1. Reading Between the Lines
Making Inferences
Reading Between the Lines

2. Today’s Standards
6.RL.1.1 / 6.RI Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Common Core RL.6.1/RI Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

3. Today’s Learning Goals
Learn how we make inferences every day.
Understand how evidence is combined with personal knowledge and experience to make a logical guess—or inference.
Make inferences from textual evidence.

4. What is Inference?
You get home, and this is what you see. What do you think happened?

5. What is Inference?
What do you think happened here?

6. What is Inference? What about here?
After the obvious “they overloaded the cart”, you can probe deeper by asking about the location. You can help by pointing out the vendor’s market in the background, the clothing worn by the people in the picture, and the obvious delivery by donkey. (Don’t know about you, but a FedEx truck drops off my stuff.)

7. The dog in the picture chewed the chair cushion.
What is Inference?
Copy this definition: Making Inferences – the process of making logical guesses based on evidence and personal knowledge or experience.
Inference
The dog in the picture chewed the chair cushion.
Evidence:
Chair cushion is torn up.
Dog is sitting nearby.
No one else is around.
Personal Knowledge
or Experience
I have a dog.
My dog chewed up a toy one time and the damage looked similar.

8. Sweating and shaking are signs of nervousness.
Guided Practice
What inference can you make based on the following passage?
Chris was sweaty and shaking when he stepped to the podium to address the crowd.
Sweating and shaking are signs of nervousness.
Chris is an actor.
Chris is thrilled.
Chris is nervous.
Chris is popular.
Chris is nervous.

9. Birthday cakes often have candles that the birthday person blows out.
Guided Practice
What inference can you make based on the following passage?
Carizma took a deep breath and blew out all twelve candles on the cake.
Birthday cakes often have candles that the birthday person blows out.
Carizma’s family likes to bake.
It is Carizma’s twelfth birthday.
The power went out, but it’s back on now.
Carizma has a lot of friends.
It is Carizma’s twelfth birthday.

10. Guided Practice
The sun was low in the sky. Kayleena’s body ached. Her hands were covered in blisters. She lay the rake down on a big pile of leaves and headed for home.
What can you infer about the setting?
It is autumn. This is not Kayleena’s home.
What can you infer about the character?
Kayleena is a hard worker.

11. Guided Practice
As usual, Jim left for school ten minutes later than he should have. His shoes were untied, and his backpack was unzipped. He had only traveled a block when he heard his mother shout his name. He looked back to see her waving his brown bag lunch.
What can you infer about the setting?
Jim is leaving his house in the morning. His school or bus stop is nearby.
What can you infer about the character?
Jim, a young boy, is disorganized and forgetful.

12. Group Practice
What can you infer about the plot (events taking place)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the bedroom and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.

13. Group Practice: Plot
What can you infer about the plot (events taking place)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the kitchen and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.
The narrator is playing hide and seek with his friend.

14. The narrator is playing hide and seek with Andrew.
Group Practice: Plot
Here is how we could record this information on a graphic organizer.
Textual Evidence:
“eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
“wouldn’t give away my position”
“safe”
Personal Knowledge
or Experience
Counting down, “Ready or not, here I come,” and “safe” are words used in the game of hide and seek.
The narrator is hiding.
Inference
The narrator is playing hide and seek with Andrew.

15. Group Practice: Setting
What can you infer about the setting (time & place)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the kitchen and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.

16. Group Practice: Setting
What can you infer about the setting (time & place)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the kitchen and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.
The narrator is in bathroom tub and/or shower stall.

17. Group Practice: Setting
Here is how we could record this information on a graphic organizer.
Personal Knowledge
or Experience
Shower/bathtub areas are often tiled.
Plastic curtains are used around showers or tubs.
A drain would be in a sink or shower/tub – and no one can hide in a sink.
Inference
The narrator is in a shower stall or tub during a game of hide and seek.
Textual Evidence:
“cold tile”
“plastic curtain”
“drain”

18. Group Practice: Character Traits
What can you infer about the narrator (character traits)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the kitchen and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.

19. Group Practice: Character Traits
What can you infer about the narrator (character traits)?
I listened intently as my friend Andrew finished counting, “…eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come.”
I pressed my body back against the cold tile and tried to remain perfectly still so I wouldn’t give away my position. If I breathed too hard, the plastic curtain might move ever so slightly.
I heard Andrew moving toward the kitchen and thought I might be safe. That’s when the spider crawled out of the drain.
The narrator is competitive, plans ahead, may fears spiders

20. Group Practice: Character Traits
Here is how we could record this information on a graphic organizer.
Personal Knowledge
or Experience
Thoughtful and strategic planning in an attempt to win the game
Events seem to be going well for the narrator, and then the transition phrase “that’s when the spider” signals a change in the situation.
Textual Evidence:
“…tried to remain perfectly still…”
“If I breathed…curtain might move…”
“…thought I might be safe.”
“That’s when the spider…”
Inference
The narrator is competitive, plans ahead, but may be afraid of spiders.

21. Individual Practice Read the passage carefully.
Complete the graphic organizer, answering questions about setting, character, and plot by
identifying text clues,
recording the personal knowledge/experience you used to make a logical guess
Making an inference that answers the question.