


Read and Summarize

Display Poster 4 and/or distribute BLM 4.

Based on the needs and abilities of your students, read aloud the passage or have students read independently or with a partner. Remind students to make connections to help them understand what they read.

Build academic oral language. When students have finished, ask individuals or partners to state inferences they made about the passage. Encourage ELLs or struggling readers to use these academic sentence frames:

One clue is . Another clue is . My inference is .

Answer Text-Dependent Comprehension Questions: Make Inferences (Level 3: Prove It!)

Say: Sometimes you need to answer questions about a passage you’ve read. Some questions require you to make inferences. Today we’re going to read and answer questions. Some of the questions will ask you to make inferences.

Distribute BLM 5 and read Question 1 together. (“Why are algae important to coral polyps?”)

Ask: What is the question asking us to do? If students can’t tell you, say: The question is asking us for an answer that is not stated directly in the passage. What strategy will we need? (make inferences)Howdoyouknow?(An inference is not stated in the text but is based on clues in the text.)

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Learn strategies for analyzing questions and finding answers, clues, and evidence.

• Identify clues to answer questions that are not directly answered in a text.

• Answer text-dependent make inferences questions.

• Use academic vocabulary to discuss strategies.

Related Resources




• Comprehension Questions (BLM 5)

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Coral Reefs

Evidence:•Algaemakefoodforcoral

polyps.•Animalsuseseagrassforfood

andshelter.Inference:•Coralreefanimalsdependon

plantsforsurvival.




BeginningSupport the concept of a habitat. Say: A habitat is where an animal lives. We live in a habitat. Our habitat provides food and shelter that we need to survive.

Beginning and IntermediatePoint to the poster photo and say: This is a coral reef. A coral reef is a type of habitat.

Use photos of different habitats to illustrate the concepts. Encourage students to use this sentence frame:

In [name of habitat], you might see the following animals and/or plants

.

If you have students whose first language is Spanish, share these academic English/Spanish cognates: coral/el coral, protect/proteger, plant/la planta, algae/las algas.


Model the use of academic sentence frames to support ELLs’ academic vocabulary and language development. (See suggested sentence frames provided.)

Day Four

Say: Think about which words or phrases from the question will help us find the answer in the passage. Look at the question very closely. Which words or phrases will help us? (algae, coral polyps)

Say: Now we’re ready to reread the passage to find the information we need. We need evidence to make an inference about why algae are important to coral polyps. I’ll skim the first two paragraphs to see if both algae and coral polyps are mentioned together. They are not. But in paragraph 3, the author does mention algae and coral polyps in the same sentence: “Algae make food for coral polyps.” I know from paragraph 2 that a coral polyp is an animal, and I know animals need food to live. So algae are important to coral polyps because algae make food for them. This evidence in the text and what I know helped me make this inference. I’ll choose C. The clues were in the text, but I had to put them together, along with what I already knew, to get the answer. I made an inference to answer the question.

Ask students to work independently or with a partner to answer additional text-dependent questions on BLM 5.

Review students’ answers and use the poster as needed to model analyzing questions and rereading to make inferences that answer the questions.

Comprehension Questions (BLM 5)

Name Date


BLM 5

Coral Reefs: Comprehension Questions

Directions: Use information from the poster to answer questions 1–4.

1. Why are algae important to coral polyps?

A Algae give shelter to the coral polyp.

B Algae protect the coral polyp.

C Algae make food for coral polyp.

2. An octopus and sea grass both __________.

A live on coral reefs

B eat algae

C are skeletons

3. Why is sea grass important to life on a coral reef?

A Sea grass provides food.

B Sea grass provides shelter.

C Both of the above.

4. What is this passage mostly about?

A how algae make food

B coral reefs

C puffer and stingray


Comprehension Quick-CheckNote whether students are able to analyze each Level 3 text-dependent comprehension question and return to the text to find the information they need to answer the question correctly. If students have difficulty, use small-group reading time for additional practice answering these kinds of questions, which appear on standardized reading assessments. The Comprehension Question Card for each leveled text provides practice questions at four levels of comprehension. The Comprehension Teacher Flip Chart helps you model the strategies students need to master.

