Focus Question: How does a reader make inferences about characters?
Read the following description to students: “Susan has a gold medal around her neck after the race.” Say, “I think Susan won the race. She must be a fast runner.”
Say, “The text does not tell me that Susan won the race or that she is a fast runner. I made inferences about that. An inference is a guess based on clues in a text or illustrations plus what a reader already knows from experience.”
Ask, “What clue from the text makes me think Susan won a race?” (She has a gold medal after a race.) Say, “Yes. The text provides evidence for the inference I made about Susan.”
Say, “I also used my own ideas to make inferences about Susan. I know that a gold medal is usually given to a first-place winner. So I can guess that Susan won the race. She must be a fast runner.”
Display the anchor chart from lesson 1. Add the word inference to the chart and guide students to define inference as a guess based on clues in a text or illustrations plus what the reader already knows. You might simplify the definition like this:
inference = text clues + your ideas
Explain that a reader’s own ideas are based on experience. Display the anchor chart for students’ reference and keep it for use in Lesson 3.
Read another description: “Jason starts jumping up and down when he reads the list of players chosen for the school baseball team.”
Say, “Turn to a partner and discuss what inference you can make about Jason. Be sure you can support your inference with your own ideas plus clues from the text.” (Possible answers include the following: Jason was chosen for the team. The text says he starts jumping up and down. That is what someone does when he is happy. Jason is a good baseball player. Only the best players are chosen for the team.) Have several students share their inferences and explain how they used the text evidence plus their ideas to make their inferences.
Part 1
Say, “We made inferences about a person based on a short text. We can also make inferences about people in a story. What do we call the people or animals in a story?” (characters) Say, “I am going to read a story to you. As I read, I want you to make inferences about the characters based on your ideas and the clues in the text.”
Jack was thrilled when his parents told him they were going to visit his Aunt Joan and her family for the holiday weekend. Aunt Joan, Uncle Mark, and cousin Rick lived near a lake, and there were always many fun things to do.
When Jack’s family arrived, Jack and Rick wasted little time planning their short visit together. Rick couldn’t wait to show Jack the tree house he and his dad had built. Aunt Joan packed a picnic lunch for them to eat. Cheese sandwiches never tasted so good to Jack.
Think aloud to demonstrate how to make inferences about characters. Say, “I can make an inference that Jack likes to spend time with Rick. The text says Jack was thrilled to go visit his relatives. I am happy about visiting people I like to spend time with. I can also make an inference that Jack and Rick like to do things outdoors. The text says Rick’s family lives near a lake where there are fun things to do. I know that outdoor things like fishing, boating, and swimming can be done at a lake.”
Write the two inferences on the board. Continue reading the story.
After lunch, the boys decided to go swimming in the lake. They brought out the rafts and life jackets and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the hot summer day in the cool, clear lake. They did not like to come out of the water for dinner, but there were many other things to do. Later that evening, they sat around the campfire, roasted marshmallows, and caught up with the family news.
The rest of the weekend flew by. The boys fished, rode bikes, went on a hike, and enjoyed ice cream together. They were sad to see the weekend come to an end. But, before they knew it, Sunday had arrived, and Jack’s family had to leave. As they pulled away in the car, Jack was already looking forward to their next visit.
Ask, “How does the rest of the story support the inferences I made?” Have students turn to a partner and discuss evidence from the text and their own ideas that support the two inferences you wrote on the board. Have several students share out their ideas. Record the evidence next to the inferences. (Examples include the following: Jack likes to spend time with Rick because the text says they did not like to come out of the water for dinner, the time flew by, and Jack was looking forward to the next visit. When I am having fun, I do not like to stop, and time passes quickly. Jack and Rick like to do things outdoors because the text says they went swimming, sat around a campfire, rode bikes, and went on a hike. I know these are all outdoor activities.)
Say, “Although the author never says the Jack likes spending time with Rick or the boys enjoy outdoor activities, we can make those inferences based on evidence in the story and what we already know from experience.”
On the chalkboard/interactive whiteboard, list the following tips for making inferences:
- Read what the author has written.
- Think about the characters and make inferences about them.
- Use evidence from the text and your own ideas based on experience to support your thinking.
Part 2
Display the book Franklin Is Bossy by Paulette Bourgeois. Have students turn to a partner and make an inference about the main character based on the title and illustration on the cover. Record students’ answers on the board. Sample inferences could include the following:
- I think Franklin quit the game and is going home. The picture shows Franklin taking his bat, mitt, and baseball and walking away from his friends.
- It looks like Franklin might be mad because he did not get his way.
- The title shows that Franklin is bossy.
Say, “Listen as I read the story to you. Think about Franklin and what is happening in the story. Using evidence from the words and illustrations, decide if your inferences are correct.”
Read the story. Stop at various places in the story and ask questions such as the following:
- “What can we tell about Franklin?” (Students should make inferences based on text evidence and their own experience. For example, Franklin likes to be in charge. The text says Franklin’s friends play the games he chooses. Bear grumbles that Franklin always picks the games.)
- “Why does Franklin decide the slowest one wins the race?” (Franklin wants to be the winner. He changes the rules so he can win.) “What text evidence supports your thinking?” (The text says Franklin sees that he is losing, so he says, “Slowest one wins!”) “What ideas based on your experience support your thinking?” (Possible answers: I know the winner is usually the fastest runner. Since Franklin isn’t fast, he changes the rules so he can win.)
- “How does Franklin feel when he doesn’t get his way?” (He gets mad. The text says he stomped all the way home. People stomp their feet when they are mad.)
- “Why do Franklin’s friends refuse to play baseball after they have cooled off in the river?” (Franklin is not a good friend. The text says he starts giving orders. He is bossy. I know friends don’t like to be bossed around.)
Continue reading the story and asking questions about Franklin. At the end of the story, have students look again at the inferences they made before you read the book. Say, “Turn to a partner and discuss whether the evidence in the text supports the inferences you made.” Students may discover that their inferences are supported by evidence in the text. Point out that inferences may or may not be correct.
Part 3
To provide additional instruction, read another text aloud to students. Put students into groups of three or four, and have them work together to make inferences about the characters in the story. Have them cite text clues and their ideas to support the inferences. As students are working, walk around the room and observe whether they are able to make and support inferences about characters. Provide reteaching where needed.
Have groups share their work with the class.
(See Related Resources at the end of the lesson for additional strategies.)
Extension:
- Have students who demonstrate understanding of inferences practice their skills using more complex texts. Have students write an inference about a character and cite the text evidence and their own experience to support it. Then have them share their work with a partner or small group of students who read the same text.
- Work with students who need additional opportunities for learning. Make copies of the Making Inferences about Characters worksheet (L-2-4-2_Making Inferences about Characters.docx), and cut apart the character cards. Give all students character cards and have them answer the questions. Have students share their answers and explain how they used text clues plus their own ideas to make the inferences.
