lesson lesson 6 oeriew supporting inferences about

LESSON OVERVIEW

Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts

80a Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

S

Grade 3 Grade 5

Students ask and answer questions to show their understanding of the literal meaning of a text.

Grade 5 increases in complexity by requiring students not only to refer to the text when drawing inferences but also to quote from it.

Learning Progression

The Travels of the Potatoby Marie Schaeffer

Genre: History Article

Fruit of the Bogby Alden Sims


Why Salt? Valuable Little Cubes

by Leigh Anderson and David Chandler


Guided Practice

84 Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts

Genre: History ArticleRead

1 � e � rst people known to eat cranberries were the Native Americans in northern regions of what is now the United States. Centuries before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, Native Americans ate a bread made with cranberries mashed into cornmeal. � ey also munched on dried cranberries throughout the winter. But cranberries were useful for more than just food. Native Americans made dye from the berries to color blankets and rugs. And, they used the berries as a medicine for the treatment of wounds.

2 In 1810, Henry Hall from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, became the � rst person known to cultivate cranberries. (� e word cultivate means “to grow as a farm crop.”) Cranberries grow only in particular conditions. � ey grow best in bogs. � ey need an acid, peat soil, a steady water supply, and a covering of sand. � e growing season must last from April to November, followed by a dormant period in the winter. � e winter chill is needed for the fruit buds to mature.

3 Do you know how cranberry farmers know when the berries are ripe and ready to harvest? � e small berries � oat to the surface of the bog and bob along there. � e farmers are able to pull o� this ni� y harvest trick because inside each berry is a tiny pocket of air.

4 For years, the number-one cranberry-producing state in the United States was Massachusetts. However, since 1995, the state of Wisconsin has been the top cranberry producer. In 2010, Wisconsin harvested more than 4 million barrels of cranberries.

Close Reader Habits

What are growing conditions like in Massachusetts and Wisconsin? As you reread the article, underline details that tell about conditions all cranberries need to grow.

Fruit of the Bog

by Alden Sims

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.

Modeled and Guided Instruction


Read Genre: History Article

1 � e potato plant is native to the Andes Mountain region of South America. � is is where it � rst appeared and thrived. � e ancient Incas were the � rst people known to eat the potato. It is an excellent food source, one that provides both energy and vitamins. During the 1500s, Spanish explorers to that region encountered the potato. � ey had never seen it before. By the 1600s, potatoes were grown in many places in Spain.

2 Early on, some Europeans shunned the potato. Scientists learned that it was closely related to some poisonous plants. But some European doctors accepted the potato as a medicine and used it to treat common illnesses. By the early 1700s, potatoes were being raised in England as a food crop. � e plants grew well in the cool, moist climate. Soon, the potato became a major food staple, particularly in Ireland. Finally, in 1719, immigrants from England and Ireland introduced the potato to the New England area of North America.

Close Reader Habits

Think about key details in the passage that help you make inferences. Then underline key details that describe the events that brought the potato to Europe.

POTATO The Travels

of the

by Marie Schaeffer


Placentia

Ariminum

Ancona

Castrum Truentinum

Rome

Capua

GenuaPisae

Messana

Catina RhegiumLilibeum

Why Salt?by Leigh Anderson and David Chandler, Appleseeds

Valuable Little Cubes

The Via Salarium, shown in yellow, led from the sea coast to Rome, an important center of trade.

Independent Practice

88 Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts ©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted.


1 Today, salt is given out freely in shakers and packets at our favorite restaurants. We can buy it cheaply at any grocery store. But it hasn’t always been so easy to get salt. � is tiny crystal cube has played a much more important role in history than just � avoring our fries. Around the world, cities were founded, roads were built, wars were fought, and trade routes were established, all for one reason: humans can’t live without salt. Literally. Because of this simple fact, salt became a valuable item a long time ago. People who controlled salt had power. Around 2,000 years ago, some of the people with salt—and power—were the Romans.

2 One way Rome controlled salt was by building villages along the Mediterranean coast. � is gave them access to the sea where they could harvest salt. One of the � rst great roads built by Romans . . . is called Via Salarium, or “Salt Road.” It is the oldest road in Italy today. As you might have guessed, it was built to transport salt.

3 As Rome grew, it became a great trading center, and salt was one of the main items traded there. Salt was so important in the daily lives of the Romans that soldiers were paid in blocks of salt. � is pay was called salarium argentums or “salt money,” giving us our word salary. In fact, the word soldier comes from the Latin sol dare, meaning “to give salt.”

WORDS TO KNOWAs you read, look inside, around, and beyond these words to figure out what they mean.

• role• regulated• access

Lesson Text Selections

Modeled and Guided Instruction Guided Practice Independent Practice

Grade 4

Building on Grade 3, students refer explicitly to the text to draw both literal and inferential meaning. This is the first time “making inferences” appears in the standards.

Lesson Objectives

Academic Talk

See Glossary of Terms, pp. TR2–TR9

• inference• details

• text evidence• examples

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Reading• Use details and examples from a text

when explaining what the text says explicitly.

• Use details and examples from a text along with prior knowledge when explaining inferences drawn from the text.

Writing • Draw evidence from informational text

to support analysis and reflection.

Speaking and Listening • Pose and respond to specific questions

and contribute to discussions.

• Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own understanding.

