Inferences/
Context Clues
Context Clues
What does it mean to infer?
To make an educated guess based on background knowledge and text evidence.
What are the 5 types of text structure?
Cause/ Effect
Description
Problem/ Solution
Compare/ Contrast
What are the three types of author's purpose?
Hint: Remember PIE
Persuade
Inform
Entertain
What does denotation mean?
The dictionary definition of a word.
My neck is extremely long to help me reach leaves on tall trees. I have spots but they aren’t exactly round. I am long and slender. My tail looks like a zebra, but I am much taller than one.
What am I?
A giraffe
Roberta could not get over how elegant the cruise ship was. The walls were made of beautiful wood, there were fresh flowers on every table, and the floors were made of gleaming stone.
What does elegant mean?
(a) stylish in appearance (b) sloppy (c) boring
(a) stylish in appearance
Onions are made up of unusually large cells. These cells are readily visible with just a small amount of magnification. As a result, onions are a perfect vegetable to use in science education. When teachers want their students to observe cell structure, they often gather some inexpensive onions and facilitate a lesson where students use a microscope to view an onion skin cell.
Cause and Effect
Most people think that gorillas are mean, but actually they are shy. It seems that such a huge animal with very large teeth would be aggressive. Hollywood movies help convey this image of the scary, ferocious gorilla. In fact, gorillas only attack if they are provoked. However, gorillas usually don't have to fight other animals because of their impressive size. They really are not as scary as people think.
PIE?
Inform
What does connotation mean?
The emotions and meanings attached to a word.
It was difficult to listen to Tommy speak because his shrill voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Sharp
The little boy was fascinated by the model train set. Even when the rest of his family moved on, he remained staring intently at the tiny tracks.
What does fascinated mean?
(a) attracted to (b) depressed by (c) forgetful
(a) attracted to
Cutting an onion can be an extremely unpleasant experience. In fact, it is so awful that it often results in eyes that sting like bees, and tears streaming down the cook’s face. Have you ever wondered what causes this undesirable outcome, and how you can avoid it?
Slicing the onion releases sulfuric acid into the air. This sulfuric acid reacts with the moisture in a person’s eyes and results in the tearful reaction.
There is a simple solution to this common problem. Cut the onion under a stream of running water. This will prevent the sulfuric acid from reacting with your eyes’ moisture. If you follow this tip, you will likely have a positive onion-cutting experience without the tears.
Having good manners means being polite and thoughtful to others. Saying a simple please or thank you are examples of good manners. Holding a door open for someone is very polite. Practicing good table manners is being thoughtful. Some good table manners would include placing your napkin on your lap, asking someone to please pass something you would like, and eating neatly. Giving someone a sincere compliment and graciously accepting a compliment by saying thank you are more ways to show good manners. Using good manners is a way to show respect for others and an example of The Golden Rule!
PIE?
Inform
Referring to someone's house as a shack has what type of connotation? Positive or negative?
Negative
The churlish girl teased the kindergartner. She is so rude!
Mean
Kaia remembered when she had just two pairs of shoes. Now, her closet holds a plethora of shoes in almost every color and every style.
What does plethora mean?
(a) size (b) a lot/ many (c) a little
(b) a lot/ many
Yellow onions and white onions are very similar. In fact, beginning cooks often use these onions interchangeably. When a cook reads a recipe that calls for an onion that will need to be cooked, they are likely to reach for a yellow onion or a white onion. The most obvious difference between yellow onions and white onions is their color. However, there are also more subtle differences. A yellow onion usually has a tough outer skin. In contrast, a white onion tends to have a thinner, more tender skin. Whereas white onions retain their sharp flavor throughout cooking, yellow onions become sweeter the longer they cook.
Compare and Contrast
A youtube ad selling the latest iPhone.
Persuade
Which word has a positive connotation?
Confident OR Arrogant
Confident
If the tears often caused by cutting an onion aren’t bad enough, the action also typically results in hands that reek of onions hours after the onionslicing occurred. The next time you cut an onion and your hands stink, try this trick that many cooks swear by. Find a piece of stainless steel- perhaps a sink or a large spoon- and rub your hands against it for about one minute. The sulfur molecules react with the chromium in the stainless steel, and become neutralized. As a result, the smell vanishes!
Problem and Solution
Before the surgery the nurse ensured that all of the instruments were sterilized and completely cleaned.
What does sterilize mean?
(a) decontaminate/ clean (b) available (c) new
(a) decontaminate/ clean
Let’s face it… onions have a less-than-stellar reputation. However, there are a handful of instances where onions have made it into the spotlight. If you’ve seen any of the Shrek movies, you can probably picture the onion-shaped carriage that Shrek and Fiona use for travel. You might also remember Shrek telling Donkey that ogres are like onions… they have many layers. Holes, a Newbery-award winning book by Louis Sachar which later became a hit movie, also features onions. In the book, the main characters, Stanley and Zero, would not have survived if they hadn’t found a stash of onions to eat. Have you heard of “The Onion Song” by Marvin Gaye? It was released in 1969, and it became so popular in Great Britain that it reached #9 on the singles chart. If books, songs, and movies continue to feature onions in a positive light, perhaps someday onions will have the good reputation they deserve.
Description
What do you do with aluminum cans? Do you throw them in the trash, or do you recycle when you are finished with them? At the rate we are filling our landfills, we will not have anywhere else to put our trash. If you recycle, you will help the environment. The next time you throw away your Coke can, think about putting it in a recycling bin. Your effort will help save your community.
Persuade
McDonald's is an inexpensive meal. If you change the word inexpensive to cheap, the word now has a ____ connotation.
Positive or negative
Negative
Do you have a dog or cat residing at your home? If the answer is yes, be sure to keep onions out of your pet’s reach. Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulfate. While this ingredient is perfectly safe for humans, it is toxic to cats and dogs. Thiosulfate weakens a cat or dog’s red blood cells. If your pet consumes enough onions, the red blood cells can even burst! As you can see, the accidental ingestion of onions by your dog or cat can result in worrisome consequences.
Cause and Effect