June 6 2025 Prep for District Reading Assessment Monday June 9 2025 & Spoken Word Poetry Review & Sample - "To This Day""
Attendance
Silent Read 20 min
Prep for District Reading Assessment on Monday June 9 -
1. Introduction: What Is an Inference?
A key reading skill you’ll need on your assessment.
An inference is when you read between the lines to figure something out that the author doesn’t say directly.
A key reading skill you’ll need on your assessment.
An inference is when you read between the lines to figure something out that the author doesn’t say directly.
2. The Inference Formula
Inference = What the text says (clues) + What I know (my brain) = Smart guess
Inference = What the text says (clues) + What I know (my brain) = Smart guess
Steps To Assessing Inference: (Question 1 on your Assessment)
-
The author gives clues in the text.
-
You use your own experience and thinking.
-
You combine both to figure out what’s really going on.
📚 3. Example
“Jason slammed his locker and stormed out of the school without saying goodbye.”
“Jason slammed his locker and stormed out of the school without saying goodbye.”
Questions:
-
What does the text say?
-
What do you know about people who act this way?
We can infer that Jason is angry or upset, even though the text never says those words directly.
4. Guided Practice
“Maria stared out the window during class, barely noticing when the teacher called her name.”
“Maria stared out the window during class, barely noticing when the teacher called her name.”
Questions:
-
What does the text say?
-
What do you already know about people who act like this?
-
What can you infer about Maria?
Answer: She’s distracted, daydreaming, worried, or not engaged.
5. Supporting Inference with Textual Evidence
On your assessment, it’s not enough just to make a good inference—you also need to show where you got it from in the text. (Question 2 on the Assessment)
On your assessment, it’s not enough just to make a good inference—you also need to show where you got it from in the text. (Question 2 on the Assessment)
What Is Textual Evidence?
-
A quote or detail from the text that supports your inference.
-
Even a short phrase works!
-
You can use sentence starters like:
-
“This shows…”
-
“We can tell because the text says…”
-
“A clue is when the author writes…”
A quote or detail from the text that supports your inference.
Even a short phrase works!
You can use sentence starters like:
-
“This shows…”
-
“We can tell because the text says…”
-
“A clue is when the author writes…”
Example:
Text: “Jason slammed his locker and stormed out of the school without saying goodbye.”
Text: “Jason slammed his locker and stormed out of the school without saying goodbye.”
Inference: Jason is angry.
Evidence: The text says “slammed his locker” and “stormed out,” which are clues to his mood.
Practice:
What’s the inference and textual evidence for this sentence?
What’s the inference and textual evidence for this sentence?
“Maria stared out the window during class, barely noticing when the teacher called her name.”
Possible responses:
Maria is distracted. We can tell because “she stared out the window” and “barely noticed” the teacher.
6. Designing an Open-Ended Question to Further Inquiry (Question 3 on your Asessment)
After making an inference and supporting it with evidence, your final task on the assessment is to ask a meaningful question—something that encourages further thinking about the issue or topic.
This shows that you’re curious and thinking critically about what you read.
What Is an Open-Ended Question?
Open-ended questions:
-
Don’t have a simple yes/no answer
-
Begin with Why, How, Should, What if, To what extent…
-
Invite discussion or deeper thinking
-
Often connect the specific situation in the text to a bigger issue in the world
Example Based on a recent Manitoba Wildfire Article:
Text: “Hundreds of people were evacuated as wildfires spread near northern Manitoba communities. Officials said the fires were intensified by dry conditions and shifting winds.”
Inference: Climate change and environmental factors may be making wildfires worse.
Open-ended question:
“How should governments balance emergency wildfire response with long-term climate planning?”
Prompt:
Based on what you read and inferred, what’s a bigger question this situation makes you wonder about?
Try starting with:
Why do…
How should…
What does this mean for…
Should people be concerned about…
Back to Poetry!~ Spoken Word Poetry Review & Sample
“Bullying”
- What comes to mind when you hear this word?
- What are some examples of how people might feel or act as a result of bullying?
- Have you ever seen someone overcome difficult challenges related to bullying?
- Shane Koyczan as a Canadian spoken word poet who shares his own story of overcoming childhood bullying through poetry.
Set the Purpose:
- We will watch and analyze To This Day Project, a spoken word poem that explores the lasting impact of bullying and celebrates resilience.
2. Viewing & Discussion
Activity:
- Video of To This Day Project. Ask students to pay attention to:
- The emotions conveyed.
- Specific words, images, or phrases that stand out.
- The overall message or theme.
“My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways. Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. This piece is a starting point.”
–Shane Koyczan
- Questions:
- What lines or moments in the poem stood out to you? Why?
- How does Shane Koyczan use tone, rhythm, and imagery to emphasize his message?
- What emotions did you feel while watching the video?
- What is the poem’s message/theme? Student’ lives, school culture, and broader societal issues?
Comments
Post a Comment