Inference
What is inference?
An educated guess based on evidence in the text.
Who is the author of our text this week?
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
What is a main idea?
A sentence that describes the topic of the text; what it's all about. This is sometimes described as a one sentence summary.
What country was the author from?
Spain
How many men ultimately survived?
Four
What can we infer about the author's personality? Use evidence.
Answers will vary.
Who helped the author and his men survive?
The Karankawa tribe
What is the main idea of this story?
The expedition met with disaster, but some survived thanks to the help of some Native Americans.
Why did the author end up in jail?
His people overthrew him as governor due to his unpopular policies.
What had the men been eating for months?
Corn
What inference did the author make when he saw signs of cattle?
That there must be Christians nearby.
Who was the actual leader of the expedition?
Panfilo de Narvaez
What is the main idea of a persuasive essay?
The topic that is being argued about and the author's opinion of it.
How many men did the expedition start with?
600
Who of the expedition first made contact with the Karankawa?
Lope de Oviedo
What can we infer from the men's delight in finding embers from their old fires?
Building fires was difficult. Finding embers might have saved their lives.
Who funded the expedition?
Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain)
How is a main idea similar to a theme?
Both are one sentence descriptions of important ideas in a story.
What year did the expedition start?
1527
What prayers did the Europeans use to try and heal the sick?
Ave Maria and Pater Noster.
What can we infer about the Karankawa's views on hospitality?
Hospitality seems to be valued; they repeatedly help travelling strangers, and their host defends them.
Which named character drowned?
Inspector Solis
How is a main idea different from a theme?
A main idea covers the main point of a story: the topic, or an outline of events. A theme is a recurring universal idea.
Who got the author out of jail?
His wife, Maria Marmalejo
Describe the cure used by the Karankawa.
Cuts are made over the point of pain. A medicine man would suck on the cuts and then cauterize them.