Language • Use context to determine the meaning

of unknown words and phrases.

• Use academic vocabulary.

Lesson 6 Overview

80bLesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Lesson Pacing Guide

Ready Writing ConnectionDuring Ready Reading Days 1–5, use:Lesson 1 Writing an Opinion: Speech

• Think It Through• Step 4 Organize Your Evidence• Step 5 DraftSee Ready Writing TRB, p. 1a for complete lesson plan.

Teacher-led Activities

Tools for Instruction• Cite Textual Evidence

Small Group DifferentiationTeacher-Toolbox.com

Personalized Learningi-Ready.com

Independent

i-Ready Close Reading Lessons• Grade 3 Asking Questions About

Key Ideas • Grade 4 Supporting Inferences

About Informational Texts

Day 1 Teacher-Toolbox.com Interactive Tutorial

Check the Teacher Toolbox for Interactive Tutorials to use with this lesson.

Introduction pp. 80–81

• Read Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts 10 min

• Think 10 minGraphic Organizer: Inference Chart

• Talk 5 minQuick Write (TRB) 5 min

Day 2 Modeled and Guided Instruction pp. 82–83, 86

• Read The Travels of the Potato 10 min

• Think 10 minGraphic Organizer: Inference Chart

• Talk 5 min

• Write Short Response 10 min

Day 3 Guided Practice pp. 84–85, 87

• Read Fruit of the Bog 10 min

• Think 10 min

• Talk 5 min


Day 4 Independent Practice pp. 88–93

• Read Why Salt? Valuable Little Cubes 15 min

• Think 10 min


Day 5 Independent Practice pp. 88–93

• Review Answer Analysis (TRB) 10 min

• Review Response Analysis (TRB) 10 min

• Assign and Discuss Learning Target 10 min

Language Handbook Lesson 3 Modal Auxiliaries, pp. 468–46920 min (optional)

Whole Class Instruction 30–45 minutes per day

Reteach

Ready Reading Prerequisite LessonGrade 3

• Lesson 1 Ask and Answer Questions About Key Ideas

• Lesson 2 Finding Main Ideas and Key Details

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Introduction


Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts80

English Language LearnersDevelop Language

Academic Vocabulary Reinforce students’ understanding of the process of making inferences.

• Tell students that making inferences is like having a special power to “see” something that isn’t there. To do this, they look for clues that the author has put in the text. Then they combine what they know with the clues to make inferences.

• Share a passage from a familiar nonfiction text that includes details students can use to make inferences. Have groups or partners complete these sentence frames to make inferences: The author says , but doesn’t say . I know , so I can guess (or infer) .

Genre FocusHistorical Texts

Historical texts tell about events that happened in the past. They might tell the story of a significant person, journey, event, or invention in history.

A historical text usually presents information in sequence, or time order. Dates usually show the order of events.

Provide some examples of historical texts, such as Who Was First? Discovering the Americas by Russell Freedman. Then ask students to name other historical texts they’ve read.

• Explain to students that in this lesson they will be reading about the history of common foods and making inferences, or reasonable guesses, as they read.

• Tap into what students already know about making inferences. For example, have them imagine that they are outside when a clear blue sky suddenly gets dark and gray, the wind starts blowing, and trees start swaying. What can they guess about the weather?

• Guide students to answer that the weather is changing and a storm may be coming. Explain:

When you picture a sky darkening and trees swaying in the wind and then think of what you know about weather, you can infer, or guess, that a storm may be coming. An inference is a sensible guess based on what you know and the details you see.

• Explain that inferences made about texts must be based on details provided in the text, in addition to students’ own experiences.

• Focus students’ attention on the Learning Target. Read it aloud to set the purpose for the lesson.

• Display the Academic Talk words and phrases. Tell students to listen for these terms and their meanings as you work through the lesson together. Use the Academic Talk Routine on pp. A48–A49.

English Language Learners

Genre Focus

Read

• Read aloud the Read section as students follow along. Restate to reinforce:

When you read historical or other informational texts, you will use facts, examples, and other details in the text and your own prior knowledge to make inferences. Making inferences will help you understand ideas about a topic that the author does not explicitly, or directly, explain.

• Direct students’ attention to the cartoon. Tell them to study the details in the cartoon to make an inference about the boy.

Get Started

Learning Target


Introduction

Read When you read informational texts, you can learn important information about a topic. Often, a text will state facts, examples, and other details directly. Other times, however, you must figure out an important idea on your own. To do this, use text evidence and what you already know from experience to make an inference, or a “sensible guess.”

Study the cartoon below. Use what you see and what you know to make an inference about what is happening to the boy.

Making inferences based on key details and examples in an informational text will help you better understand the author’s ideas about the topic.

Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts

Lesson 6

Do you want more hot sauce?

Hotsauce

RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts 81

Theme: Where Foods Come From Lesson 6

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted. 81Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts

Academic Talk Use these words and phrases to talk about the text.

• examples • details • text evidence• inference

Talk Share your inference and chart with a partner.

• Did you agree on what happened in the cartoon?

• Did you agree about the details added to your charts?

• Why did you agree or disagree?

Think Consider what you’ve learned so far about making inferences. What is happening to the boy? Complete the Inference Chart below to make an inference based on cartoon details and what you already know.

Smoke and fire are coming out of the boy’s ears.

