Sample Lesson Plan

From a 2 Week Unit Plan on Inferencing in Second Grade

Heather Bader
 Lesson Plan One

Planning

Content Standard/s [met in each center]

RL 2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why and how, and make and
support logical inferences to construct meaning from the text.
RL 2.10 By the end of the year, flexibly use a variety of comprehension strategies (i.e.,
questioning, monitoring, visualizing, inferencing, summarizing, using prior knowledge,
determining importance) to read, comprehend and analyze grade-level appropriate, complex
literary texts independently and proficiently.
RF.2.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Language Standard/s [support throughout unit]

Writing-

W.2.5. With guidance and support from adults and peer, focus on a topic and strengthen writing

as needed by revising and editing

Speaking and Listening-

SL.2.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and

texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Language-

L.2.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Content Objective/s

SWBAT…define inferencing.

SWBAT…ask questions before, during, and after reading to answer questions about a text.

Language Objectives

SWBAT…focus on a topic and edit writing as needed.

SWBAT…participate in shared discussion with diverse partners about grade 2 topics.

SWBAT…demonstrate command of conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling.

Accommodations/Classroom Context

There are twelve students in the reading group for which my unit will be implemented. All of

the students are reading below grade level. Every day in reading class there are interventions

being implemented while covering grade-level standards. As I teach my unit, I will be working

with my mentor teacher and the Para educator to continue intervention while introducing the

second grade standard relating to inferencing. The students read at Fountas and Pinnell levels C,

D, E, and G. At this point in the year, students should be reading at a level J. One group is

struggling with basic decoding and letter sounds and recognition.

Five students in the group have IEP’s. Two students in this group are considered DD, one has

an OHI for ADHD, two have Specific Learning Disabilities, and three are in the stat process
while one is being observed for the possibility of stat in the future. There are seven girls in the

reading group and five boys. There is one nonwhite student in the group and eleven White

students. Most of the students live in very rural areas, most of which are low-income. Some

parents are pretty involved in their students’ education, while others we do not hear from at all

if we try to reach home.

Materials

 Caution tape
 Corner of the classroom + materials (for “crime scene”)
 Inference posters
 White board
 Dry erase markers
 Ms. Bader’s Mystery Box of items
 Computer
 Overhead projector and screen
 Elmo
 Pixar short “Partly Cloudy”
Key Vocabulary

 Inference (infer)
 Schema
 Background knowledge

Implementation Phase (during flexible reading groups)

Instruction (40-50 min)

Introduce new Learning Target and Intro Inferring (5 min)

What does the word infer mean and how do we use it? Introduce this idea to the students and

put up posters on inference. Model an example or two. Ex. When I look outside and see dark
clouds, I can infer that it will likely rain because I know that when clouds get dark it usually

storms.

Crime Scene Inferencing (15 min)

In one corner of the classroom, there will be a “crime scene” that I have roped off with caution

tape. Things will be strewn on the floor, a chair may be overturned, and something important is

missing. I will ask students what they think happened. As a class, we will use our schema and

what we see in the crime scene to determine what might have happened. I will write

possibilities for what might have happened on the board. With prompting, I will help us have a

discussion about if a robbery happened, what might have been taken and who might have taken

it. Answer: Spookley the Square Pumpkin was taken by Ms. Bader and hidden. This is a much

loved book in second grade.

Explain Mystery Box (5 min)

I will explain that I sent a paper home with their parents about items for them to bring on

Wednesday. We will be sharing our mystery boxes like Show and Tell, but instead of telling

why we own a certain item or why we like it—our friends will infer what the item tells them

about us. We will do this in Ms. Bader’s center for each of our friends on Wednesday and

Thursday. I will show my box as an example and help us infer things about Ms. Bader as an

example.

Pixar Short (10 min)

We will watch a short Pixar film pausing for class discussion where they will talk with their

shoulder partner about a question I ask them. I will ask them to infer about specific scenes in the
short. The film is “Partly Cloudy.” As we are just beginning our study of inferencing, it will

require follow-up questions and prompting to find inferences.

Example questions for the film are:

How is the dark cloud feeling? How do we know that?

How are the other clouds feeling? How do we know that?

Why are the birds taking babies away from the clouds? Where do you think they might be going

and why?

Exit (5 min)

We will practice saying inference as a class and remind ourselves what it is. An inference is

what we read (and see) plus what we know. We will then clean up and prepare to transition back

to our classes.

Cultural Considerations –

 I am excited to hear students’ ideas and opinions. They all enter the classroom with a lot
to share with their peers and myself. I am especially looking for personal connections
and their funds of knowledge as we go through the day, sharing during breaks, questions
and comments during read aloud and lesson. Oftentimes, these come from stories in
their own lives or a memory. This will be very important as we enter inferencing
because students will need to use what they know (schema) combined with what they
read or see. This will be very difficult for these students because it is getting more
abstract.
 Of the many accommodations in place in reading group, some of the most common are
extra time and repetition, scribe, reader (we read many texts together), shortened word
lists, small group centers (more one-on-one assistance), and picture clues. Since the
students are striving and currently on Kindergarten and 1st grade levels, the activities are
also accommodations for them. For example, every Monday they write their new sight
words in an ABC book they have created and read the book to themselves. For them it is
 an accommodation because they are practicing and reinforcing sight words that they
need rather than what the average second grader might be learning.

Discourse Considerations

Student talk will be promoted by varying group instruction to be partner discussions, whole

class, and small group. I also encourage questions and student input during instruction, which

often involves students’ funds of knowledge. This is vital to building a classroom community as

well as deeply involving students in their own learning. My goal is for the students to become

comfortable discussing topics in a variety of situations and groups.

Vocabulary Considerations – How does the instruction support engagement with vocabulary?

 We will repeat our vocabulary for each lesson and use examples of what the words
mean. For example, in 2nd grade we often say it together in a call and response format.
We will be using the words inference, inferring, and background knowledge (what we
know) all the time.
 I will ask questions using our vocabulary words and encourage students to answer using
our words as we grow in what we can infer. Example: “I can infer that….”
Assessment Considerations

Formative

Student teacher observation, thumbs up/thumbs down, call and response

*when looking to see if they can define inferencing, I am looking for this definition that we will

be repeating and using every day in our unit. It is written on our posters and we will say it

together at the beginning and end of reading class.

What we Read and See + What we Know = Inference

Summative

I will give the pre-assessment again to see the growth at the end of the two-week unit