Lesson Plan Redesign

 

One of the most important fourth grade standards is inferencing. One of the most incorrectly answered STAAR questions in fourth grade is inferencing. This skill is something that students actually do almost daily, and without even realizing it. I have come to believe that the reason so many of them struggle with knowing when to infer, is just that- they don’t know the question is asking them to infer. Once we get our students to first understand what the questions are asking of them, they are more likely to answer correctly. I've created a detailed unit plan focused on teaching inference skills, a critical reading comprehension strategy that often challenges students. The unit takes a gradual release approach over three weeks, moving from explicit instruction to independent application. However, given our new Amplify curriculum, we do not have three weeks to teach this skill. So, I will now condense the lesson plan into four to five 20-minute mini lessons. I have also added technology to help facilitate a deeper understanding of this standard.  

The plan emphasizes multiple modalities of learning and provides opportunities for students to practice inference skills across different types of texts. It includes specific support for English Language Learners and various assessment methods to track student progress.

Fourth Grade RLA Lesson plan on inferencing:

Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Identify explicit and implicit information in texts
2. Combine text evidence with prior knowledge to make inferences
3. Support inferences with specific evidence from the text
4. Make inferences about characters' feelings, motives, and actions
5. Apply inference skills to both fiction and nonfiction texts
 

Materials Needed:
- Leveled texts (fiction and nonfiction)
- Graphic organizers
- Anchor charts
- Student journals
- Assessment materials
- Digital resources (Chromebooks, youtube, google-classroom)
- Visual texts

Pre-Assessment
- Reading passage with inference-based questions
- Student interviews about reading strategies
- Think-aloud protocols to assess current inference practices
- Reading interest survey

Days 1-2: Introduction to Inferences
- Define inference using child-friendly language
- Model "I do, we do, you do" strategy (PK)
- Practice with familiar pictures and situations
- Create class anchor chart of inference language

Text Evidence and Background Knowledge
- Introduce "Detective Method":
- Finding text clues (evidence)
- Using what we know (background knowledge)
- Making smart guesses (inferences)
- Practice with short passages
- Partner discussions about evidence

Days 3-4 Fiction Focus
- Read short stories together
- Model inference think-alouds (CK)
- Guide students in finding evidence
- Practice making and supporting inferences
- Use graphic organizers to track thinking

Nonfiction Focus
- Apply inference skills to:
- Science articles
- Historical texts
- Biographies
- Compare fiction vs. nonfiction inference strategies

Visual Text Inferences (TPK)
- Practice with:

- Pictures
- Advertisements
- Political cartoons
- Charts and graphs

Assessment Methods
- Pre and post unit assessments
- Daily exit tickets
- Reading conference notes
- Student inference logs
- Discussion observations


 

Redesign:

To better serve my students, I will redesign this unit by adding my humanistic learning theory approach. The humanistic learning theory, with its emphasis on student-centered learning and emotional engagement, offers several valuable solutions to the inference-making challenges in reading comprehension. The humanistic approach transforms inference-making from a purely academic skill into a personally meaningful tool for understanding. By emphasizing personal connection, emotional engagement, and individual growth, students develop not just the ability to make inferences, but also the confidence and motivation to tackle challenging texts.

 

1.    Self-Directed Learning

·       Allow students to choose their own reading materials that interest them personally

·       This investment in choice increases motivation to tackle challenging inference tasks

·       Students develop ownership of their learning process and feel more confident making inferences about topics they care about

2.    Emotional Connection to Learning

1.    Technology (TPK)

·       Encourage students to connect text content with their personal experiences

·       Help students recognize how their own feelings and experiences inform their inferences

·       Create a safe classroom environment where students feel comfortable sharing their interpretations

·       Here is where I also added technology. I chose to play a Disney Pixar short called, “For the Birds.” I love to add these into my lessons, as the kids are usually familiar with them so it allows for new connections. This one in particular is somewhat emotional as the birds are teasing another bird. I pause it at certain points and ask the students to tell me what they think the birds are saying, and how do they know.

3.    Focus on Individual Growth

·       Move away from competitive assessment models

·       Track individual progress in inference-making rather than comparing students

·       Celebrate personal breakthroughs in understanding

4.    Learning Through Experience

·       Incorporate role-playing activities where students act out scenarios requiring inference. This can also be done with readers theater.

·       Use real-world situations relevant to students' lives for inference practice

·       Create hands-on learning experiences that make inference-making concrete

5.    Teacher as Facilitator (PCK)

·       Shift from direct instruction to guided discovery

·       Support students in developing their own inference strategies

·       Provide feedback that encourages reflection rather than just correction

6.    Building Self-Concept

·       Help students see themselves as capable readers who can make valid inferences

·       Validate students' interpretations when they can support them with evidence

·       Build confidence through gradual success with increasingly complex texts

7.    Authentic Assessment (CK)

·       Focus on the process of making inferences rather than just the final answer

·       This is where I would like to give them the inferencing equation, BK+CC=I (Background knowledge plus context clues equals inferencing. I could also turn it into little emojis. The smiley face with a thought bubble, the magnifying glass on a book and a lightbulb.

8.    Social Learning

·       Create small discussion groups where students share their inference processes

·       Use peer feedback to help students understand different perspectives

·       Build community through shared reading experiences

·       Here is where I would like to tape task cards around the room. I would put students in groups or pairs and give them clipboards and answer sheets. They have to sort of hunt for the next card and then discuss how and why they are choosing the answer to the inference question. Task cards or breakout rooms done on the computer are also an idea.  

 

9.    Metacognitive Development

·       Guide students in understanding their own thinking processes

·       Help students identify when and why they make inferences

·       Develop self-monitoring strategies for checking inference validity

 

10. Reading Journals

·       Students maintain personal journals documenting their inference journey

·       Include both cognitive and emotional responses to texts

·       Regular reflection on growth and challenges

11. Interest-Based Reading Groups

·       Form flexible groups based on student interests

·       Allow groups to choose texts that appeal to them

·       Facilitate peer discussion of inferences

12. Personal Connection Activities

·       Begin inference lessons with personal experience sharing

·       Draw parallels between personal experiences and text situations

·       Use student-generated examples for practice

13. Self-Assessment Tools

·       Create rubrics with student input

·       Regular self-evaluation of inference skills

·       Goal-setting and progress monitoring

14. Real-World Applications

·       Connect inference skills to daily life situations. Anytime I can, in our daily routine, I try to use the academic vocabulary and offer real time opportunities for the students to make conscious inferences.

·       Use current events and media for practice

·       Demonstrate the relevance of inference skills outside of reading

By adding in some of these humanistic approaches, my reading unit on inferencing would be described as augmentation on the SAMR model. Technology is used to enhance and directly substitute reading materials such as paper books or articles to make real life connections and situations the students are able to relate to and understand easier. Task cards and breakout rooms can also be created and assigned to work on in the google classroom instead of the room hunt.