Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: What is an Inference?

Content Area: Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 6th

Content Standard Addressed: ELAGSE6R1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Technology Standard Addressed: ISTE 3c

Selected Technology Tool: BrainPOP video on making inferences

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://jr.brainpop.com/readingandwriting/comprehension/makeinferences/

Type of Instructional Software:

☐ Drill and Practice ☒ Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

☐ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
☐ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☐ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
☒ Accessible to students beyond the school day
☒ Accessible via mobile devices
☐ Multiple languages
☐ Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level): (Select the one best level)
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☒ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Describe how you could address Universal Design for Learning principles
to extend and support the learning experiences for all students.
Engagement: The writing activity gives students the chance to personalize their assignment and be as
simplistic or as complex as they wish.
Representation: The opening activity works to activate the students’ background knowledge of inferences by
just putting a name to something they have done unconsciously all their lives.
Action and Expression: The lesson presents many different ways to emphasize the subject of inferences in the
students’ minds. I could turn on subtitles on the BrainPOP video so that students who learn better if they read
while they listening have that option. The BrainPOP video can also be slowed down so that ELL learners have
more time to understand what it is saying. The activity is also very easily adapted to students of different skill
levels as it can be done as simply or as complex as their writing skill allows. I can also very the time given to do
the writing depending on how quickly students complete the writing.

Spring 2018_SJB
 Instructional Software
Lesson idea implementation:
5 minutes- Opening
The teacher will open the lesson reading the following sentence from the overhead: Karen bought six lottery
tickets the previous day and quit work the next day. Afterwards the teacher will pose the following question
to the class: “Why did Karen not return to work?” Students should be able to infer that she won the lottery.
The teacher will then explain that what they did was called an inference.

4:15- Brainpop video on making inferences

30 minutes-Activity
Students will be asked to write poems describing an object without ever specifically stating what it is. The
teacher will then ask several students to share their poems with the class and the class will infer what the
objects are based on the evidence presented to them in the poem.

Reflective Practice:
I think the video really helps to give students an easy and fun way to learn about inferences. I also believe that it
helps break up the regular everyday monogamy that can be simply lecturing about a subject to a class. If I were to
incorporate more technology into the lesson, I would consider incorporating a way to publish the student work or
at least immortalize it so that they could look back on it in the future. It would also be interesting if I could find a
way to have students outside of the classroom try and infer what objects the students are alluding to in their
poems and respond in a safe way through technology.

Spring 2018_SJB