HALF HOLLOW HILLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
NAME_ JACLYN TANNAZZO
PERIOD / SUBJECT 2 PERIOD / TITLE 1 READING
ND
LESSON / UNIT MAKING INFERENCES / READING KNOW - HOW
DESIRED RESULTS
What are the goals for the lesson?
What do you want students to
know, understand and be able to
do? How does this lesson fit with a
larger unit?
LEARNING PLAN
How do you plan to engage
students in the content? What will
you do? What will the students do?
ASSIGNED EVIDENCE
How do you plan to assess student
achievement of the goals? What
procedures will you use? (Attach
any tests or performance tasks,
A
DATE OCTOBER 25, 2010
The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to the reading skill of
making inferences as well as practice making inferences with a non-
fiction article. I want students to know the definition of an inference
and understand how and when a reader needs to make an inference
when reading both a fiction and non-fiction text. I want the students to
be able to make inferences when we read the non-fiction text as a class.
The students should also be able to follow the steps of the reading
process, as we just concluded a number of lessons on following the
reading process when we read. I also want the students to be able to
create a chart to identify the information from the text as well as the
information they bring to the article that results in their inference. This
is a lesson in the unit of “Reading Know-How” in which we are
discussing what are the skills of a good reader as well as how to read
actively and engage the text.
The lesson will begin with ten minutes of SSR (Sustained Silent
Reading). Each student is currently reading a “just right” book in class
everyday, as well as at home each night. At the conclusion of SSR, I
will sign the student’s reading log. The students are responsible for
getting their log signed by their parents each night and by myself
during class. Next we will watch a brain-pop video that will reinforce
what an inference is and how a reader makes an inference while
reading both fiction and non-fiction text. At the conclusion of the
video, we will answer the multiple-choice quiz that brain-pop also
provides. The students will use index cards with the letter A,B,C, & D
written on them so that I can assess the students understanding. Next
we will put into practice what we have been discussing. The students
will read a non-fiction article titled “She climbed to the Top”, which
requires the students to make inferences. As discussed in previous
lessons, we will follow the reading process as we read the article,
which includes previewing the article, setting a purpose for reading,
and planning how to organize our information before we read the
article. At the conclusion of the article, the students will create a
graphic organizer to demonstrate their ability to recognize what they
know, what the article tells them, and what they can infer from those
ideas.
I plan to assess the students both informally as the lesson is progressing
through class discussions and through the brain-pop quiz we complete
as a class. Formally, I will collect the charts created by the students.
Also, the students will be given a homework assignment that requires
them to read a short article and complete another chart describing the
with rubrics or scoring guides.)
How do you plan to use the results
of the assessment?
inferences they made. Based on the results it will determine my future
lessons on inference making. The students will also take a test at the
conclusion of the unit, which will include questions on making
inferences.
 HALF HOLLOW HILLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
NAME_JACLYN TANNAZZO SCHOOL/ ADMINISTRATOR WEST HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL/M.STRONG
DATE OF PRE-CONFERENCE 10/25/10 DATE / TIME OF OBSERVATION 10/26/10 PERIOD 2
Grade Level / Curriculum Area Observed 6th Grade / Title 1 Reading
1. Briefly describe the students in this
class, including those with special
needs? How have you used this
information to plan for this lesson?
(Component 1b)
2. Why are these goals suitable for
this group of students? (Component
1c)
3. How does this lesson support
district priorities and state
standards?
4. How do these goals relate to
broader curriculum goals in the
discipline as a whole or in other
disciplines? (Component 1c)
5. What difficulties do students
typically experience in this area,
and how do you plan to anticipate
these difficulties? (Component 1a)
6. What instructional materials or other
resources, if any, will you use?
(Attach sample materials you will be
using in the lesson.) (Component
1d)
B
PRE-OBSERVATION FORM
Rev. 0607
The students in the Title 1 Reading class have been identified as having
difficulty with reading skills and strategies, including comprehension, as
determined by the New York ELA State Exam, the DRA2
(Developmental Reading Assessment), and teacher observation. Taking
all of this into consideration, I feel that it is beneficial to provide the
students with direct instruction on the skills and strategies of a good
reader, specifically discussing how to make inferences when reading in
addition to what a reader does before, during, after reading a piece of
text. I have specifically selected texts that are on a lower reading level
so that the students can fully understand the text without having the
vocabulary interfere with their comprehension. When teaching a new
strategy I feel it is helpful to select texts that are manageable for
students with Reading Comprehension difficulties.
Based on my preliminary observations and baseline assessment, these
students will benefit from direct instruction that focuses on the strategies
used by good readers. The students need continual practice at making
inferences so that it will eventually become automatic when they are
reading independently. This is an introductory lesson to making
inferences and I anticipate the need for continued instruction on how to
incorporate this strategy while reading.
This lesson incorporates a variety of priorities of the district including
using cooperative learning, the use of different learning styles to guide
instruction, as well as the use of technology in the classroom. In
addition, this lesson supports New York State Standard 1: Language for
Information and Understanding and Standard 3: Language for Critical
Analysis and Evaluation.
This lesson focuses on making inferences when reading any genre of
text. Students with weaknesses in reading comprehension need to be
explicitly taught the strategies of a good reader and how to use these
skills. Understanding the strategy as well as incorporating the use of the
reading process will help them with reading in all disciplines by
improving their comprehension.
Making inferences is one of the more difficult strategies for students to
understand. Students at this age are very literal and making inferences
asks them to step outside of the text. I anticipate the students will be
successful when asked to specifically make inferences but when it
comes to automatically making an inference on their own they will have
some difficulties. The best way to compensate for this is to continually
practice with all forms of text, fiction and non-fiction.
Laptop
Projector
Brain-Pop video
Index Cards labeled A,B,C & D
Article: She Climbed to the Top adapted by Pam Halloran
Inferencing Handout

7. If applicable, describe how the
planning of this lesson reflects
recommendations made during prior
informal/formal observations and
professional conversations.
Homework Assignment: Short article and description of strategy
As previously discussed as a department, the role of the Title 1 Reading
teacher is to reinforce the strategies of good readers in addition to
building student’s comprehension skills.