A bottle of hot sauce is on the table.

There is hot sauce on the boy’s plate.

The lid is off the bottle.

Hot sauce can be very spicy!

Using too much hot sauce can be painful.

The boy added too much hot sauce to his food.

What the Cartoon Shows (Evidence)

What I Know(Experience)

My Inference

Smoke and fire are coming out of the boy’s ears.

A bottle of hot sauce is on the table.

There is hot sauce on the boy’s plate.

The lid is off the bottle.

Hot sauce can be very spicy!

Using too much hot sauce can be painful.

The boy added too much hot sauce to his food.

Monitor Understanding

If… students struggle to make inferences,

then… share this example. At midday, when the sun is hottest, the workers sit in the shade of a large tree to eat their lunch and rest.

• What details are given? (When sun is hottest, workers sit in the shade of a tree to eat and rest.)

• What do you know about the sun and trees? (Trees create shade by blocking the sun. When I am hot, I want to get away from the hot sun.)

• What can you guess or infer about why the workers sit in the shade of the tree? (It feels cooler in the shade than under the hot sun.)

Ask students to provide their own inference examples.

Think

• Have students read aloud the Think section. Explain that the Inference Chart will help them organize their thinking.

• Have partners complete the chart. Remind students to use the details in the cartoon and what they already know to make an inference about the boy.

• As students work, circulate and provide assistance as needed.

• Make sure students understand that what they see (fire coming out the boy’s ears; hot sauce) and what they know about hot sauce suggest that the boy used too much sauce on his food.

Talk

• Read aloud the Talk prompt.

• After partners have discussed their charts, ask students what they can infer about the girl in the cartoon, based on her appearance and what she says. Encourage students to use sentence frames to show their thinking process: The cartoon shows

. I know . I can infer (or guess) .

• Ask volunteers to share their ideas.

Quick Write Have students write a response to the following prompt:

Students are eating together in the school cafeteria. You see someone eat some food, then cover her mouth with a napkin. Looking uncomfortable, she then slips the napkin under her plate. What inference might you make about what you see?

Ask students to share their responses.


• Invite students to share what they’ve learned so far. Encourage them to use the Academic Talk words and phrases in their explanations.

• Explain to students that when they read historical texts, they may have to make inferences about ideas the author doesn’t actually state.

Next, we’ll read a history article and explore inferences. Making inferences that are supported by text evidence will help you understand what the author does not explicitly, or directly, say in the text.

Wrap Up

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Read Genre: History Article

1 � e potato plant is native to the Andes Mountain region of South America. � is is where it � rst appeared and thrived. � e ancient Incas were the � rst people known to eat the potato. It is an excellent food source, one that provides both energy and vitamins. During the 1500s, Spanish explorers to that region encountered the potato. � ey had never seen it before. By the 1600s, potatoes were grown in many places in Spain.

2 Early on, some Europeans shunned the potato. Scientists learned that it was closely related to some poisonous plants. But some European doctors accepted the potato as a medicine and used it to treat common illnesses. By the early 1700s, potatoes were being raised in England as a food crop. � e plants grew well in the cool, moist climate. Soon, the potato became a major food staple, particularly in Ireland. Finally, in 1719, immigrants from England and Ireland introduced the potato to the New England area of North America.

Close Reader Habits

Think about key details in the passage that help you make inferences. Then underline key details that describe the events that brought the potato to Europe.

POTATO The Travels

of the

by Marie Schaeffer


82

Today you will read an article about the history of a common food. First you’ll read to understand what the author says. Then you’ll read to make inferences and gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

Read

• Read aloud the title of the article and call attention to the map. Guide students to an understanding that the article is about how the potato came to Europe and, eventually, North America.

• Have students read the article independently. Tell them to place a check mark above any confusing words and phrases as they read. Remind students to look inside, around, and beyond each unknown word or phrase to help them figure out its meaning. Use the Word Learning Routine on pp. A50–A51.

• When students have finished reading, clarify the meanings of words and phrases they still find confusing. Then use the questions below to check understanding. Encourage students to identify details in the text that support their answers.

Who were the first people to grow and eat potatoes? (ancient Incas of the Andes Mountain region of South America)

How did the potato get to Spain? (Spanish explorers took it there in the 1500s.)

What is the article mostly about? (how the potato became a common food crop in Europe)


Word Learning Strategy

Explore

• Read aloud the Explore question at the top of p. 83 to set the purpose for the second read. Tell students they will need to take a closer look at text evidence to answer this question.

• Have students read aloud the Close Reader Habit on the lower right of p. 82.

TIP Tell students that sequence words such as first and early, along with dates, can help them identify key events in a historical text.

Get Started

Word Learning Strategy Use Context Clues

• Share your birthplace with students, using these sentences: I am a native of . It is where I was born.

• Then point out the word native in the first sentence of paragraph 1.

What do you think the word native means?

What words are clues that help you figure out the meaning?

• Guide students to find the words where it first appeared. Explain that this is a clue that native means “originating or coming from a specific place.”

• Remind students that one type of context clue is a word or phrase that states meaning in another way.

English Language LearnersDevelop Language

Word Parts Explain that many English words have suffixes. A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word that changes the word’s meaning.

• Display the word humorous and say it aloud, emphasizing the -ous ending. Then have students say the word with you. Help students identify the suffix (-ous) and the base word (humor). Explain that the suffix -ous means “full of”; adding the suffix -ous to humor changes its meaning to “full of humor.”

