PS 347 American Sign Language and English Lower School

3rd Library Media Center Skills 2010-11

Unit 3: How do you figure out what an author is talking about if he doesn’t tell you everything? Making inferences using poetry, comics, and primary documents / Approx dates implemented: March 2011
· 
Reading:
·  Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. (Poetry and excerpts)
·  Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence). (Comics)
·  Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). (Primary Documents)
Rationale: Why is it important to learn these things?
Interpretation or inference is one of the key skills of comprehension: knowing what the meaning is by connecting what you know with the information you get from text and/or visuals.
Key Teaching Points: Includes specific grammar and punctuation study.
What is inference
Looking at evidence + applying what you already know = inference
Using context clues and visualization
Moving away from literal to metaphorical meaning (holding poem) / Read Aloud and Literature Discussion / Mentor Texts:
Inference2-4 files with snippets of fiction, poetry, primary documents or paintings based on
“Incredible Inferences” by Angela Johnson-Drummond on http://learningmarketplace.smarttech.com
Benny and the Big No-no book and lesson:
http://toon-books.com/bpno_complete_plan.pdf
Vocabulary to model, imbed in conversation, encourage and notice:
Include metalanguage for students to use to talk about their learning and thinking.
Primary documents, witness, inference, context clues, captions, sequence, cause and effect, evidence, prior knowledge / Assessment/Final Product: How will you know your students have learned this?
Conference notes on their ability to look beyond the literal, to read the meaning of an excerpt, and analyze all the emotional upheaval in the Benny and the Big No No worksheet.
Ask the essential question as a pre- and post-assessement.
Evaluation: What worked well, what needed to be changed, what resources were helpful?
They LOVED the smartboard lesson of popping the balloons to see the answer. One girl requested doing this week after week so I found more excerpts and created more pages on the “Incredible Inferences” smartboard lesson and we practiced an extra week. They also really enjoyed using the sequential art of the comic to make inferences. / Learning Environment: How will this learning be visible in your room?
We posted the “Benny and the Big No No” sheets on the bulletin board.

Revised by Sara June 2011