Jacqueline Meditz Grade: 4

ELA Lesson Plan

Lesson Topic: Inferences Essential Question: Why is inferencing
important when reading a text?
Learning Objective: I can make inferences based on background knowledge and clues from the
text.

CCSS: R.L. 4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Academic Language: infer, inference, context clues, evidence, back ground knowledge, prior
knowledge

Technologies and Other Materials/ Resources:

Smart board
BrainPop Jr. video: https://jr.brainpop.com/readingandwriting/comprehension/makeinferences
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Inferences graphic organizer
Differentiated inference worksheets for group work
Task cards

Motivation: Students will be introduced to the lesson by watching a BrainPop Jr video on

making inferences.
Mini Lesson:
 Students will be introduced to the lesson by watching a BrainPop Jr Video on
inferences.
 Class will share what they know about inferences while the teacher writes it down on
an anchor chart.
 Students will move to their literacy groups; moving from heterogeneous grouping to
homogenous grouping.
 Teacher will hand out the graphic organizer on making inferences to the students.
 Teacher will read Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and stop periodically to model how
making inferences requires text clues and background knowledge.
Text Clues + What I know = Inference. Teacher will model how to write it on the
graphic organizer. Teacher will model three inferences and informally check for
understanding using a thumbs up/ thumbs down.

Guided Practice:
 Teacher will continue reading Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and pause periodically for the
class to make inferences using their chart. Teacher will pause on three different pages
and prompt the students to make an inference based on that page using their graphic
organizer.
Group work:
 In homogenous groups, students will now have to make their own inferences using
short excerpts of text. They will be reminded that both text clues and background
knowledge are needed to make an inference. Each group has the same text but the
scaffolds are different based on the student’s literacy levels.

Low (Guided) Students read two passages and are

asked to make four inferences.
Students are given a partially filled out
graphic organizer with text clues and
sentence starters to guide them in
answering the questions.
Middle Students read two passages and are
asked to make four inferences.
Students receive an empty graphic
organizer to guide them in answering
the questions.
High Students read three passages and are
asked to make seven inferences using
full sentences. Students have the
choice to get an empty graphic
organizer to help them guide their
thinking.
Independent Practice:
 Exit slip: Students will take a task card of their choosing and make an inference, stating
the text clues they used and what they already know from their background knowledge.

Differentiation/ Conferencing plan:

 Video in beginning of lesson for visual/ auditory learners
 Homogenous grouping during group work
 Differentiated worksheets that cater to student literacy levels
 While students are working, teacher will work in small groups with students who need
extra support.
 Student choice for the exit slip
 Challenge- Students who finish early will work on inferencing task cards.

Reflection/Closure:
 Share/ Discuss group work. Have students read the inferences they made and what
clues and background knowledge lead them there.
 Exit slip for me to review student progress later.
 What other questions do students have?