Lesson 42 covers:

• Elementary Level: Adjectives (Describing Words)
• Mid Level: Reading Comprehension (Inference)
• High Level: Reading Comprehension (Inference and Prediction)

Elementary Level (Kinder to Grade 2)

Subject: Adjectives (Describing Words)

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.F – Use frequently occurring adjectives.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.5.B – Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a large cat with stripes).

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Define an adjective as a word that describes a noun.
2. Identify adjectives in sentences and real-world objects.
3. Use adjectives to describe objects or pictures orally and in writing.

Materials Needed:

• Printed pictures (e.g., a big red apple, a fluffy white cat, a shiny blue car)
• Flashcards with adjectives (e.g., big, small, happy, sad, round, soft)
• Whiteboard & markers (or paper & crayons)
• Worksheet (optional – matching adjectives to pictures)
• Everyday objects (e.g., a soft teddy bear, a smooth rock, a crunchy cracker)

Lesson Activities:

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Show the student an object (e.g., a yellow banana) and ask:
  • “What color is this banana?” (Yellow)
  • “Is it big or small?” (Small)
  • “Is it sweet or sour?” (Sweet)
• Explain: “Words like yellow, small, and sweet are called adjectives—they describe things!”

2. Direct Instruction (10 minutes)

• Define Adjectives:
  • “Adjectives are words that describe nouns (people, places, or things).”
  • Examples:
    • “The fluffy cat” (fluffy describes the cat)
    • “The tall tree” (tall describes the tree)
• Practice Together:
  • Show a picture (e.g., a happy dog) and ask: “What words can we use to describe this dog?”
  • Write the adjectives on the board (e.g., happy, brown, furry).

3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Adjective Hunt:
  • Give the student 3 objects (e.g., a smooth stone, a soft blanket, a round ball).
  • Ask: “What words can you use to describe each one?”
• Picture Prompt Activity:
  • Show an image (e.g., a bright sun, a tiny ladybug, a loud drum).
  • Have the student describe it using at least 2 adjectives.

4. Independent Practice (10 minutes)

• Worksheet or Drawing Activity:
  • Option 1: Circle the Adjective (e.g., “The red apple” – circle red).
  • Option 2: Draw & Describe – The student draws a picture and writes 2 adjectives to describe it.

5. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Review: “What is an adjective? Can you describe your favorite toy?”
• Game: Play “Adjective Charades”—act out an adjective (e.g., sleepy, fast, loud) and have the student guess.

Assessment & Follow-Up:

• Oral: Can the student describe objects using adjectives?
• Written: Can they write simple sentences with adjectives (e.g., “The green frog jumps”)?
• Extension Activity: Read a simple book (e.g., “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”) and identify adjectives.

Mid Level (Grade 3 to 5)

Subject: Reading Comprehension (Inference)

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1 – Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 – Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story, drawing on specific details in the text.

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Define inference as using clues from a text + background knowledge to figure out what the author implies.
2. Practice making inferences from short passages, pictures, and real-world scenarios.
3. Support inferences with textual evidence (e.g., “I think __ because __”).

Materials Needed:

• Short mystery passages (1-2 paragraphs with implied meaning)
• Inference riddles (e.g., “I’m full of keys but can’t open locks. What am I?”)
• Graphic organizer (Two-column chart: Clues from Text | My Inference)
• Highlighters or sticky notes (for marking clues in text)
• Whiteboard & markers (or digital equivalent)

Lesson Activities:

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes) – “What’s Happening Here?”

• Show an image prompt (e.g., a person wearing a coat, scarf, and mittens while holding a cup of steaming cocoa).
• Ask:
  • “What do you see?” (List observations.)
  • “What can you infer? Is it warm or cold outside? How do you know?”
• Explain: “Inferencing is like being a detective—we use clues + what we already know to figure out hidden meanings!”

2. Direct Instruction (10 minutes) – “What is an Inference?”

• Define Inference:
  • “An inference is an educated guess based on evidence (text/picture clues) + prior knowledge.”
• Example:
  • Read aloud: “Emma’s eyes were red, and she kept sniffling. She held a crumpled tissue.”
  • Ask: “Is Emma happy or sad? How do you know?”
  • Model: “I infer Emma is sad because red eyes and tissues often mean someone was crying.”

