Drawing Inferences Putting Two and Two Together

What Are Inferences? Inferences are educated guesses you make about things you read or observe. © 2003 clipart.com

Drawing Inferences What you read + What you know Your inference

How to Draw Inferences What you read © 2003 clipart.com 1.Look for clues in the text: details related to ideas that seem important surprising or unusual information

How to Draw Inferences What you know 2.Think about your own knowledge that relates to the clues. Remember other things you have seen or read related to the topic. Think about your own experiences or those of people you know that are similar to events mentioned in your reading. © 2003 clipart.com

How to Draw Inferences Your inference 3.Make a connection between the clues the writer provides and what you already know. Think beyond your immediate knowledge and the words on the page to come up with a “big idea” that ties them both together. Be sure your inference makes sense and does not contradict the ideas in the text. © 2003 clipart.com

Let’s Practice The method of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. It was important in their religion to preserve the dead body in as lifelike a manner as possible.... The mummification process took seventy days. Special priests worked as embalmers, treating and wrapping the body. Beyond knowing the correct rituals and prayers to be performed at various stages, the priests also needed a detailed knowledge of human anatomy. from the Smithsonian Institution Web site Make an inference about why mummies were important in ancient Egypt.

Let’s Practice What you read: + What you know: Your inference: Mummification was important in their religion. It took a long time and required special priests who knew the right rituals and prayers and human anatomy. Pyramids were built as tombs for Egyptian pharaohs. Their mummies have been found surrounded by riches, food, and even their servants and pets. Mummification must have been seen as essential to getting to the afterlife. Egyptians would go to great lengths to do it correctly.

On Your Own Make an inference about how the author might have felt about flying after the plane trip described below. It was raining in Brooklyn. Mist hung over the airport so that all I saw as we landed were fuzzy white and blue lights on the runway and at the terminal. We thudded to earth as if the pilot had miscalculated just how close we were to the ground. A startled silence was followed by frightened cries and aleluyas and the rustle of everyone rushing to get up from their seats and out of the plane as soon as possible. from When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago From When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago. Copyright © 1993 by Esmeralda Santiago. Reproduced by permission of Perseus Books Publishers, a member of Perseus Books, L.L.C.

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