INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Clarify to your students that an inference is not a random guess, but a guess based on observations and a logical conclusion about what is happening. Explain to them that there are many inferences we can draw from images, then show them a few pictures and ask them to make inferences. You can also describe inferencing to students as "reading between the lines." Students will need to look at facts and evidence they're presented with (in literature or their daily lives) and infer a logical conclusion. When students state the obvious, they rely only on their powers of perception. Making an inference requires students to go a step farther. In fact, making an observation and stating the obvious is a step that comes right before making an inference. If students look at a specific image, inferencing requires more than just describing the photo. For example, a student could state the obvious by saying, "That woman in the picture is wearing a square hat on her head." From this obvious statement, the student could construct a correct inference: "The woman in the picture is graduating from high school or college." This works best if the context of the picture is not immediately clear. For example, show students a picture of a person wearing a bathing suit and suspended in midair. Ask them to make observations about the picture. Eventually they'll infer that the person is diving. Remind students that their answers must make sense and be logical to form a good inference. If a student suggests, "He's flying!" remind the student that people can't fly. If a student suggests, "She's skydiving," point out that the person is not wearing a parachute, and that people don't skydive in swimwear. Inference and prediction are related but not the same. When students predict, they make an educated guess about what will happen next. When students infer, they make an educated guess about what is currently happening. Explain this to students with the visual aid. When looking at the image of a person diving, a logical student prediction would be, "this person is about to land in the water." A logical student inference would be, "this person is in the act of taking a dive." As you work through this activity, clarify to students that, although inferences can be subjective, it's possible to draw incorrect inferences too. Urge students to make logical connections to avoid incorrect inferences. For example, if a student looked at the picture of the diver and said, "He's performing in a circus," the student would be making an inference, but an incorrect one. You could say, "His swimsuit could be part of a costume, but I don't see any clowns or acrobats in the picture, so he's probably not part of a circus."

SUMMARY: Tell students that inferencing is like making an educated guess. Distinguish inferencing from stating the obvious. Show students a photo and ask them to infer what's going on. Distinguish inferencing from making a prediction. Explain that inferences can be wrong.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you're constantly half-prepared, confused, and overwhelmed by your responsibilities, others will start to look on you as a burden rather than an enjoyable presence. Even things as simple as staying prepared for class will make you seem more enjoyable than a class neighbor who never has a pencil, wants to know what page you're on, and has to ask for homework help at the last minute. Do what's expected of you and more, if possible. If you do the dishes without being asked, always hang up your towel, and cook meals for everyone, you'll be much more likely to be asked to be someone's roommate. Be self-sufficient, as much as possible. The less you need to ask for help, the more you'll be confident in your own abilities, as well as you'll be able to help others with their own problems. You'll be useful. If you demonstrate curiosity, friendliness, and a legitimate interest in the lives of others, you'll be fun to be around. People like to be around real people, people who are curious and seem supportive. Be one of those people. Ask lots of questions in conversation to keep people talking and at ease in conversation. You can keep conversations flowing easily by asking more questions. Even simple things like, "What was that like?" or "How did it feel?" will keep people talking. A lot of times, people will misidentify social awkwardness as self-centeredness or egotism. While this is unfortunate, you can do a lot to avoid this misconception by showing an honest and legitimate interest in other people. Don't just talk about yourself. Look people in the eye when you speak to them. Show them physically that you're open and paying attention as they speak. It's not just your ideas and your presence that matter, but the way you say the things you think. If you have something to say, say it clearly and loudly, as if you stand behind it, not like you're embarrassed of what you think. If it's worth saying something, say it loud enough to hear. Don't hedge your statements or go back on them. Avoid starting sentences like, "Sorry, but..." or "I don't really know..." or "This is dumb, but..." Don't obliterate your ideas before you've even shared them. Just say what you think. Stand up for yourself. The less you say, the more powerful the things you do say will be. It's not always appropriate to chip in, and in fact, people usually want to be around other people with whom they can comfortably share some measure of silence. It's not always necessary to be talking a lot. Don't talk just to talk. If you don't have anything to contribute to a group conversation, or if your opinion would merely be repetitive, just stay quiet. It's not important to be the center of the conversation. People will quickly be able to separate the poseurs and the fakes from the real people in the world. Don't pretend to be something that you're not. If something is popular, it won't necessarily get you more friends if you pretend to like it. Be who you are and like what you like. On the other side of this coin is the idea that you can be anyone you want. Just because you've been meek or quiet in the past doesn't mean you always have to be. Be willing to make a change for the better and improve yourself, if you identify something that needs to be improved. What's your ideal version of yourself? Some people make the mistake of thinking that they need to build themselves up with exaggerations and brags to get other people to like them. While this can come off as being a minor irritation at best, it can also lead people to believe that you're disingenuous, unconfident, and lame. Let your actions and your production speak for itself, don't build yourself up with brags. Don't humble-brag, either, especially on social networking. Nothing can sour people to your presence quite like a bunch of tweets about how you're so bummed about how much work you have to do now that you're the team captain, or how hot the water in your hot tub gets in the summer. Boo-hoo. That little voice that tells you how you're not funny enough, or good looking enough, or rich enough, or smart enough to hang out with people? Tell it to shut up and buzz off. There's nothing that undermines your ability to move through the world confidently like this annoying little voice. It only keeps you from having the fun and the friends you want to have. Try out a mantra that will keep you positive, even if it feels corny. But let that voice invade your brain and crowd out the other complainers. Steal confidence boosting lines and ideas from uplifting songs. Even if it's some braggadocious rap, start bumping that Jay-Z to get yourself pumped. You got this, whatever it is.

SUMMARY:
Be prepared. Be interested in others. Speak clearly and confidently. Know when to stop talking. Be yourself. Let your actions speak for themselves. Silence your inner critics.