• Apply the same strategy to the word poisonous in the second paragraph.

Lesson 6

83Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts Lesson 6

Explore


How do the details in the article help you make inferences about why the potato came to be used in Europe and elsewhere?

Think

1 Complete the Inference Chart below to help you make inferences about the spread of the potato as a food crop.

Talk

2 Explain what you can infer about how and why the use of the potato spread. Identify text details you used to support your inferences.

Write

3 Short Response Explain how and why the use of the potato spread to other countries. Include at least three text details as support. Use the space on page 86 to write your response.

What the Text Said(Evidence)

What I Know (Experience)

My Inference

• “The potato plant is native to the Andes Mountain region of South America.”

• “Spanish explorers. . . . had never seen it before.”

• “By the 1600s, potatoes were grown in many places in Spain.”

• “By the early 1700s, potatoes were being raised in England as a food crop.”

• “The plants grew well in the cool, moist climate.”

HINT To organize your writing, identify details about the climate where the potato thrives.

Look for details that help you make inferences about how the potato traveled.

Possible responses:

People who travel often must eat new foods.

People who travel bring things home with them.

Farmers want to grow good food crops.

Possible responses:

Spanish explorers decided that potatoes were good to eat.

Spanish explorers brought the potato back to Spain.

People in Spain started raising potatoes for food.

Plants need certain conditions so they will grow well.

The climates of the Andes Mountains, Spain, England, and other places are similar.

• The first detail I find is right at the beginning of the article. The text says the potato is native to the Andes Mountain region of South America. In that same paragraph, I read, “Spanish explorers to that region encountered the potato. They had never seen it before.” The Close Reader Habit says to underline key details. I’ll do that and then write them in the What the Text Said box.

• Next, how can my own experience help me make an

inference about how the potato spread? I know that travelers often have to try new foods. I also know that they often bring things home with them. I’m going to write this in the What I Know box.

• When I put all these details together, I see that they support this inference: Spanish explorers ate potatoes, decided they were good to eat, and took them back to Spain.

83

Think Aloud

Think

• Read aloud the Think section. Explain to students that you will reread the first paragraph of the article. Then you will model how to find text evidence to fill in the Inference Chart. Use the Think Aloud below to guide your modeling.

• Revisit the Explore question. Guide students to determine that they need to look for more details, using the Close Reader Habit.

• Encourage students to work with a partner to continue rereading the passage and to complete the Inference Chart.

• Ask volunteers to share their completed charts.

• Guide students to understand that text details and prior knowledge will help them make sensible guesses. Spanish explorers encountered the potato in the 1500s in South America. By the 1600s, potatoes were being grown in Spain. It makes sense to assume that the explorers took the potato back with them to Spain.

Talk

• Read aloud the Talk prompt.

• Have partners respond to the prompt. Use the Talk Routine on pp. A52–A53.

• Circulate to check that students are discussing the evidence they used to make inferences about how the use of the potato spread.

Write

• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Write prompt.

• Invite a few students to tell what the prompt is asking them to do.

• Make sure students understand that they need to show how evidence from the text supports their inferences. Help them identify details in their charts that will support their writing.

• Have students turn to p. 86 to write their responses.

• Use Review Responses on p. 86 to assess students’ writing.

• Ask students to recall the Learning Target. Have them explain how making inferences using key text details helped them better understand this article.

Wrap Up


Guided Practice



Guided Practice



1 � e � rst people known to eat cranberries were the Native Americans in northern regions of what is now the United States. Centuries before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, Native Americans ate a bread made with cranberries mashed into cornmeal. � ey also munched on dried cranberries throughout the winter. But cranberries were useful for more than just food. Native Americans made dye from the berries to color blankets and rugs. And, they used the berries as a medicine for the treatment of wounds.

2 In 1810, Henry Hall from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, became the � rst person known to cultivate cranberries. (� e word cultivate means “to grow as a farm crop.”) Cranberries grow only in particular conditions. � ey grow best in bogs. � ey need an acid, peat soil, a steady water supply, and a covering of sand. � e growing season must last from April to November, followed by a dormant period in the winter. � e winter chill is needed for the fruit buds to mature.

3 Do you know how cranberry farmers know when the berries are ripe and ready to harvest? � e small berries � oat to the surface of the bog and bob along there. � e farmers are able to pull o� this ni� y harvest trick because inside each berry is a tiny pocket of air.

4 For years, the number-one cranberry-producing state in the United States was Massachusetts. However, since 1995, the state of Wisconsin has been the top cranberry producer. In 2010, Wisconsin harvested more than 4 million barrels of cranberries.

Close Reader Habits

What are growing conditions like in Massachusetts and Wisconsin? As you reread the article, underline details that tell about conditions all cranberries need to grow.

Fruit of the Bog

by Alden Sims


84

Today you will read another article related to the history of a familiar food. First, you will read to understand what the article is about. Then you will reread with a partner to study the details in the text and make inferences.

Read

• Read aloud the title of the passage. Ask if anyone knows what the word bog means. Establish that a bog is a wet, marshy area.

• Have students predict what the article will be about based on the title and the photograph.