3. Guided Practice (15 minutes) – Text Detective Activity

• Short Passage Analysis:
  • Provide a paragraph (e.g., “The campfire crackled. Jake shivered and pulled his blanket tighter. An owl hooted in the distance.”).
  • Student fills out a graphic organizer:
    • Clues from Text | My Inference
      (e.g., “shivered, blanket” → “It’s cold at night.”)
• Inference Riddles:
  • Solve 2-3 riddles (e.g., “I have a spine but no bones. What am I?” [Answer: A book]).

4. Independent Practice (15 minutes) – “Prove It!”

• Option 1: Read a short story (e.g., “Lena’s muddy shoes sat by the door. Her dog wagged its tail, panting.”).
  • Write 2 inferences (e.g., “Lena took her dog for a walk in the rain.”).
• Option 2: Analyze a picture prompt (e.g., a broken vase with a cat nearby).
  • Write a sentence inferring what happened (e.g., “The cat knocked over the vase.”).

5. Wrap-Up (10 minutes) – Share & Reflect

• Discussion: “What was the hardest part of making inferences? How do clues help?”
• Exit Ticket:
  • Student writes one inference from their independent practice and explains their reasoning.

Assessment & Differentiation:

• Beginning: Provide sentence stems (“I think ___ because ___.”).
• Advanced: Have the student write a short mystery paragraph for someone else to infer.
• Real-World Connection: Practice inferring moods from emojis or song lyrics.

High Level (Grade 6 to 8)

Subject: Reading Comprehension (Inference and Prediction)

Alignment with Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and implicitly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3 – Analyze how particular elements of a story interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10 – Read and comprehend literature at the 7th-grade level.

Lesson Objectives:

By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Define inferences and predictions and explain their differences.
2. Make logical inferences based on textual evidence.
3. Predict future events in a text using clues and prior knowledge.
4. Justify reasoning using the “It Says… I Say… And So…” strategy.

Materials Needed:

• Short story or passage (e.g., a suspenseful excerpt from a novel or a mystery short story)
• Graphic organizer (for recording inferences and predictions)
• Highlighters or sticky notes (for annotating text)
• Whiteboard & markers (or digital equivalent)
• Inference & Prediction Task Cards (optional)

Lesson Activities:

1. Warm-Up (10 min) – “What’s the Difference?”

• Show two scenarios:
  1. “A character is packing a suitcase, looking at a flight ticket.” → Prediction: “They are going on a trip.”
  2. “A character sighs and tears up while reading a letter.” → Inference: “They received sad news.”
• Discuss:
  • Inference = Figuring out hidden meanings now (clues + background knowledge).
  • Prediction = Guessing what will happen later (based on patterns/foreshadowing).

2. Direct Instruction (15 min) – “It Says… I Say… And So…”

• Model with a short passage (e.g., a mystery scene):
  • “It Says…” (Text evidence) → “The lights flickered, and the door creaked open.”
  • “I Say…” (Prior knowledge) → “Flickering lights and creaking doors often mean danger.”
  • “And So…” (Inference) → “I infer something scary is about to happen.”
• Practice Together: Read another passage and fill out a graphic organizer.

3. Guided Practice (20 min) – Text Analysis & Prediction

• Activity 1: Inference Detective
  • Read a suspenseful passage (e.g., from “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl).
  • Highlight clues and write inferences (e.g., “Why does the landlady seem suspicious?”).
• Activity 2: Predicting the Plot
  • Stop reading midway and predict:
    • “What will happen next? What clues support your guess?”

4. Independent Practice (10 min) – Writing & Justifying

• Option 1: Write a short alternate ending to a story, explaining predictions.
• Option 2: Analyze an image prompt (e.g., a shadowy figure at a door) and write:
  • 1 inference (“The person is hiding.”)
  • 1 prediction (“Someone will discover them.”)

5. Wrap-Up (5 min) – Exit Ticket

• Question: “How do inferences and predictions help you understand stories better?”
• Share: One inference or prediction from today’s lesson.

Assessment & Differentiation:

• Struggling Learners: Provide sentence stems (“I think ___ because ___”).
• Advanced Learners: Have them write a mystery scene with intentional clues for others to infer.
• Real-World Connection: Apply skills to movie trailers (predict plot twists).