Brianna Derrick Spring 2020 4th Grade

Practicum Inferences Lesson Plan

Libby Bouma
Walnut Street School

Learning Target:
I can use evidence and reasoning to make inferences about a text.

Standards Addresses:
RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text.

Materials Needed:
 The North Wind and the Sun text

Lesson Introduction:
“Can anyone tell me what an inference is?” a conclusion reached on the basis of
evidence and reasoning. “What is an inference that you have had about something?”
“Today we’re going to read a book and I will stop periodically for you to share some inferences
you have made. I could stop at any time so you should be thinking about what inferences you
could make. Also, back up your thoughts with evidence from the story or things you know
about the sun and the wind.”

Lesson Procedure:
 Be sure to ask the students for evidence, to support their thinking, or why/how they
came to that conclusion.
 Based on what you know about the wind and the sun, why do you think they would be
fighting?
 After “but neither of them emerged the winner.”
o Discuss the meaning of emerged
o How do you think they will settle the argument? Why do you think that?
o Who do you think the winner will be and why?
o How could they prove which is stronger?
 After “an idea struck them both.”
o What do you think the idea is?
 After “the man’s back was the strongest.”
o Do you think this is a fair contest to decide who is stronger?
 After “his efforts had been futile.”
o Discuss the meaning of futile
o Was the wind able to accomplish his goal? How do you know? Now that the wind
has failed, do you think the sun will succeed? Why? How?
 After “profusely”
Brianna Derrick Spring 2020 4th Grade

o What do you think that word means? Why do you think that? What words in the
sentence support that idea?
 After the man takes off his coat
o Why did the man take the coat off for the sun and not for the wind?

Differentiation:
If students finish the writing portion quickly then they can write another statement or
more evidence.
ELL students (there aren’t any in the class): give students a word bank and have the
students act out some part to help with memorization (ex. “huffing and puffing”).

Closure:
“Who won? How do you know they won?”
Call on a student to define inference. “When I was reading and asking questions, when
did I ask you to give me evidence? When did I ask you to use your reasoning skills to answer a
question?”
Ask the students to write a statement about the sun, the wind, or the contest and to
support it with two pieces of evidence.

Student Evaluation/Assessment:
The teacher will ask all of the students to write down a statement about the book.
The teacher will listen to the students answers during reading and look at their writing.