• Read to Understand Have students read the article independently. Tell them to place a check mark above any confusing words and phrases as they read. Remind students to look inside, around, and beyond each unknown word or phrase to help them figure out its meaning.

• When students have finished reading, clarify the meanings of words and phrases they still find confusing. Then use the questions below to check understanding. Encourage students to identify details in the text that support their answers.

How did Native Americans use cranberries? (as a food; as a dye to color blankets and rugs; as a medicine to treat wounds)

Where do cranberries grow best? (in bogs)

What happens when cranberries are ripe and ready to harvest? (They float to the surface of the bog and bob along there.)

Which two states have been top cranberry producers in the United States? (Massachusetts used to be the top producer, but since 1995, Wisconsin has been the top producer.)


Word Learning Strategy

• Read to Analyze Read aloud the Close Reader Habit on the lower right of p. 84 to set the purpose for the second read. Then have students reread the article with a partner and discuss any questions they might have.

Get Started

English Language LearnersBuild Meaning

Build Background Cranberries are traditionally associated with Thanksgiving dinner in the United States. Other foods served on Thanksgiving include turkey and sweet potatoes, which are also native to the Americas.

• Invite students to name foods native to their countries. Ask them to share what they know about how these foods are grown and prepared and whether the foods are eaten on a particular holiday.

Word Learning StrategyUse Context Clues

• Read aloud the sentence in paragraph 2 with the word dormant. Tell students to look at the words around dormant for clues to its meaning.

What words in the sentence help you figure out the meaning of dormant? (growing season, April to November)

What does the word dormant mean here? (not active at this time)

• Tell students that one type of context clue is an antonym, a word or phrase with an opposite meaning. When something is growing, it is active. Since the growing season ends in November, the berries must not be growing in winter. So something dormant is the opposite of something active.

Lesson 6

85

85Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Lesson 6

85Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts



Think Use what you learned from reading the article to respond to the following questions.

1 This question has two parts. Answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part AWhat inference can you make about Wisconsin based on details in the article?

A It was first settled by Native Americans who ate berries and corn.

B It was a major producer of blankets and rugs dyed red.

C It provides the conditions needed for growing cranberries.

D It has always been the number-one cranberry-producing state.

Part BChoose one piece of evidence from the article that best supports the answer in Part A.

A “The first people known to eat cranberries were the Native Americans in northern regions of what is now the United States.”

B “The growing season must last from April to November, followed by a dormant period in the winter.”

C “For years, the number-one cranberry-producing state in the United States was Massachusetts.”

D “However, since 1995, the state of Wisconsin has been the top cranberry producer.”

Talk

2 Explain what you can infer about growing conditions in Massachusetts and Wisconsin based on the details in the article. Use the Inference Chart on page 87 to organize your thoughts. Make sure to include details that describe the growing conditions needed by cranberries.

Write

3 Short Response Using information from your chart, explain your inferences about growing conditions in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Use details from the passage to support your response. Use the space provided on page 87 to write your answer.

HINT To organize your ideas, think about which details best explain your inference.

Good inferences are those you can back up with words, phrases, or sentences from the text.

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If… students have difficulty answering Part A of item 1,

then… guide them to reread the text and underline information that relates to Wisconsin (paragraph 4). Then have students reread each option in Part A and compare it to the details they underlined.

Students should ask and answer questions about each answer option, such as “Was Wisconsin first settled by Native Americans who ate berries and corn?” If the details in the text don’t support the inference, students should cross it off and try another option.

Think

• Have students work with a partner to complete parts A and B of item 1.

TIP If students have trouble supporting their inferences, tell them that the details they underlined in the passage can provide evidence.

Answer AnalysisWhen students have finished, discuss correct and incorrect responses.

1 Part A The correct choice is C. Wisconsin is the top cranberry producer, so you can infer that it has conditions needed for growing cranberries.

• A and B are not supported by details in the text.

• D is not true about Wisconsin and is explicitly contradicted in paragraph 4.

Part B The correct choice is D. You can infer that as the top cranberry producer since 1995, Wisconsin has the conditions needed for growing cranberries.

• A, B, and C are true statements about cranberries, but they are not specifically about Wisconsin.

DOK 2


Integrating Standards

Talk

• Have partners discuss the prompt. Emphasize that students need to combine text details with their own prior knowledge to make an inference.

• Circulate to clarify misunderstandings.

Write

• See p. 87 for instructional guidance.

• Ask students to recall the Learning Target. Have them explain how using details to support inferences helped them better understand this article.

Wrap Up


Use the following questions to further students’ understanding of the article:

• How did Henry Hall’s work contribute to Massachusetts being the number-one cranberry-producing state for many years? (Hall became the first person known to cultivate cranberries. He probably inspired others in the area to grow cranberries.) DOK 2

• Summarize the key details in paragraph 2 of “Fruit of the Bog.” (Cranberries need particular conditions to grow, including an acid, peat soil, a steady water supply, and a covering of sand. The growing season must last from April to November.) DOK 2



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Check Your Writing

Did you read the prompt carefully?

Did you put the prompt in your own words?

Did you use the best evidence from the text to support your ideas?

Are your ideas clearly organized?

Did you write in clear and complete sentences?

Did you check your spelling and punctuation?


Don’t forget to check your writing.

3 Short Response Explain how and why the use of the potato spread to other countries. Include at least three text details as support.

Write Use the space below to write your answer to the question on page 83.

