Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from a text.
Objective: Students will closely read Wonder to make inferences about the text using text clues and background knowledge.
Materials:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Procedure:
1. Lesson Introduction/Objective and purpose:
· “Readers, we have been closely reading and enjoying the book Wonder over the past few days and we are going to continue reading today. I have noticed that this author relies on readers using our background knowledge and context clues in order to understand the story without really saying it. I want to first teach you a strategy for “reading between the lines” and then we will work together and you will be given an opportunity to use the strategy we learn today. Pay attention to how I use my own knowledge and experience with the clues the author provides to figure out what the author is trying to tell us.”
2. Teach and model:
· “Lets look at an example of how I use the clues in the text and my own background knowledge to figure out what is not directly stated in the text:
o “I could tell I was being stared at without even looking up. I knew that people were nudging each other, watching me out of the corners of their eyes. I thought I was used to those kinds of stares by now, but I guess I wasn’t.”
· “The author is implying something here about mood or feeling. When I read this section, the author does not directly tell me anything about mood or feeling, but I can figure out how August is feeling by putting myself in his place and using my own experience. I want to teach you a strategy I use to help me figure out what the author wants me to understand. On the board I have written a formula for inferring. It is: TC + BK = Inference. In order to make an inference, I have to use both the text clues and my own background knowledge. I ask myself, ‘if I was in August’s shoes, sitting by myself in lunch, and having everyone stare at me, how would I feel?’ I would probably feel very scared and self-conscious in that situation and I bet that is how August feels too, this is my background knowledge. So in order to understand what the author wants me to pick up on without telling us directly, I look at the text clues and I think about my own experience with people staring at me and make a prediction based off this connection.”
3. Guided Practice:
After modeling inferencing, provide another example and have students assist you as you continue to take the lead in teaching the strategy.
· Quote from text: “Just as we were sitting down in front of the DVD player, the phone rang. It was the nurse from August’s school calling to tell Mom that August had a stomachache and should be picked up. So much for the old movies and the mother-daughter bonding.”
o Say: “Lets look at this example together. The author is implying something here about how Via feels. So how are we going to figure out what the author wants us to think about how Via feels? Yes, we will use the text clues (TC) and background knowledge (BK) to figure it out. She says, so much for the mother-daughter bonding. In order to use the clues to figure out what the author wants us to think, we have to think about our own experience. Have you ever been so excited about something and then it fell through? Has someone important to you ever let you down because something came up? Yes, when this happens we feel sad and hurt. So because this is what our experience (BK) tells us about people who cancel plans, the author probably wants us to know that Via is feeling left out and unimportant to her Mom.”
· Say: “Now let’s try another example, but this time I will not give you as much help. You must do more of the thinking yourself, and I am going to ask you questions to point you in the right direction. Remember, in order to make inferences you have to use clues from the story and use your own experiences to predict what the author is trying to imply. If you need help, look at the formula on the board. Here is an example:
o Quote from text: “Some things you just can’t explain. You don’t even try. You don’t know where to start. All your sentences would jumble up like a giant knot if you opened your mouth. Any words you would use come out wrong”
o Say: “In this example, the author doesn’t tell you how Jack Will is feeling directly, but tries to describe it with text clues. The author assumes you will figure it out yourself using your own experiences. So what do we do to figure out what the author is implying here? Are there clues? Can you think of any personal experiences you have had that are similar to Jack’s? How did you feel in those situations? If that is how you felt, can you predict how Jack felt?”
4. Independent Practice:
· Once students demonstrate understanding of inferring, have them find an example in Wonder and provide little or no assistance.
o “Okay now I want you to read through your text and find an example in the chapter ‘Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte’ where the author does not tell you something directly and relies on you figuring it out using text clues and background knowledge. Remember that I am going to ask you to tell me how you figured it out, so be aware of the thinking you are doing as you use the strategy. You can refer to the formula (TC + BK = Inference) if you need help getting started. I am going to give you an index card to record your thoughts. Record the text clue (TC), your background knowledge (BK), and your inference and we will share when we come back together.”
5. Assessment (How will you know the lesson has been successful?):
· You will be able to determine that the lesson was a success if, after going through the chapter students are able to answer questions that require comprehending what the author has implied but has not directly stated. Students should describe their thinking in order to do such inferring. Students should identify text clue (TC), background knowledge (BK), and the inference they make on an index card.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from a text.
