Inference Activities and Lesson Plan Bundle for Middle School ELA {RL.1 RI.1}

I hear you! I know how hard it is to teach and review inference with your middle schoolers. The struggle is totally real!

I developed and used these products with my own middle school students to help them develop and build their inference skills. Although we are never really done with inferring, these activities gave my students intense practice with the skill for 2 weeks.

What's Included:

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1. Mystery Box Hook Activity:

This year, before we jumped right into inferring based on clues from passages, we did this activity to help make inferences more relevant and engaging and the students LOVED it!

The Activity:

1. Put everyday items in tissue boxes

2. Have students stick their hand in the boxes.

3. They will use clues and past experiences to make predictions about what is in the box.

4. Afterward, they will come up with a definition for inference based on the activity.

This activity is meant to introduce Inference and designed to give students the opportunity to come up with their own meaning for the term

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2. Inference Mini Lesson:

This product is what I use to make sure all of my students have the correct terminology and understanding of inference. It is a quick way to introduce the terms and practice how to apply them.

This download includes:

• Google Slides Presentation
• Notes: Defines inference, how to infer, and why we infer.
• Whole Class Activity: This is a set of teacher led activities that allow students to practicing inferring.
  • Activity 1 &2: Students to look at images and infer what the people/animals are thinking based on what is happening.
  • Activity 3: Students read a text message and infer what will happen based on the info in the message.
  • Activity 4: Students read a product review and determine how the reviewer feels about the product and what their rating would be.

• Individual or Group Activity: 5 Quest Cards where students determine inferences based off of short passages

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3. Inference Activity Stations:

These four stations are the result of wanting to add a little interest, relevance, and pizazz to my inference lessons. Their favorite was definitely station 2!

• Station One: Inferring Based on Images: Students will analyze each of the 5 images carefully. Based on the image, students will fill in the chart noting what they See, Infer...Because, and Wonder.

• Station Two: Inferring Ratings of Amazon Product Reviews *Classroom Favorite* Students carefully read the Amazon reviews. Based on the clues from the review, students determine if the review is positive or negative. Then they highlight sentences that helped them determine their inference.

• Station Three: Inferring Setting: Students will read each scene carefully. Based on the clues from the paragraph, students will determine the setting. Students highlight sentences that helped them determine their inference.

• Station Four: Inferring Character Traits: Students carefully read the short stories. For the first three slides, students determine the character trait of the main character based on the clues For the last two activities, students will write their own short stories that require the reader to infer character traits.

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4. Inferring Character Traits Activity:
With this engaging inference activity, students work on inferring character thoughts based on the short film, Soar.

Since this movie does not have dialogue, it is perfect for students to rely on prior knowledge, music, and actions. The activity sheet included tells students where to pause and write possible inner dialogue. I encourage my students to use first person POV and write dialogue that shows character's feelings and motivations.

My middle school students really love this activity and I think it is helpful with learning HOW to infer.

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5. Exploring Inference with the short story, The Landlady

When I found this story, I knew I found something that would stay in my lesson plan rotation for years to come.

This story is perfect for teaching and exploring inference. And since the story is a little creepy, even my hard to reach readers are engaged!

For this activity, I read aloud the story, The Landlady, and pause at key moments listed on the activity sheet. During these pauses, students talk and infer about the characters, motivations, and actions. After the story, we watch the short movie and students reflect on their inferences.

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6. 20 Question Inference Assessment
You've taught it. You've done all the things to prepare your middle school students, and now they are ready to test on inference! This is the comprehensive test to see if your students understand the different components of inference. After your students take this assessment, you will be able to pinpoint where students struggle and will be able to target your reteaching.

The 20 Question Test Includes:

1. 4 Term Questions: Covers the definition and importance of inference and reading between the lines.
2. 4 Basic Inference Questions: Students will read a short paragraph and infer based on the details in the paragraph.
3. 6 Inferring Character Trait Questions: Students will read a short paragraph and infer the character trait of main characters based on scenarios and dialogue.
4. 6 Inference Questions based on Mini Passages: Students will read 2 mini passages and answer 3 questions for each one that have students infer about events, character traits, and use text evidence to support an inference.

Google Forms, Google Docs, and PDF version available.

100% editable within the Google versions so you can make it meet the specific needs of your classroom.

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7. Inference Anchor Chart and Poster:

Do you need a quick reference chart for question stems and tips related to inference?

This colorful chart is perfect addition for your classroom!

It includes: Word, definition, Tips, and Question Stems.

Enlarge or just print as is (8.5X11)

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*BONUS*

PDF document of Question Stems for each ELA standard! Over 100 question stems!

All activities are available as a PDF and Google Slides

For more ideas for your middle school ELA classroom, check out www.teachingintentionally.com

For this product, plus many other on demand and unlimited print and use lesson plans, check out https://www.teachingintentionally.com/elaunlimitedinfo