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will explain the difference between explicit information and drawing conclusions. (Explicit information is information that is right there in the text. Drawing conclusions requires the reader to use background knowledge, textual clues, and pictures to identify meaning.) I will read the short passage “The Great Gift” and read an example of a question that requires the reader to pull explicit information from the text and an example of a question that requires the reader to draw a conclusion. (Passage and questions are provided in Books and Passages.) I will model how to identify each question type. (Explicit information questions require the reader to look for the answers in the text. Conclusion questions require readers to look for the answers in the text and think about what they already know about the subject in order to answer the question.)

TIP: Depending your students’ needs, you might choose to focus the lesson on identifying information from the text as either explicit information or a conclusion instead of having students label the questions.

Ask: How did I determine whether a question was asking me to find explicit information or to draw a conclusion? Students should be able to explain that you read the questions and thought about how to find the answers. If the answers were right in the text, the question was an explicit information question. If the question required you to think about what you already knew, and to use textual clues and pictures to help you find an answer that was not right in the text, then you knew that it was a drawing conclusions question.

will read one of the Skill & Strategy Reading Passages (provided on website; teachers should choose an appropriate passage for their students) and answer the questions. We will identify the answers to the questions as either explicit information or drawing conclusions.

will read another Skill & Strategy Reading Passage (provided on website; teachers should choose an appropriate passage for their students) and answer the questions. You will identify the answers to the questions as either explicit information or drawing conclusions.

TIP: Choose passages based on your students’ interest and reading level. Choose third grade passages for struggling readers and fifth grade passages for excelling readers.