Greendale Secondary School

Secondary 1 History – Concept of Inference & the Skill of making Inferences

Name: ( ) Class: Date:

An inference is a guess about what a source is saying. We make this guess using details of the
source, which is also known as evidence. The inference must be in your own words.

S/n What do I see? What does it make me Inference?

think?

The picture shows a couple
1 holding hands and admiring the
scenery, while their child is
seated on the grass near them
and playing with a dog.
(contextual knowledge) I can infer that this family
is enjoying themselves.
It makes me think of a family
that is on a beach vacation /
holiday.

A source is something that gives us information about the ___________ .

A historical source is something that gives us information about the ___________ .

Describe Infer

● What you see ● What you figure out

● What the source says ● What the source tells you(without
saying it)

In short, inference is an educated guess.

● It is “educated” because it is based on something you saw in the source (the “evidence”).
● It is a “guess” because you figure out what the source tells you in your own words.

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 Section 1: Examples of an inference

The examples below show you the inference that can be made from a source.
Examine the examples before answering the question below.

Source Inference

From the source, I can infer

that the mother loves the
child a lot.

Mom walked into the kitchen and noticed

shattered glass from the picture window all
From the source, I can infer
over the living room floor and a baseball not that the Tommy made his
far from there. “I’m going to kill you, Tommy!”
Mom yelled to herself as she realized that mother angry.
Tommy’s shoes were gone.

Based on the two examples above, what do you think an inference is?

a) An inference is a repetition of the source details

b) An inference is a logical conclusion made based on the evidence from the source
c) An inference is based on the imagination of the historian
( )

Section 2: How do we make inferences?

Read pg. 53 of your textbook to fill in the steps of inference below

3. Use the source details and

1. read the _________ to 2. Identify source _____________
your ______________ knowledge
identify the ______________ of it that answers the question
to come to a _______________

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Let’s try it out together!
Source A A photograph of people crying at a movie theatre while watching a movie.

What can you infer from Source A about how the movie that the people are watching?
Source details Contextual knowledge Inference
The picture shows some people It makes me ink e people The people are watching a sad
at a eatre, crying while are sad. movie as ey are crying at
s ing e movie. e eatre.

Source B: A gold armlet from the 14th century with the design of Kala, a Hindu god.
The armlet was discovered at Fort Canning Hill.

What can you infer from Source B about the people in early Singapore?
Source details Contextual knowledge Inference
A gold armlet from e 14 The armlet is Indian based The armlet must have belonged
century wi e design of Kala, a jewe ery, and is gold, so it to some of e m e weal ier
Hindu god was discovered at F t must be quite expensive. Indians of 14 century
Canning Hi . Singap e.

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Section 3: How do we write our answers?

The criteria for success – just 3 sentences!

I(nference)  Start by mirroring the question and stating your inference

S(upport with If the source is an image

evidence)  State the source you are have gotten the evidence from
 Describe the relevant details that helps you to answer the
question (no more than 2 sentences)
If the source is a text
 State the source you have gotten the evidence from
 Use double inverted commas when lifting (copying) the
relevant evidence from the source (no more than 2
sentences)

E(xplain)  Start by repeating your inference then use the word

‘because’ to signal that you are beginning your explanation
 Use your own words to show the how the evidence proves
your inference

Source B: A gold armlet from the 14th century with the design of Kala, a Hindu god.
The armlet was discovered at Fort Canning Hill.

What can you infer from Source B about the people in early Singapore?
I can infer from Source B that there are people in early Singapore who were religious.
This can be seen from Source B which shows a gold armlet with the design of a Hindu
god found on Fort Canning Hill. This suggests that there are people in early Singapore
who were religious because these accessories are usually worn by people who believe
in the god and the religion. These people would have lived in or visited Singapore in the
past for it to be found in Fort Canning eventually._______________________________