Inference graphic organizer definition: "The inference graphic organizer is the most critical of all graphic organizers because it moves students beyond just recording information from the text to helping them make inferences about what they have read." (Miller & Vaetch, 2011) Students write down details from the text+ reflecting on what they already know= Inferring. Teachers should embed this strategy into teaching content so students can learn this skill. This skill goes beyond rote memorization and recording information. Inferring is an upper-level critical thinking skill on Bloom's Taxonomy. It probes students to think beyond the text and make their own suggestions what something means. Students can infer texts from using their prior knowledge, new learning, or help from others.
Inference graphic organizer research: Research from (Miller & Vaetch, 2011) show that students who are proficient readers are able to make inferences about what they have read. Therefore, it is critical that all content teachers incorporate inference graphic organizers into their instruction. Readers activate their schemata to make sense of new information and inferences.
How you may use it: "Ask the class a "Who am I" riddle? "I have an eye but cannot see. I am stronger and faster than any man alive but have no limbs. Who am I?" Give them time to try to figure it out and then share the answer: A Hurricane. Explain that in order to be able to answer the riddle they need to be able to make inferences by taking the clues given to them and combining it with knowledge they already have. Tell the class you are going to show them how to do this." (Sciberus.com, 2014) The teacher will read a text and stop along the way so students can add clues to their graphic organizers, which will be served as a formative assessment. Afterwards, ask students what kind of clues helped them make inferences such as illustrations, text based evidence, and etc. Another way a teacher can use this strategy is to have students as a class create their inference graphic organizer on poster paper with one column that says "When the text said...." and the other column "I can infer..." Read the text first. Then, have every student write on a post it something the text said. Have each student post their sticky note on the poster. Then have each student pick a sticky note that isn't theirs to respond to. The students will respond to the first column sticky note "I can refer.... their opinion." After, review how the students made their inferences.
How it will benefit student learning: It will benefit student learning because the main purpose of the inference graphic organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and instruction. It forms a powerful visual picture of information and allows the mind 'to see' undiscovered patterns and relationships. "Although they have been applied across a range of curriculum subject areas, reading is by far the most well practiced application. Science, social studies, language arts, and math are more recent areas in which graphic organizers are being applied." (Olc.spsd.sk.ca, 2014) Students are learning by visual aid, writing, reading, and listening.
Writing component of the strategy: W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Writing is tied into this strategy because students will be filling out the inferences graphic organizer. While filling it out, students are sharing their reasoning or also known as inferences. Students will be providing a reason to support their inference with evidence from the text.
2 videos with short summary: The first video shows how to fill out an inference graphic organizer. It shows the different columns used to named "questions, evidence from text, prior knowledge, and my inference." These steps build students to make an inference gradually by collecting information, making connections with previous experiences, and discovering new information by connecting context clues together. The video provides an example using volcanoes. The video discusses how to differentiate making inferences by differing the complexity of the text or the questions. This instruction is great because a teacher can use different inference graphic organizers for different tiers and assess where they are at. After assessing, the teacher can determine if students need to be moved around based on their level of inferring. Students are engaged filling out an inference graphic organizer because they can use their writing skills on the piece of paper of use sticky notes to write their thoughts. Some students like sticky notes and organizing them in each column using different colors.
The second video discusses how students can make inferences online by reading a text. Then, there are two headings "what the text says" "what you think" and "inference." Students have active engagement by using their typing, navigating the internet, and computer skills. Instructing students to use a computer to fill out an inference graphic organizer is great because a teacher can assess a student's inferring skills and computer skills also.
Inference graphic organizer research: Research from (Miller & Vaetch, 2011) show that students who are proficient readers are able to make inferences about what they have read. Therefore, it is critical that all content teachers incorporate inference graphic organizers into their instruction. Readers activate their schemata to make sense of new information and inferences.
How you may use it: "Ask the class a "Who am I" riddle? "I have an eye but cannot see. I am stronger and faster than any man alive but have no limbs. Who am I?" Give them time to try to figure it out and then share the answer: A Hurricane. Explain that in order to be able to answer the riddle they need to be able to make inferences by taking the clues given to them and combining it with knowledge they already have. Tell the class you are going to show them how to do this." (Sciberus.com, 2014) The teacher will read a text and stop along the way so students can add clues to their graphic organizers, which will be served as a formative assessment. Afterwards, ask students what kind of clues helped them make inferences such as illustrations, text based evidence, and etc. Another way a teacher can use this strategy is to have students as a class create their inference graphic organizer on poster paper with one column that says "When the text said...." and the other column "I can infer..." Read the text first. Then, have every student write on a post it something the text said. Have each student post their sticky note on the poster. Then have each student pick a sticky note that isn't theirs to respond to. The students will respond to the first column sticky note "I can refer.... their opinion." After, review how the students made their inferences.
How it will benefit student learning: It will benefit student learning because the main purpose of the inference graphic organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and instruction. It forms a powerful visual picture of information and allows the mind 'to see' undiscovered patterns and relationships. "Although they have been applied across a range of curriculum subject areas, reading is by far the most well practiced application. Science, social studies, language arts, and math are more recent areas in which graphic organizers are being applied." (Olc.spsd.sk.ca, 2014) Students are learning by visual aid, writing, reading, and listening.
Writing component of the strategy: W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Writing is tied into this strategy because students will be filling out the inferences graphic organizer. While filling it out, students are sharing their reasoning or also known as inferences. Students will be providing a reason to support their inference with evidence from the text.
2 videos with short summary: The first video shows how to fill out an inference graphic organizer. It shows the different columns used to named "questions, evidence from text, prior knowledge, and my inference." These steps build students to make an inference gradually by collecting information, making connections with previous experiences, and discovering new information by connecting context clues together. The video provides an example using volcanoes. The video discusses how to differentiate making inferences by differing the complexity of the text or the questions. This instruction is great because a teacher can use different inference graphic organizers for different tiers and assess where they are at. After assessing, the teacher can determine if students need to be moved around based on their level of inferring. Students are engaged filling out an inference graphic organizer because they can use their writing skills on the piece of paper of use sticky notes to write their thoughts. Some students like sticky notes and organizing them in each column using different colors.
The second video discusses how students can make inferences online by reading a text. Then, there are two headings "what the text says" "what you think" and "inference." Students have active engagement by using their typing, navigating the internet, and computer skills. Instructing students to use a computer to fill out an inference graphic organizer is great because a teacher can assess a student's inferring skills and computer skills also.