Inferences- Reading Between the Lines -

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What is stated or given

What a passage says

Observations

What is unstated or not given

Your background knowledge= INFERENCE

Sometimes we are given

information directly.

(Like when your teacher says, “stop talking.”)

Other times, we are given information

indirectly.

(Like when your teacher stops teaching and glares at you.)

This is when you are required to

make an inference.

What does this have to do with me?

• If you read a story without making inferences, you would miss out on all the good stuff.

• You make inferences every day.

• It’s an important skill to have (even life-saving)... You wouldn’t want to be left in the ocean wondering why everyone else suddenly swam to shore.

Let’s Put your Skills to

the Test!

Directions

1. Look at each picture closely.

2. Use what your OBSERVATION

S and your PRIOR

KNOWLEDGE

3. Make an INFERENCE.

Lifted

Directions

1. Watch the movie clip.

2. Use OBSERVATIONS and PRIOR

KNOWLEDGE.

3. Answer the questions that

follow.

Questions• Why is one of the space creatures

writing on a clipboard?

• Does the space creature have a lot of experience performing this task?

• Why does the space creature put the house back in order at the end?

Practice Passage

s

Directions

1. Read each example.

2. Use OBSERVATIONS and PRIOR

KNOWLEDGE.

3. Answer the questions that

follow.

Tina has never met her next-door neighbors, but she sees lights on in the house. One day, while walking down the street, Tina notices that a trash can in front of the house has tipped over and its contents have spilled into the street.

She walks over to clean it up and finds empty cat food cans,

a popcorn bag from Harkins, an empty bottle of baby

shampoo, and a receipt for groceries.

QuestionsHow does Tina know people are living there?

What information can she infer about her neighbors?

*An incorrect inference would be: She can infer that her neighbors are slobs because they left their trash in the street.*

Jenna was shocked when she opened the door to her apartment. There were long rips in the couch, a lamp was shattered on the floor, picture frames were hanging crookedly, (some of them had fallen off the wall) and the door to her cat's travel cage was open. Not only that, but the door to the birdcage was swinging back and forth and there were feathers on the floor.

She could have sworn that she had locked her cat in the travel cage before she left for work. At first Jenna thought it might have been burglars. Oh no, she thought. Someone broke into my apartment, trashed the place, and stole my cat! Then she heard the cat meowing in her bedroom.

She ran to the bedroom and saw him patting one of Jenna's favorite shoes with his claws. “How did

you get out?!” Jenna yelled. She threw the cat back into its travel cage and tried to shut the door, but the lock wouldn't catch. Jenna decided she would deal with that later.

She still had to find her missing birds!

QuestionsWhat happened to Jenna’s apartment?

What happened to her birds?

*An incorrect inference would be: Jenna is dumb because she didn’t realize what happened to her birds.

"I'm home!" Earl shouted as he walked in the door. His wife Gail came bounding down the

stairs. She hadn't seen him since he had left to go onhis silly fishing trip two weeks

ago. "I missed you, Husband. Did you catch anything?" Gail reluctantly

asked, knowing that Earl was not a very good fisherman.

Earl scratched his head and responded, "You're not going to believe what I'm bringing home." Earl unzipped a cooler and pulled out several perfectly filleted salmon steaks. "Wow, Earl, I didn't know that you could fillet a fish like that." Earl looked around the room a little bit and scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, Jeff taught me how."

Gail looked at him suspiciously. "Well, let me help you unpack." As Gail was helping Earl unpack his truck, she found a receipt from the grocery store. It was dated from that morning.

QuestionsWhat is the first clue we are given that helps us infer that Earl is not being honest?

What does Gail see on the receipt?

*An incorrect inference would be: Earl is a dishonest husband and is probably having an affair.

Mike got out of the driver’s seat of his dad’s classic car. He looked at the mailbox and then at the bumper. The mailbox was smashed and bent. The shiny chrome bumper only had a tiny scratch on it, so Mike quickly got back in the driver’s seat and headed home.

When he pulled into the driveway, he sat for a few minutes, wondering if it was even worth telling his Dad about. Just then, Mike's dad came out of the house to take the trash out to the curb. He smiled and waved at Mike as he passed the driver’s side of the car. Then he walked past the bumper, still smiling.

Mike breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. He heard the sound

of the trash bag fall to the ground. Mike looked to where his dad was standing on the

passenger’s side and watched his dad’s face turn pink to deep red.

QuestionsWhat can we infer based on the dad’s reaction? What was he likely looking at?

*An incorrect inference would be: Mike’s dad is having a heart attack.

Making Inferences with Song

Lyrics

Directions

1. Read the song lyrics from

“Someone Like You” by Adele.

2. Use OBSERVATIONS

and PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.

3. Answer the questions that

follow.

Stanza 1I heard that you're settled

downThat you found a girl and

you're married now.I heard that your dreams

came true.Guess she gave you

things I didn't give to you.Old friend, why are you so

shy?Ain't like you to hold back

or hide from the light.

1. What can you infer about the

relationship between the

speaker and the person she is

talking to?

2. What evidence did you use to come to

this conclusion?

Stanza 2I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight

it.I had hoped you'd

see my face and that you'd be remindedThat for me it isn't

over.

1. Where is the speaker at this

point and how do you know that?

2. How do you predict the person she is talking to

will react?

ChorusNever mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I begI'll remember you said,"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it

hurts instead,Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it

hurts instead”

1. How did the conversation go?

2. How do you think the person

reacted and felt? What might they

have said?

Stanza 5-6

You know how the time flies

Only yesterday was the time of our lives

We were born and raised

In a summer hazeBound by the surprise

of our glory days

Nothing comparesNo worries or cares

Regrets and mistakesThey are memories

made.Who would have known

how bittersweet this would taste

1. What else do we learn about this

relationship?

2. What do you predict the

speaker will do now?

Now let’s apply these inference

skills to The Outsiders