HINT To organize your writing, identify details about the climate where the potato thrives.

POTATO The Travels

of the

Sample response: In the 1500s, Spanish explorers learned to eat potatoes in South

America in the Andes Mountains. They carried potatoes on their boats back to Spain.

The use of the potato spread from there to other countries. It became a major food

crop in England and Ireland. The potato thrives in places where the climate is cool

and moist.

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Write

• Remember to use the Response-Writing Routine on pp. A54–A55.

Review ResponsesAfter students complete the writing activity, help them evaluate their responses.

3 Responses may vary, but students should be able to infer that the use of the potato spread after Spanish explorers encountered the potato in South America in the 1500s and then took it back to Spain. From there, the potato spread to other countries with the cool, moist climate needed to grow potatoes. Students should use text details to support their inferences. See the sample response on the student book page. DOK 3

Scaffolding Support for Reluctant Writers

If students are having a difficult time getting started, use the strategies below. Work individually with struggling students, or have students work with partners.

• Circle the verbs in the prompt that tell you what to do, such as describe, explain, or compare.

• Underline words and phrases in the prompt that show what information you need to provide in your response, such as causes, reasons, or character traits.

• Talk about the details from the text that you will include in your response.

• Explain aloud how you will respond to the prompt.

Guided Practice

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87Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Guided Practice

Check Your Writing

Did you read the prompt carefully?

Did you put the prompt in your own words?

Did you use the best evidence from the text to support your ideas?

Are your ideas clearly organized?

Did you write in clear and complete sentences?

Did you check your spelling and punctuation?


2 Use the Inference Chart below to organize your ideas.

Write Use the space below to write your answer to the question on page 85.

3 Short Response Using information from your chart, explain your inferences about growing conditions in Massachusetts and Wisconsin. Use details from the passage to support your response.

What I Know (Experience)

What the Text Said (Evidence)

My Inference

HINT To organize your ideas, think about which details best explain your inference.

Fruit of the Bog

Sample response: Massachusetts and Wisconsin have bogs with acid, peat soil, and a

covering of sand. Cranberries grow best in these conditions. The cranberry growing

season in Massachusetts and Wisconsin lasts from April to November, and then the

plants lie dormant over the winter. This way they get a winter chill, which allows the

fruit buds to become cranberries.

Teacher Notes

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Talk

2 Students should use the Inference Chart to organize and record their thoughts.

Write

• Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Write prompt.

• Invite students to tell what the prompt is asking them to do. Make sure they understand that they need to explain the inferences they made about growing conditions, using text details as support.

• Call attention to the HINT.

• Remember to use the Response-Writing Routine on pp. A54–A55.

Review ResponsesAfter students complete the writing activity, help them evaluate their responses.

3 Responses may vary but should include that both Massachusetts and Wisconsin have bogs and ideal climate conditions to grow cranberries. Students should support these inferences with text details that describe the features of a bog, the length of the cranberry growing season, and why the cranberry plants need to lie dormant over the winter. See the sample response on the student book page. DOK 3





Placentia

Ariminum

Ancona

Castrum Truentinum

Rome

Capua

GenuaPisae

Messana

Catina RhegiumLilibeum

Why Salt?by Leigh Anderson and David Chandler, Appleseeds

Valuable Little Cubes

The Via Salarium, shown in yellow, led from the sea coast to Rome, an important center of trade.




1 Today, salt is given out freely in shakers and packets at our favorite restaurants. We can buy it cheaply at any grocery store. But it hasn’t always been so easy to get salt. � is tiny crystal cube has played a much more important role in history than just � avoring our fries. Around the world, cities were founded, roads were built, wars were fought, and trade routes were established, all for one reason: humans can’t live without salt. Literally. Because of this simple fact, salt became a valuable item a long time ago. People who controlled salt had power. Around 2,000 years ago, some of the people with salt—and power—were the Romans.

2 One way Rome controlled salt was by building villages along the Mediterranean coast. � is gave them access to the sea where they could harvest salt. One of the � rst great roads built by Romans . . . is called Via Salarium, or “Salt Road.” It is the oldest road in Italy today. As you might have guessed, it was built to transport salt.

3 As Rome grew, it became a great trading center, and salt was one of the main items traded there. Salt was so important in the daily lives of the Romans that soldiers were paid in blocks of salt. � is pay was called salarium argentums or “salt money,” giving us our word salary. In fact, the word soldier comes from the Latin sol dare, meaning “to give salt.”

WORDS TO KNOWAs you read, look inside, around, and beyond these words to figure out what they mean.

• role• regulated• access

Today you are going to read a history article and use what you have learned about making inferences based on key details in the text.

• Ask volunteers to explain why making inferences using text evidence will help readers better understand historical and other informational texts. Encourage students to use the Academic Talk words and phrases in their responses.

ReadYou are going to read the history article independently and use what you have learned to think and write about the text. As you read, remember to look closely at key details so you can make inferences about what is not explicitly stated in the article.

• Read aloud the title of the article, and then encourage students to preview the text, paying close attention to the photograph, map, illustrations, and captions.

• Call attention to the Words to Know in the upper left of p. 88. Remind students to use the Glossary of Words to Know in the back of the Student Book if they struggle to determine meaning from context, or to confirm their understanding of the word.

• If students need support in reading the article, you may wish to use the Monitor Understanding suggestions.

