English Language Development

Snapshot 6.5. Making Inferences Using a Graphic Organizer

Integrated ELA/Literacy and Science Lesson in Grade Seven

Mr. Schoen’s seventh-grade science students are sitting in pairs, each pair with a

science article and a blank graphic organizer. The article has five adhesive tape flags placed

strategically throughout it, and the students have already read through the relevant section of

the text for today’s demonstration once. The graphic organizer, a table, contains six rows with

three columns labeled: The Demonstration Showed, I Know, and Inference.

The Demonstration

Showed

I Know

(from texts and

background knowledge)

Inference

Mr. Schoen explains, “Today, we are going to observe a chemical reaction. You’re going

to use information from the text you read. You will need to link what you read with your

background knowledge of acids and bases to make inferences. Who remembers what an

inference is?” He calls on a student who explains that, “It’s a conclusion you draw from

evidence and reasoning.”

Mr. Schoen adds conclusion drawn from evidence and reasoning to the third column

heading and continues, “Well said. Who knows how you make an inference or what you use

to come to your conclusion?” Another student answers, “You use what you read and what you

know for the conclusion or inference.” “That’s right. You use what you read in the text and

connect that to information that you already know, or your background knowledge, to make

an inference,” replies Mr. Schoen. “Who can give me an example of an inference?”

“I infer we will use Bunsen burners today because they’re sitting out on the lab bench,”

noted Arial.

“Great example,” says Mr. Schoen. “You’ve made a conclusion based on an observation.

Making inferences is really important when you’re reading because sometimes the author does

not explicitly state important information. So, making inferences will help you understand

what you are reading. But making inferences is also important when investigating scientific

phenomena. You need to integrate the evidence based on what you observe, what you read,

and what you already know to make an inference.”

Mr. Schoen moves to a lab table where the materials for a chemistry demonstration

are laid out. After putting on a lab apron and goggles he says, “I want you to watch the

demonstration and think about what you can infer from what you observe. We have a beaker

with 200 ml of distilled water. I need a student volunteer to add 5 ml of bromothymol blue.”

Mr. Schoen calls a student to don goggles then add the bromothymol blue solution. Mr. Schoen

continues: “Bromothymol blue is an indicator. Can anyone tell me how an indicator is used in

chemistry?” He chooses a student who responds, “It’s used to show when there’s a chemical,

or when that chemical changes.”

Grade 7 Chapter 6 | 585