Objective: Students will closely read Wonder to make inferences about the text using text clues and background knowledge.
Materials:
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Procedure:
1. Lesson Introduction/Objective and purpose:
· “Readers, we have been closely reading and enjoying the book Wonder over the past few days and we are going to continue reading today. I have noticed that this author relies on readers using our background knowledge and context clues in order to understand the story without really saying it. I want to first teach you a strategy for “reading between the lines” and then we will work together and you will be given an opportunity to use the strategy we learn today. Pay attention to how I use my own knowledge and experience with the clues the author provides to figure out what the author is trying to tell us.”
2. Teach and model:
· “Lets look at an example of how I use the clues in the text and my own background knowledge to figure out what is not directly stated in the text:
o “I could tell I was being stared at without even looking up. I knew that people were nudging each other, watching me out of the corners of their eyes. I thought I was used to those kinds of stares by now, but I guess I wasn’t.”
· “The author is implying something here about mood or feeling. When I read this section, the author does not directly tell me anything about mood or feeling, but I can figure out how August is feeling by putting myself in his place and using my own experience. I want to teach you a strategy I use to help me figure out what the author wants me to understand. On the board I have written a formula for inferring. It is: TC + BK = Inference. In order to make an inference, I have to use both the text clues and my own background knowledge. I ask myself, ‘if I was in August’s shoes, sitting by myself in lunch, and having everyone stare at me, how would I feel?’ I would probably feel very scared and self-conscious in that situation and I bet that is how August feels too, this is my background knowledge. So in order to understand what the author wants me to pick up on without telling us directly, I look at the text clues and I think about my own experience with people staring at me and make a prediction based off this connection.”
3. Guided Practice:
After modeling inferencing, provide another example and have students assist you as you continue to take the lead in teaching the strategy.
· Quote from text: “Just as we were sitting down in front of the DVD player, the phone rang. It was the nurse from August’s school calling to tell Mom that August had a stomachache and should be picked up. So much for the old movies and the mother-daughter bonding.”
o Say: “Lets look at this example together. The author is implying something here about how Via feels. So how are we going to figure out what the author wants us to think about how Via feels? Yes, we will use the text clues (TC) and background knowledge (BK) to figure it out. She says, so much for the mother-daughter bonding. In order to use the clues to figure out what the author wants us to think, we have to think about our own experience. Have you ever been so excited about something and then it fell through? Has someone important to you ever let you down because something came up? Yes, when this happens we feel sad and hurt. So because this is what our experience (BK) tells us about people who cancel plans, the author probably wants us to know that Via is feeling left out and unimportant to her Mom.”
· Say: “Now let’s try another example, but this time I will not give you as much help. You must do more of the thinking yourself, and I am going to ask you questions to point you in the right direction. Remember, in order to make inferences you have to use clues from the story and use your own experiences to predict what the author is trying to imply. If you need help, look at the formula on the board. Here is an example:
o Quote from text: “Some things you just can’t explain. You don’t even try. You don’t know where to start. All your sentences would jumble up like a giant knot if you opened your mouth. Any words you would use come out wrong”
o Say: “In this example, the author doesn’t tell you how Jack Will is feeling directly, but tries to describe it with text clues. The author assumes you will figure it out yourself using your own experiences. So what do we do to figure out what the author is implying here? Are there clues? Can you think of any personal experiences you have had that are similar to Jack’s? How did you feel in those situations? If that is how you felt, can you predict how Jack felt?”
4. Independent Practice:
· Once students demonstrate understanding of inferring, have them find an example in Wonder and provide little or no assistance.
o “Okay now I want you to read through your text and find an example in the chapter ‘Jack Will, Julian, and Charlotte’ where the author does not tell you something directly and relies on you figuring it out using text clues and background knowledge. Remember that I am going to ask you to tell me how you figured it out, so be aware of the thinking you are doing as you use the strategy. You can refer to the formula (TC + BK = Inference) if you need help getting started. I am going to give you an index card to record your thoughts. Record the text clue (TC), your background knowledge (BK), and your inference and we will share when we come back together.”
5. Assessment (How will you know the lesson has been successful?):
· You will be able to determine that the lesson was a success if, after going through the chapter students are able to answer questions that require comprehending what the author has implied but has not directly stated. Students should describe their thinking in order to do such inferring. Students should identify text clue (TC), background knowledge (BK), and the inference they make on an index card.