Oral Language ExtensionDisplay Comprehension Anchor Poster 4 during independent workstation time. Invite pairs of students to read and talk about the poster together. Have them list and describe some specific habitats and the types of animals and plants that live there. Ask students to make one or two inferences about the habitats and animals they discuss. Remind them to be prepared to share their lists and inferences during independent conference time.

Home/School ConnectionsAt the beginning of the day, make time for students to share their ideas based on the activity they completed the previous night.

At the end of the day, ask students to complete another home/school connection activity from BLM 1 and bring their assignment to class the following day.

Day Four

Reflect and Discuss the Comprehension Strategy

Ask and discuss the following:•Whatstrategydidweusetoanswerquestionsaboutthetext?•Whatevidencedidwefindinthetext?Whatinformationdidwe

alreadyhavebeforereading?Howdidthishelpusmakeinferences?

Connect and transfer. Say: Practice making inferences. This strategy can help you better understand and remember the ideas in what you read. It can also help you when you take tests.




Use the Comprehension Question Card for each title and the Comprehension Teacher Flip Chart to practice answering Level 3 text-dependent comprehension questions.






Constructed Written Response (BLM 6)

Day Five


Revisit the week’s read-alouds to make text-to-text connections and provide opportunities for reader response. Use the sample read-aloud lessons and suggested titles in the Benchmark Literacy Overview.

Assessment (20 minutes)

Metacognitive Self-Assessment

Ask students to reflect on their use of metacognitive and comprehension strategies this week. What did they learn? How will they use the strategies in the future? What do they still need to practice, and how can they do this?

Have students share their reflections in one of the following ways: conduct a whole-class discussion, ask students to turn and talk to a partner and then share their ideas with the class, or ask students to record their thoughts in their journals or notebooks.

Constructed Written Response

Distribute copies of Constructed Written Response (BLM 6) and ask students to think about a specific habitat (such as ocean, desert, or mountain) and list plants and animals that live there. In the Inference column, students should make an inference about the habitat. In the Evidence column, students should note evidence to support the inference.

Work with students individually. Have them write a paragraph describing the habitat and its plants and animals, using notes from the graphic organizer. If students need extra help, encourage them to use reference books about biomes in the classroom.

Read aloud the checklist at the bottom of BLM 6 to help students evaluate their work.

Challenge activity. Students who are able to may also find out more about the habitat in a library book and add details to their paragraphs.

Support activity. If students cannot make inferences about the habitat, review clues in their paragraphs with them. They can use these sentence frames: I can make the inference that . The clues to this inference are and

. Reinforce the fact that inferences are made about facts that are not directly stated.

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Reflect orally on their strategy use.

• Create a make inferences graphic organizer and write a paragraph based on it.

• Answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Related Resources



• Constructed Written Response (BLM 6)

• Comprehension Strategy Assessments, Grade 2


Name Date

BLM 6

Constructed Written Response: Make Inferences

Evidence Inference

Make Inferences Writing Checklist

I included facts and details.

I made an inference about facts that were not stated directly.

I based my inference on evidence in the paragraph.


Make Assessments Accessible for ELLsUse the following strategies to help ELLs understand the poster content and acquire academic language.

BeginningUse Constructed Written Response (BLM 6) with ELLs at the beginning proficiency level.

Beginning and IntermediateUse the Comprehension Strategy Assessment as a listening comprehension assessment and scaffold students’ understanding of the text. As an alternative, allow students to tell you about making inferences in one of the Comprehension Anchor Posters you have used during the week.

Intermediate and AdvancedSupport ELLs with academic sentence frames during the metacognitive self-assessment. Possible sentence frames are:

We make connections so that .

I will make connections when I .


Home/School ConnectionsAt the beginning of the day, make time for students to share their ideas based on the activity they completed the previous night.

Day Five

Ongoing Comprehension Strategy Assessment

Distribute one of the Make Inferences Comprehension Strategy Assessments from the Grade 2 Comprehension Strategy Assessment book (“A Special Day,” page 54, or “Pretty as a Pearl,” page 55). Ask students to read the passage and use the information to answer the questions.

Use the results of this assessment to determine students who need additional work with the strategy.

Record students’ assessment scores on the Strategy Assessment Record (page 88) so that you can monitor their progress following additional instruction or intervention.

Provide additional modeling and guided practice during small-group reading instruction using the recommended titles in this Teacher’s Guide.








unit 5/week 1 at a glance - benchmark literacy free resource...

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