Mini-Lesson

Making Inferences

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Students will make inferences using details in a news story.

1. Pass out the timeforkids.com news story Batter Up!. Tell students that you are going to read aloud to them the title, subtitle and first three paragraphs of the article as they follow along with you.

2. After reading say, "Now, I have a question: Why was the first game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season played in Japan? When I read this in the article I wasn't really sure why it was played there. Based on what we just read, why do you think the season opener was played in Japan?" Encourage students to share responses. Possible responses include: Two of the Red Sox players are from Japan; Dice-K used to play baseball in Japan; There are lots of baseball fans in Japan; Baseball is popular in Japan.

3. Tell students: "The article doesn't say specifically why the season opener was played in Japan. But it does give readers a lot of information they can use to make an inference. An inference is like a guess. Readers often make inferences when they read. Even though a story might not give specific information, readers can make an inference, or a good guess, based on the information they do have. You just made inferences about why the first game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season was played in Japan. Go team!"