Grade 5 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.5.R.1.1
Analyze how setting, events, conflict, and character development contribute to the plot in a literary text.
Note: Making inferences is foundational to analyzing all story elements.
Text Evidence + Background Knowledge = Inference
Students must use BOTH clues from the text AND what they already know to draw conclusions.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Inference | A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning | An educated guess based on clues - figuring out what the author doesn't directly tell you |
| Text Evidence | Details, quotes, or information directly from the passage | The clues in the text that support your inference |
| Explicit | Clearly and directly stated in the text | Information the author tells you straight out - it's right there! |
| Implicit | Suggested but not directly stated; must be inferred | Information you have to figure out from clues - reading between the lines |
| Background Knowledge | Information you already know from experience | What you bring to the text - things you've learned from life |
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Inferences | Define inference. Practice with pictures before text. Use Student Concept Worksheet. |
| 2 | Explicit vs. Implicit | Sort information from passages as explicit or implicit. Model the inference formula. |
| 3 | Character Inferences | Infer character feelings and traits. Practice with Practice Worksheet passages 1-2. |
| 4 | Supporting with Evidence | Practice citing evidence for inferences. Complete Practice Worksheet with partner support. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Read a passage aloud and verbalize your thinking: "The author says [quote]. That makes me think [inference] because [background knowledge]. My evidence is [text detail]." Model this process multiple times before asking students to try independently.
Use this three-column graphic organizer: "It Says" (text evidence), "I Say" (my background knowledge), "And So" (my inference). This makes the inference process visible and helps students see that inferences require both text and thinking.
Start with images before texts. Show pictures and ask: "What do you notice? What can you infer? How do you know?" This builds the concept without reading barriers, then transfer to text.
After every inference, ask "How do you know?" or "What in the text makes you think that?" Make this a classroom habit. Inferences without evidence are just guesses - we need proof!
Correction: Inference is an "educated guess" that requires evidence. Wild guesses without text support are not valid inferences. Students must point to specific text details that led to their conclusion.
Correction: If information is directly stated, it's explicit - not an inference. Inferences are conclusions about information that is NOT directly stated but can be figured out from clues.
Correction: Multiple valid inferences can be drawn from the same text, as long as each is supported by evidence. However, some inferences are more strongly supported than others.
Correction: Inferences must be grounded in the specific text. Prior knowledge helps interpret clues but cannot contradict what the text actually says.
On the FAST assessment, inference questions typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Teach students to look for answer choices that are supported by specific text evidence, not just ones that "feel right" or make sense in general.