Teacher comments pertaining to observation setting. List any items you might want to call to the attention of the
Administrator.
I work hard to make my classroom warm and inviting. Due to the size however, I am limited in the amount of
movement I can incorporate into my lessons.

Observational Focus (optional):

Name_________________________________________________ Period ___________ Date ________________ Mrs. Tannazzo

Making Inferences with She Climbed to the Top by Pam Halloran

*Reminder: Follow the steps of the reading process to get the most out of what you are reading!!
Step 1: Preview
Step 2: Set a Purpose: _______________________________________________________________
Step 3: Plan

Directions: Use the chart below to show the process you follow to make an inference! I have given you some clues to help you get started.

Clues (from the text) What I Know Inference (what I can figure out)

The group had to dig deep into the snow for 5 days is a long time to wait for a storm that may The group had to prepare for anything before going
protection and wait for 5 days for the storm to blow not have been planned for. on the climb. They must need a lot of experience in
over. surviving in this environment.

This was just one adventure Merrick had on Denali.

She became the youngest person to reach the top of
the peak.
FORM E – REFLECTION SHEET
NAME OF TEACHER JACLYN TANNAZZO NAME OF OBSERVER M. STRONG
DATE OF CONFERENCE 10/27/10 SCHOOL WEST HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL
GRADE LEVEL SIXTH SUBJECT TITLE 1 READING

Did the students learn what you intended for them to learn? What evidence do you have to support this?
The students demonstrated evidence of understanding throughout the lesson. I was pleased to see that they were able to make
inferences after watching the Brain Pop video through multiple-choice questions. A couple of students did not immediately get
the correct answer, which worked well because it allowed for a class discussion of why an answer was correct and how we used
the text and what we know to make the inference. Next we discussed the use of the Reading Process when we read something
new and the students were able to follow the “before” reading steps that we have been practicing. As we read the story She
Climbed to the Top, we used a chart to organize our inferences and the students were able to fill in the information in the
appropriate sections. There were times when we had to discuss why an answer was not what we were looking for but overall
the students were successful at making inferences.

1. To what extent were your goals and objectives appropriate for your students?
The goals and objectives were appropriate for this lesson because it is clear through our daily classroom lessons, previous
assessments, as well as this lesson how difficult making inferences are for my students. It can be very difficult for students to
“read between the lines” as they are more comfortable to just use what is given in the text and not think beyond the words on
the page in front of them. Although I am happy with their understanding and ability to make inferences in this lesson, making
inferences is a skill that we will need to work on throughout the school year.

3. Please comment on different aspects of your instructional delivery. To what extent were they effective? What
would you do differently to improve the lesson?

Activities
The activity of watching a short brain-pop video and then answering a mini-quiz was effective. When playing the video, I had
the closed captioning on so the students could also read the words that were being said, so all variety of learners could engage
and understand the video presented. After the video the students were given index cards with the letters A,B,C, and D written
on them so they could display their answer choice. They enjoyed doing this and it also gave me a quick assessment of which
students understood the skill and which did not. Next, we read a short article and completed a chart that asked them to fill in the
“text”, “what they know” and what “inference” that led them to. As I was walking around the table looking at their responses,
most students were able to recognize the difference between the text and what they know but some students did need to be
reminded that “what they know” should not be found in the text. To improve this lesson in the future, I may use a fiction story
first to introduce the strategy of making inferences because non-fiction inferences seem to be more difficult for the students to
understand.

Grouping of Students
In this lesson I did not elect to group the students but in the future it may benefit the students to work with partners to complete
the chart since this was an introductory lesson to inference making.

Materials and Resources

Although this Brain-pop video was from Brain-pop Jr.(which is intended for grades K-3), the material was appropriate for my
students who generally are reading at least 2 grade levels below sixth grade. The video was well organized and enjoyable
because it presented the information in a clear way and is something I will be able to refer back to whenever we discuss making
inferences. For the non-fiction article we read as a class, I again selected text that was on a third to fourth grade reading level so
that the vocabulary would not interfere with the student’s comprehension.

4. Please comment on your classroom procedures, student conduct, and your use of physical space. To what
extent did these contribute to student learning?
The students in my class demonstrated an understanding and respect for our daily classroom procedures. The students came
into class, copied down their homework, and immediately began reading their SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) book. At the
conclusion of the 10 minutes of SSR time, they took out their reading log for my signature. Throughout the lesson the students
were respectful of one another and consistently raised their hands. At one point, a student was not watching the video and
looking at her paper. I quietly reminded her to pay attention to the screen. Although my classroom is small, I try to keep an
organized, warm and enjoyable atmosphere. During SSR we shut the lights off and turn on a lamp. I find that for my reluctant
readers, this makes the time special so that it does not feel like “required school reading.” Also, I hang signs/information related
to our topic of study so that the students can refer back to the information if necessary. Students are proud of their achievements
and so I keep current student work on display as well.

5. Did you alter your plan? If so, how, and why?

No.