1. Inference Activity

2. Inference Card #1
First, he had to think about the question. After he thought about it, he began to plan what he was going to write. It was important to have his ideas in the correct order. It didn’t matter if what he wrote was the truth or not, as long as he said it well. He got his materials together and went to work, knowing that he would do a good job. When he was finished, he thought about what he had done, changed a few things, and added several ideas. After he had done this, he gave what he had been working on to the adult in the room.

3. Questions #1 What did the boy do?
Why wasn’t it important that what he said was true or not?
Who was the adult he gave what he had been working on to?

4. Inference Card #2
The animal had very sharp teeth and a flat tail. He used his teeth as tools to get materials to build with. He found the materials in the forest near the river. When he had enough materials he began to build his home. He got very wet while building his house, but finally it was finished. The farmer who lived down the river from him was very upset when he learned the house had been built. He told his wife that he would have to pull the animal’s house apart or his crops wouldn’t grow because the ground would dry up.

5. Questions #2 What was the animal that build a home?
What materials did he build his house with?
Why did the farmer get upset when he learned the animal built a home?

6. Inference Card #3
Mother planned to make a surprise for Harry. She bought everything she would need at the grocery store. When she got home, she took her book out and began reading how to make the surprise. Mother got out everything she would need and put it on the counter. After all the ingredients were mixed together, she put the batter in a rectangular pan and turned the oven on. An hour later, she took it out and put it on the counter to cool. When it was cool she took a container of the last ingredient and began spreading it carefully over the surprise with a knife. Finally, she opened another package and counted out seven objects. She put these on the top of the surprise and looked in the drawer for matches.

7. Questions for #3 What kind of book was mother reading?
What room did mother make the surprise in?
What did she spread over the surprise?
What were the seven objects she counted?
What was the surprise?

8. Inference Card #4
Julie made sure she put her suit and helmet on correctly. She checked her air tanks to make sure that they were full. She pulled on her gloves and strapped her boots on tightly. Julie stepped outside and looked around. When she walked on the gray, powdery ground, she bounced. It was funny to feel so light, when she knew she weighed 90 pounds! She explored the area and picked up a few rocks to bring back to show her friends. She looked into the rim of a nearby crater. Julie shivered, even though her suit was heated and decided to return to the ship. Before she got in, she looked at the Earth. It looked beautiful, but far away.

9. Questions for Card #4 Where do you think Julie is?
Why do you think Julie bounced when she walked?
Why is Julie wearing a helmet and air tanks?
Why is Julie suit heated?

10. Inference Card #5
Ann counted backwards from a hundred while keeping her eyes covered with her hands. The other children ran quickly in all directions. Soon, no one could be seen except for Ann. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0,” she said.

11. Questions #5
Why is Anne counting?
What will happen next? Explain how you know by using clues from the story.

12. Inference Card #6
They were dressed in odd clothes. The leader had on a hat with a curled feather in it. He had a patch over one eye and carried a parrot on his shoulder. His men carried shovels. It was a hot day on the beach. The leader kept looking at an old piece of paper that he had in his hand before he decided which way to walk. Finally, they came to a stop and began to dig. Sand flew in all directions. Soon, they pulled a big box out the hole.

13. Questions #6
Why does the leader keep looking at an old piece of paper?
Why are the men digging?
What is the box they pull out of the hole?

14. Inference Card #7
Getting older was hard for her. Once she had been the most beautiful woman in the entire country. Now, she was only the second beautiful. How did she know this? She had an object that hung on the wall which kept track of this for her. Not only did it keep track of who was the most beautiful, but it told her so. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any more and decided to take care of the matter once and for all.

15. Questions #7 Who is the woman in the story?
How does she feel about the other woman who is more beautiful than she is?
What is the object on the wall?
What do you think will happen next in the story? How do you know this?

16. Inference Card #8
There was three brothers who decided they needed to leave home. They were very different from each other. Two of them were silly and didn’t think things through. The third brother was wise. They all built their own houses. The silly brothers used poor materials to build with. Both of their houses fell down for the same reason. They ended up living with their older and wiser brother. His house remained standing even though someone tried to knock it down.

17. Questions #8 Who were the three brothers?
How did the older brother show he was wise?
Why did the houses of the silly brothers fall down?

18. Inference Card #9
It was Sunday evening. Mary and Jack were looking forward to the next day. Mary chose the clothes she would wear carefully. She decided to wear the blue shorts outfit mom had bought her yesterday, when she had taken Mary and Jack shopping for new clothes. Jack put everything he thought he might need for the day in his backpack. He wondered if his friends would notice he had grown three inches taller over the summer. Mary wondered if she would be in the same room as her best friend, Katy.

19. Questions #9
Where are Mary and Jack going tomorrow?
Why are they so excited about going there?

20. Inference #10
Mr. and Mrs. Smith got home at 5:00 Tuesday evening. John was very happy to see them because they had been gone all day. He ran around in circles and jumped up and down. Mr. and Mrs. Smith sat down together to relax for awhile and talked about how their days had been. After this, they made dinner. John ate his quickly and waited for them to finish. Later, he laid down near the sofa to watch television with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They patted him on the head and told him he was a good boy. John said nothing, but looked happy.

21. Questions #10
Who is John?
Where had Mr. and Mrs. Smith been all day?