To develop their skill at drawing inferences from observations, sixth graders rotate through six stations, conduct a series of experiments, make observations, and draw inference from what they observe.

Practice sequencing with your 2nd graders via Patricia Polacco's Civil War book Pink and Say. Begin with a blindfold and a bag of mystery items. Connect their use of clues to identify what they can't see with the skill of making...

Making inferences and drawing conclusions is a key component to successful active reading. Encourage your class to use context clues and prior knowledge to infer different elements of a story, including the setting, plot, and character...

Children gain first-hand experience with Native American agriculture while investigating the life cycle of plants with this engaging experiment. Focusing on what the natives called the Three Sisters - corn, beans, and squash - young...

Learners observe clouds. In this deep convective clouds lesson, students analyze cloud data recorded over one month and draw conclusions based on results.  Learners predict "Thunderstorm Season" and prepare to defend their decision...

Second graders make several inferences based on the reading of Shel Silverstein poems. They write their own poetry and complete an assessment in which they differentiate between sentences that are stated or inferred.

Kids love working with their peers. Get your class into small literature circles and have them complete weekly assignments. Before beginning this week's activity, have each learner write a letter from Esperanza in California to Abuelita...

How does recognizing the author's purpose help you draw conclusions about a topic? Using two articles (both are attached), learners brainstorm why each author wrote each article. Are their purposes similar or different? Learners use a...

Give young scholars a chance to practice making inferences after reading the book Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. They confirm whether or not their conclusions are true, have a class discussion, and then independently complete an...

Students observe air quality and monoxide data. In this air quality lesson, students draw conclusions and manipulate data from a one year period on changes in air quality.

Students investigate the concept of using box and whisker plots. They demonstrate how to use them to compute median, mode, and range. Students compare and contrast the complete and systematic processes use to solve problems. This is done...

Young scholars put their reading comprehension skills to practice. In this interpreting text lesson, students read "Chief Red Jacket's Reply," and then respond to questions that require them to reason, infer, and analyze the selection.

Use this lesson to study similes and metaphors and the inferred meaning. For this language arts lesson, 5th graders write their own similes and metaphors. A worksheet is provided for extension work or to check understanding as homework.

It is impossible to cool down a glass of water by adding ice. Young scientists explore heat transfer through videos, experiments, and interactive games. They quickly catch on that the water melts the ice and things aren't always as they...

Investigate the growth and development of New York City with the final lesson plan in this four-part series on skyscrapers. Learners first explore the concept of urban growth by looking closely at a series of three paintings made of Wall...

Upper elementary scientists learn that observations made can lead to inferences. They rotate through six weather-related stations that challenge them to make observations and then draw inferences from their observations. A...

Identifying themes in literature is the focus of the language arts lesson plan presented here. Learners read short pieces of fiction and practice the skill of identifying the themes present in each one. The bulk of the instructional...

Fourth graders analyze the relationship of clouds and local weather. Students also observe and record cloud data and weather conditions daily as they research different cloud types. The data is analyzed looking for trends in daily...

Students explore graphs and define the different ways they are used to display data. In this algebra activity, students collect data and plot their data using the correct graph. They draw conclusions from their graphs based on their data.

Levitation tricks have been documented from the early 1900s, so how do they do it? Scholars learn about the force of magnetism in an attractive resource. They watch videos and design experiments to understand the strength and...

Ideas like this are highly effective for helping build better reading comprehension. The class listens to an excerpt from a grade-appropriate text, and they discuss what clues or words helped them visualize the scene. They then read a...

Students play the role of a Ranger with the Department of Forestry.  In this forest fires instructional activity, students examine data on biomes and images to determine high risk areas for forest fires to develop.  

Even though they were written for upper-level high schoolers or college pupils, the labs herein are possible to use even in middle school. In the activity, kids observe osmosis in both potatoes and elodea plants, then record and graph...

Fourth graders read text and draw inferences or conclusions about the text. In this reading instructional activity, 4th graders discuss their opinions on what was read and state why they think that way to a partner.