• When students have finished, have them complete the Think and Write sections.


Get Started

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Lesson 6

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Roman soldiers were paid in salarium argentums or “salt money.”



4 � roughout history and around the world, governments have regulated and taxed salt. . . . Salt played a role in the history of our country, too. In both the Revolutionary and Civil wars, keeping enough salt for the soldiers was important. In these and other wars, enemies have tried to keep salt away from each other. � e history of the world is over� owing with stories of salt.

What’s So Important About Salt? 5 Human beings can’t live without salt. It is a basic ingredient in our

bodies. Salt is in our tears, sweat, saliva, blood, and even in our urine. Without this mineral our cells, nerves, and muscles can’t do their jobs properly. However, too much salt can cause kidneys to work overtime, blood vessels to swell, and blood pressure to go dangerously high.

89


If… students struggle to read and understand the passage,

then… use these scaffolding suggestions:

Question the Text Preview the text with students by asking the following questions:

• What types of text features has the author included? (a photograph, a map, illustrations, and captions)

• Based on the title and the text features what do you predict the article will be about?

• What questions do you have about the text?

Vocabulary Support Define words that may interfere with comprehension, such as literally and limited.

Read Aloud Read aloud the text with students. You could also have

students chorally read the text in a small groups.

Check Understanding Use the questions below to check understanding. Encourage students to cite details in the text that support their answers.

• What simple fact explains why salt became a valuable item a long time ago? (Humans can’t live without it.)

• Why was the Via Salarium, or “Salt Road,” built? (so Romans could transport the salt they harvested from the sea)

• What is the article mostly about? (the role salt has played in people’s lives throughout history)

©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts







6 Our health depends on having the right amount of salt in our bodies. Generally, the human body is very good at keeping our salt levels balanced. But sometimes that balance can be thrown o� . Our diets, for example, might contain extremely low or extremely high amounts of salt. If this goes on for too long, there could be serious consequences—even death.

7 When early humans survived on the meat they hunted, their bodies got enough salt from the animals they ate. As people learned to grow their vegetables and grains and began to eat less meat, salt became more important. And it was o� en hard to � nd. � e need for salt and the limited supply of it made salt very valuable!

When people began to grow crops, they ate less meat and needed to find new ways to get salt into their diets.

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Theme Connection• Remind students that the theme of this lesson is Where

Foods Come From.

• Display a three-column chart on the board. Label each column with a passage title.

• Ask students how all of the passages in this lesson relate to the theme of where foods come from.

• Ask students to recall at least one fact they learned about food origins through reading each text.

• Have students tell which food they would like to learn more about and explain why. Where might they look to find out more about the history of that food?


After students have read the passage, use these questions to discuss the text with them:

• How has the value of salt changed since ancient times? Provide details from the text to support your answer.

(In the time of the ancient Romans, salt was so valuable “that soldiers were paid in blocks of salt.” Today, in contrast, “salt is given out freely in shakers and packets at our favorite restaurants.”) DOK 3

• What significant roles has salt played in history?

(About 2,000 years ago, Romans built villages and roads that gave them access to the sea so they could harvest and transport salt and therefore maintain their power. Governments around the world have regulated and taxed salt. In wars, enemies have tried to keep salt away from each other.) DOK 2

• In paragraph 5, the author says that “too much salt can cause kidneys to work overtime.” What does work overtime mean here? What can you infer from this and other details in this part of the text?

(In the context of the article, work overtime means “work harder than is normally safe for the kidneys.” This and other details in the passage suggest that there is a delicate balance between too little and too much salt in the body.) DOK 2

Theme Connection



Lesson 6

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Think Use what you learned from reading the history article to respond to the following questions.

1 This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part AWhat inference can you make based on the information in paragraph 3?

A The soldiers used blocks of salt as payment so they could travel along the Salt Road.

B Salt was so valued by Romans that it was used as a form of pay.

C The soldiers did not have a healthy diet, so they were paid in blocks of salt.

D The Roman government ran out of gold, so it paid soldiers in blocks of salt.

Part BWhich two sentences from the text provide the best support for your answer in Part A?

A “This . . . was called salarium argentums or ‘salt money.’”

B “Throughout history and around the world, governments have regulated and taxed salt.”

C “This tiny crystal cube has played a much more important role in history than just flavoring our fries.”

D “The word soldier comes from the Latin sol dare, meaning ‘to give salt.’”

E “Human beings can’t live without salt.”

F “The need for salt and the limited supply of it made salt very valuable!”

2 Underline two sentences in the paragraph below that best support the idea that our bodies need salt.

Our health depends on having the right amount of salt in our bodies. Generally, the human body is very good at keeping our salt levels balanced. But sometimes that balance can be thrown off . Our diets, for example, might contain extremely low or extremely high amounts of salt. If this goes on for too long, there could be serious consequences—even death.

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If… students struggle to complete the items,

then… you may wish to use the following suggestions:

Read Aloud Activities • As you read, have students note any unfamiliar words or

phrases. Clarify any misunderstandings.

• Discuss each item with students to make certain they understand the expectation.

Reread the Text • Have students complete an Inference Chart as they

reread.

• Have partners summarize the text.

Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Think

• Use the Monitor Understanding suggestions to support students in completing items 1–4.


Answer AnalysisWhen students have finished, discuss correct and incorrect responses.

