崇光女中英文科教師社群研習 Reading Strategy –Making Inferences introduced by Maria Kang

1. 崇光女中英文科教師社群研習 Reading Strategy –Making Inferences introduced by Maria Kang

2. Contents • What is inference? • When do you make inferences? • What materials can you infer from? • How to help students learn infererence

3. What is inference? Writers often tell you more than they say directly. They give you hints or clues that help you “read between the lines.“ Using these clues to give you a deeper understanding of your reading is called inference.

4. What is inference? • You need to find clues to get some answers. • You need to add those clues to what we already know or have read. There is one thing you need to know: There can be more than one correct answer.

5. When do you make inferences? You make inferences everyday, but most of the time you do so without thinking about it. Example: • Suppose you are sitting in your car stopped at a red signal light. You hear screeching tires, then a loud crash and breaking glass. You see nothing, but you may make some inference at that moment. • What do you infer from it?

6. When do you make inferences? Possibilities: A. an accident involving two moving vehicles. B. An angry driver rammed a parked car. C. Someone played the sound of a car crash from a recording. Answer Key: A • Making inferences means choosing the most likely explanation from the facts at hand.

7. What materials can you infer from? fables, visual puns, dialogues, statistics charts, quotes, poems, words, cartoons, episodes

8. Fable: Four Oxen and the Lion A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four. Moral? United we stand, divided we fall.

9. Visual Puns MCE MCE MCE • Answer key: 3 Blind Mice • Hint: No Letter i

10. Dialogue I A : Look at the long line! Do you think we’ll get in? B : I think so. Some of these people already have tickets. A : How much are the tickets? B : Only $4.50 for the first show. I’ll pay. A : Thanks. I’ll buy some popcorn. What are these people talking about? Where are they? Which words helped you guess?

11. Dialogue I What are these people talking about? Going to a movie Where are they? In front of a movie theater Which words helped you guess? Line, get in, tickets, show, popcorn

12. Dialogue II A : Did you understand everything today? B : No. I’m so confused. A : So am I. B : She doesn’t explain things very well. She goes too fast! A : I know. And now we’re going to have a test! What are these people talking about? Where are they? Which words helped you guess?

13. Dialogue II What are these people talking about? Their teacher Where are they? In the classroom Which words helped you guess? Have a test

14. Dialogue III A : I can’t believe this is my last day here! B : You’re leaving us today? A : Yes. I’m so nervous about this. B : I’m sure it will be fine. A : I don’t know. It will be so different. B : I thought you wanted a change. A : Yes, I did. I wanted more pay. But now I’m not sure it was the right thing to do. B : Stop worrying. Everything will be fine. What inferences can you make from this conversation?

15. Statistics Chart Flu Information

16. Statistics – Flu information What does the charts say? In 1977 Approximately 18,000 flu-related deaths In 1999 Approximately 65,000 flu-related deaths • Influenza deaths have increased dramatically. • In 1977, there are approximately 18,000 flu-related deaths. • In 1999, there are approximately 65,000 flu-related deaths.

17. Statistics – Flu information What can you infer from the chart? • People do not have good medical care. • The vaccines don’t work anymore. • There are more people than there were twenty years ago. • There are more elderly people than ever, and they are the most vulnerable.

18. Quotes “A hero is a man who does what he can.”—Romain Rolland A. Heroism doesn’t always consist of noticeable actions. B. Many people do not do all they can to help others. C. It is easy to be a hero. D. People don’t have to be outstandingly brave to be heroic. Answer key: D

19. Quotes “The old law of ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.” —Martin Luther King, Jr. A. Violence is a necessary evil. B. Responding to violence with violence leads to destruction. C. Old laws are the best laws. D. There are better ways of responding to injustice than with violence. Answer key: B

20. Poem – The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same,

21. Poem – The Road Not Taken And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

22. Poem – The Road Not Taken Inferential Questions: • What kind of dilemma is the poet faced with? • Why do you think the title of the poem is "The Road not Taken" rather than "The Road Taken "? • What can you tell about the character of the poet from the choice he made. • In what way does the poem reflect the lives of so many people ?

23. Cartoons

24. Cartoons

25. The Meaning of Words Skill I : General Sense The meaning of a word may be implied by the general sense of its context. Exercise: • Murderers are usually incarcerated for longer periods of time than robbers. • be locked up in jail, prison, or imprisoned

26. The Meaning of Words Skill II : Examples Exercise: Those who enjoy belonging to clubs, going to parties, and inviting friends often to their homes for dinner are gregarious. sociable / enjoy the company of others

27. The Meaning of Words Skill III : Antonyms and Contrasts Exercise: • Ben is fearless, but his brother is timorous. timid, or afraid, or fearful • When we invite the Blacks for dinner, they never invite us to their home for a meal; however, when we have the Browns to dinner, they always reciprocate. to do something in return.

