Mini-Lesson: Inferencing Partly Cloudy

Intern Name: Rachael McMillan

Grade Level: 7th grade
School: Olympia Middle School
Lesson Date & Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Time:

Purpose/ The purpose of this lesson is to show students how to ask questions while
Rationale reading through a text, and to give students an opportunity to apply what
they have learned to go a step further by recreating the story with the
inferencing we have done as a class.
This lesson will be beneficial to my students because they have been looking
for character traits throughout their novels, and this lesson with further their
learning by giving them ideas and tools to think deeper about what they are
reading in their novel and to figure out what the story is saying between the
lines.

Objectives Students will use discussion tools and questions to deeply understand the
short Partly Cloudy to then be able to apply what we learned about the
stork and the cloud to create dialogue to show their understanding of
inferencing.

Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how
setting shapes the characters or plot).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse
or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

Assessmen Formative:
ts The Partly Cloudy Action and Dialogue Activity the students will work on in
groups after the lesson.

Resources Introduction to Reading Skills: Making Inferences Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acZzllpIYz4
Partly Cloudy Pixar Short Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfyJQEIsMt0
Promethean
Partly Cloudy Action and Dialogue Activity

Opening - I will open class by showing the short video Introduction to Reading Skills:
Engagem Making Inferences. Then I will explain we will be exploring how to look at a
ent story to create inferences from it by taking time to stop while reading, by
 ML Lesson Plan

asking questions, and thinking about our background knowledge. I will

explain that while watching this video, I am specifically going to keep an eye
out for: actions, specific emotional thoughts, and elements of the story that I
have questions about.

Instruction I will begin to play the short: Partly Cloudy.

al I will stop at 0:52 to ask the class what is the setting, the set up to our story.
Strategies Do the students understand?
(Procedur The I will play from 0:52-58. I will pause and ask the class, I noticed a detail
es)
difference. Why does this cloud look different than the rest of them?
Students will turn and talk to each other before I call on them to answer.
(General ideas to keep in mind: storm clouds are grey, and this one looks
sad)
I will then play from 0:58-1:36. I will ask the students What are you thinking
about? to first see if they can come up with their own ideas about the stork
character. I can also ask the class:
How do you think the stork is feeling? How can you tell? Students will
discuss in pairs before sharing with the class.
I will then play from 1:36-2:24. I will ask the students the same question as
before, but now the plot has revealed itself more to us: NOW how do you
think the stork is feeling? What is he thinking about? Class will discuss.
I will play from 2:24-2:53, and ask Why is this cloud making dangerous
animals, different than the other clouds? See what students come up with.
I will the play 2:24-3:09. I will point out that the grey cloud hugs the stork?
Why is he doing that? Class will discuss.
I will play 3:09-3:58. What emotions is the grey cloud dealing with in this
scene? How do you know?
Play 3:58-4:16. Tell the class Ohhh, the stork comes back with protective
gear. And ask: What statement is the stork making with that action? He is
not saying anything, but what is he telling cloud with this action? Students
will discuss with their partners, and share with the class.

Closure We will watch the end of the film. I will then ask the students to get into
their literature circles.
They will be instructed to create dialogue for the short based on what we
have inferred about in class about the two characters and that we actions
have seen throughout the plot.
I will pass out a handout that I have created: The story of the cloud and the
stork as we have seen in class, but with blank spaces in-between parts of
the story. This is so students can work together to create dialogue to fill in
the gaps of understanding. They will work on this in literature circles for the
remainder of the class period. It is due by the end of the hour.