1 Part A The correct choice is B. Paragraph 3 says, “This pay was called salarium argentums or ‘salt money,’ giving us our word salary.”

• A is incorrect because the Salt Road is covered in paragraph 2, not paragraph 3.

• C is incorrect because paragraph 3 says nothing about salt and the health of Roman soldiers.

• D is incorrect because Roman soldiers were paid with salt because it was valuable, not because the government ran out of gold.

Part B The correct choices are A and D. These sentences from paragraph 3 support the inference that Romans so valued salt that it was used as a form of pay.

• B, C, E, and F contain facts about salt, but they do not support the correct inference from Part A, and they are not from paragraph 3.

DOK 2

2 Students should underline sentences 1 and 5. The details in these two sentences emphasize the importance of salt for people’s health. The other sentences tell about how the body tries to maintain the right balance of salt and that sometimes that balance gets thrown off, but they do not connect that balance directly to the body’s need for salt. DOK 1







3 Read the following inference.

The salt transported over the Salt Road helped Rome to become a great and important trading center.

Which three details from the text provide the best support for the inference?

A “People who controlled salt had power.”

B “When early humans survived on the meat they hunted, their bodies got enough salt from the animals they ate.”

C “Around 2,000 years ago, some of the people with salt—and power—were the Romans.”

D “One way Rome controlled salt was by building villages along the Mediterranean coast.”

E “Human beings can’t live without salt.”

F “As people learned to grow their vegetables and grains and began to eat less meat, salt became more important.”

4 This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then answer Part B.

Part A

Read the sentence from paragraph 4 of the passage.

The history of the world is overfl owing with stories of salt.

What does the word overfl owing mean as it is used in this sentence?

A wide and vast

B overly full of

C covered completely

D in short supply

Part B

Underline three sentences in the paragraph below that provide the best support for your answer in Part A.

Throughout history and around the world, governments have regulated and taxed salt. . . . Salt played a role in the history of our country, too. In both the Revolutionary and Civil wars, keeping enough salt for the soldiers was important. In these and other wars, enemies have tried to keep salt away from each other. The history of the world is overfl owing with stories of salt.

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If… students don’t understand the writing task,

then… read aloud the writing prompt. Use the following questions to help students get started:

• What is the prompt asking you to write about?

• Do you need to reread the text to find more information?

• How will you identify the information you need to include?

• Have partners talk about how to they will organize their responses.

• Provide a graphic organizer to assist students, if needed.


3 The correct choices are A, C, and D. These details all help the reader infer that the salt trade helped Rome become a great trading center.

• B, E, and F all contain details from the text; however, they are incorrect choices because they do not relate Rome’s control of the Salt Road to its growth as an important trading center.

DOK 1

4 Part A The correct choice is B. The word overflowing has multiple meanings. In this sentence, history is being compared to a container that is so full of stories about salt that they are spilling over. So, the answer that makes the most sense is “overly full of.”

• A, C, and D give meanings that are not associated with overflowing. They do not convey the idea of something being filled beyond capacity and do not make sense in the context of the sentence.

Part B Students should underline sentences 1, 2, and 4. These sentences all contain examples of the ways that salt has affected the history of the world—the regulation and taxing of salt, salt’s impact on US history, and salt’s role as a wartime strategy. DOK 2


Lesson 6

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Learning TargetIn this lesson, you learned to use text details and what you know to make inferences. Now explain how this can help you develop a deeper understanding of informational texts.

Write

5 Short Response How is the value of salt different today than it was in ancient Roman times? Include three details from the article to support your response.

Sample response: The role of salt has changed. In the past, salt

was so valuable it was used as money. Roads were built around

Italy to transport salt to Rome. During wars, one side tried to

keep salt from its enemies to weaken their soldiers. Today, salt is

easy to buy inexpensively in the store. It is so available and

inexpensive in the present that restaurants let customers use it

for free.

Answers will vary, but students should identify ways that text

evidence and information they already know can be used to make

good inferences that help them understand informational texts.

5 2-Point Writing Rubric

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Points Focus Evidence Organization

2 My answer does exactly what the prompt asked me to do.

My answer is supported with plenty of details from the text.

My ideas are clear and in a logical order.

1 Some of my answer does not relate to the prompt.

My answer is missing some important details from the text.

Some of my ideas are unclear and out of order.

0 My answer does not make sense.

My answer does not have any details from the text.

My ideas are unclear and not in any order.

Lesson 6 Supporting Inferences About Informational Texts©Curriculum Associates, LLC Copying is not permitted

Write

• Tell students that using what they read, they will plan and compose a short response to the writing prompt.


Review ResponsesAfter students have completed each part of the writing activity, help them evaluate their responses.

5 Display or pass out copies of the reproducible 2-Point Writing Rubric on p. TR10. Have students use the rubric to individually assess their writing and revise as needed.

When students have finished their revisions, evaluate their responses. Answers will vary but should include an inference that makes sense based on at least three details from the text, supporting the idea that salt has gone from being highly valued to being given away for free. See the sample response on the student book page. DOK 3

Learning Target• Have each student respond in writing to the

Learning Target prompt.

• When students have finished, have them share their responses. This may be done with a partner, in small groups, or as a whole class.

Wrap Up

lesson lesson 6 oeriew supporting inferences about

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