28. Episode I Episode Ben moved from England to Maine. In England he was taught to stand up when answering a question. So in his new class, he stood up when the teacher called on him. Some of the other students laughed at him. After class the teacher told him that he could stay in his seat when she called on him. What can you infer about Ben? He is very polite. What can you infer about the teacher? The teacher wanted to help Ben.

29. Episode II • The Bike RideMr. Young had a friend named Matt. Matt liked to ride his bike at night. One night Matt left Mr. Young’s house to ride around the block. The rain was falling heavy outside. Matt did not care. He jumped on his bike and rode off into the night. Matt did not come back for a long time. He never rode his bike for long, so Mr. Young was worried. Just then, Matt walked inside the door, and he was bleeding.What do you infer happened to Matt?

30. Sentences We bought tickets and some popcorn. We were going to a movie. I forgot to set my alarm clock last night. I overslept. A student yawns several times. He is tired. Sharon grabbed her rain coat and her umbrella. It was raining outside.

31. Inferential Qs in the College Entrance Exams • I usually go to work by subway, and I get to work by 8:00 A.M. Before I start my job, I put on my uniform and look at myself in the mirror to make sure that I look neat. At 8:30 in the morning, I go on duty. I usually eat lunch from twelve to one and generally take a fifteen-minute break in the morning and in the afternoon. At 4:30 in the afternoon, I go off duty. • I enjoy my job very much. I meet all kinds of people and talk to everyone. Many people ask me questions, and I give them the necessary information. I try to be very helpful. I always call out floors very clearly, and I am constantly on the move. Most men take off their hats in my car, and sometimes I have to tell passengers to put out their cigarettes. Some people smile at me, but others just ignore me. In fact, my life can be described as consisting of a series of “ups” and “downs.” (92年學測) We may infer from the passage that the author is a(n) __________. (A) policeman (B) driver (C) floor cleaner (D) elevator operator Answer key: D

32. Sample Inferential Questions • It can be inferred from the passage that Hilfiger ________.(92學測) • What can be inferred about the author?(94學測) • Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage? ?(95學測) • What does erratic in the last sentence imply?(98學測)

33. Sample Inferential Questions • From the passage, it can be inferred that ____.(91指考) • What can we infer from William Warren’s comment on Bangkok at the end of the passage? (92指考) • What can we infer from the last sentence in the passage (He received a thank-you note that contained no indication that the TSA is contemplating action.)? (92指考)

34. Sample Inferential Questions • It can be inferred from that passage that ____(93指考) • Which of the following statement can be inferred from the passage? (95指考) • What can be inferred from the second paragraph of this passage? (96指考) • What can be inferred from the passage?(98指考) • What can be inferred from the passage?(98指考)

35. Using graphic organizers Ask 3 Qs: What I Read What I Know Already I infer that…. How to help students learn inferring

36. Graphic Organizers “A graphic organizer is a visual diagram that shows the relationships among a number of ideas. Use graphic organizer to help students see the important interrelationships in the information they are reading or to become aware of the way authors have structured a text.” by Fountas &Pinnel

37. A Sample Graphic Organizer Background knowledge and reading strategies Conclusion Evidence from the Text

38. Independent Practice • Give students a short story to read and a list of questions about the implied meaning of the story. Have them answer individually on paper or out loud as a class. • You can fit in this activity with any text or theme you are currently studying; just find a story that has surface-level and implied meanings.

39. Ask 3 Qs What I Read +What I know Already =What I Infer Example: What I Read: A character has tears in his eyes. What I Know: People with tears in their eyes often are sad What I infer: The characters might be sad.

40. Review What is inference? Readers go beyond the words of a text to make assumptions about what is implied but not stated in the text. When making inferences you may say… I believe…because…I’d feel…if I were that character because…I think the author might be saying… because..I think that word means…because… • .

41. Review When do you make inferences? Every day What materials can you infer from? Fables, quotes, visual puns, dialogue, statistics charts, poems, words, cartoons, episodes

42. Mastering inferring makes us a better reader and gives us a deeper understanding about what we see, what we hear and what we read. As a reader and a teacher, we need to learn and help students learn how to infer. One Sentence

43. Everybody Wins with Deeper Reading!