Mini-Lesson

Objective: Students will make inferences as they read an interview.

1. Start a discussion about "reading between the lines." Begin with a real-life example: It was Ashley's thirteenth birthday, so her younger sister Jennifer baked a chocolate cake, Ashley's favorite. Ashley excitedly took her first forkful. But then she quickly put down the fork, and looked uncomfortable. "This cake is... um... delicious, Jennifer," she said. "I'm just suddenly, um, really full, so I won't be able to have anymore." Have students explain what they think happened. Ask: Why didn't Ashley want to eat more cake? Was the cake really delicious? If not, why did Ashley say that it was?

2. Tell students that in order to answer those questions, they needed to read between the lines. This is an important skill for everyday life and for reading. Pass out copies of the timeforkids.com interview, 10 Questions for Maria Shriver. To demonstrate reading between the lines, draw students' attention to the second question-and-answer pair. Point out that Maria Shriver told TFK Kid Reporter Yunhee Hyun that she'd asked a good question. Explain that this makes you think that Maria Shriver likes kids, and that she is the kind of person who encourages others.

3. As students read the rest of the interview, challenge them to continue making inferences about Maria Shriver. When volunteers share their ideas, encourage them to explain their reasoning.