Helping students understand the difference between making inferences, drawing conclusions, and predicting outcomes can feel like untangling a ball of yarn—but it’s a skill worth mastering.
This post shares a comprehensive lesson plan to help 4th to 6th-grade students master the art of making inferences. The lesson includes essential questions, vocabulary, engaging activities, and resources to support students’ learning.
Don’t forget to download the handout to access the detailed lesson plan.
Making Inferences Lesson Plan
Lesson Overview:
This lesson aims to equip students with the necessary skills to make inferences effectively. An inference involves reaching a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning. Throughout the lesson, students will examine facts, evaluate clues, and make logical inferences—just like detectives with a text.
Inference Anchor Chart:
Students helped create this anchor chart by jotting down observations about a clown and inferences about a monster—because nothing says ‘critical thinking’ like a googly-eyed creature. Students added their sticky notes to the anchor chart under the correct heading.
Common Core State Standards require students to back up inferences with textual evidence. This anchor chart provides a flowchart to help students think through the process.
Hook Activity:
Have students complete this exercise to help explain the definition of inference.
Write these six words on the board and read each clue aloud. Students must infer which word matches each description—no multiple choice, just brainpower.
Battle of the Bulge chariot delegation Hindenburg chameleon taxation
Read each description listed below the box. Ask students to tell which event the sentence you read describes.
- This lizard can change the color of its skin to look like the colors that are around it.
- This zeppelin exploded when trying to land on May 6, 1937, in New Jersey.
- This was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II.
- Soldiers drove this two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used in ancient warfare and racing.
- This activity means paying a percentage of a person’s income to help support the government.
- This group of people votes or acts for someone else.
Activity #1: Brochure Fold Graphic Organizer with Video Lesson
Use the foldable organizer from the handout to introduce definitions and examples. The video walks students through the process step-by-step. Instruct students to complete the graphic organizer, identifying examples from texts or real-life scenarios. The video guides students through the process of completing the organizer.
Activity #2: Making Inferences – YouTube
Share instructional videos from reliable sources that guide students through making inferences. Students watch the videos, follow along with the examples, and learn effective strategies for making accurate inferences.
Textual Evidence
This video provides an overview of how to make inferences when reading. It explains what inferences are, why they are important, and how to make them using examples from various texts.
Inferences and Conclusions Practice: True Move Commercial
This video provides practice for making inferences and drawing conclusions. It uses a True Move commercial as an example and asks viewers to guide students through understanding implied meanings about the characters and their motivations.
Introduction to Reading Skills: Inferencing
This video provides an introduction to inferencing. It explains how inferencing can help us understand a text better.
Activity #3: Using Animated Shorts to Teach Inference
In my blog post titled “Using Animated Shorts to Teach Inference,” I provide five animated short films with organizers for students to complete while or following viewing. This high-interest activity is always a hit—because who doesn’t love learning through Pixar-level storytelling?
Activity #4 – Picture Inferences
Show students intriguing photos from sources like National Geographic or The New York Times’ “What’s Going On in This Picture? and ask them to infer what’s happening. Bonus points if they can back it up with visual evidence! Facilitate a class discussion to share and compare students’ inferences, promoting critical thinking and analysis.
Activity #5: Books for Teaching Inference
Choose books that naturally invite inference. Students will read, reflect, and share what’s implied—backed by evidence, of course. Some books that are good for this include:
- Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dreams For Me by Daniel Beaty
- Duck Rabbit by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Allow students to choose or assign a book to each student.
Instruct students to read the selected book and identify instances where making inferences is necessary.
Conduct a class discussion to share and evaluate the implied meanings made by different students, emphasizing the evidence and reasoning used.
Activity #6: Online Games and Activities
- Inference Riddles
- Quia – Inferences and Drawing Conclusion [Who wants to be a millionaire? style game.]
- Quia – Inferences Jeopardy
Download the provided handout to access the detailed lesson plan and resources.
Remember, making inferences is an ongoing skill that students can continue to refine and apply throughout their lives. Encourage students to flex their inference muscles everywhere—while reading, watching movies, or even figuring out why the dog is hiding under the table. With time and practice, they’ll become inference pros.
Want More Reading Skill Practice?
Build a strong foundation in comprehension with my Reading Skills Bundle. It includes 12 complete units covering:
- Text Structure
- Story Elements
- Main Idea & Details
- Cause & Effect
- Compare & Contrast
- Inference
- And more!
Each unit comes with printables, graphic organizers, and engaging activities that make reading skills stick.
