The document discusses how to draw conclusions by using information that is already known combined with details learned from a story or situation. It provides examples of short passages and asks the reader to draw a conclusion based on contextual clues. In the examples, conclusions are correctly drawn that a hairy four-legged creature that likes walks is a dog, a round food covered in sauce and topped with meats is pizza, and a beach setting with people, seagulls, waves and smells of salt and food implies the location is a beach.

1. Drawing Conclusions English I NCVPS

2. What Does This Mean? A conclusion is a decision that you make based on the information you have. This information comes from two places: Your head The story

3. Therefore, to draw a conclusion, you must do two things: Use what you already know and Use what you’ve learned from the story

4. When you put these two things together, you can make a decision ~ draw a conclusion ~ about what has occurred or about what is to come.

5. For Example I’m hairy. I have four legs. I like to talk long walks and chase squirrels. What am I?

6. Let’s Think! . . . What do we know? I’m hairy. Certain animals are hairy. I have four legs. Dog and cats have four legs. I like to talk long walks with my owner and chase squirrels. Only dogs like to take long walks with their owners and chase squirrels.

7. If we use what we already know, it helps us come to the right conclusion. Let’s try it again!

8. I am round. I am covered with sauce. Some people like to put meat and vegetables all over me. I’m cut into separate slices for people to eat. What am I?

9. What do you know? I am round. Lots of things are round. I am covered with sauce. Only certain foods are covered with sauce, like meatballs and pizza. Some people like to put meat and vegetables all over me. You don’t put meat and veggies on meatballs!, but you can put them on pizza. I’m cut into separate slices for people to eat. Only pizza, not meatballs, is cut into separate slices.

10. Bravo! Let’s do it again, this time with a super short story.

11. Remember to do two things: ~ use what you already know ~ use what you learned in the story It was a hot day and the sun beat down on all of the sun-screened people laying on blankets on the sand. The seagulls could be heard overhead flapping their wings, waiting for a scrap of food to drop to the ground. The moist air was rich with the smell of sea salt and grilled hot dogs. In the background was the laughter of children and the soothing sound of waves continuously lapping at the shore. Where does this story take place?

12. What do we know? People are lying on blankets on the sand. Seagulls are flying overhead. The air smells like sea salt and hot dogs. Children are playing and having fun. There are constant waves .

13. Where are we? Take a guess . . . Did you say. . .??? The BEACH!!! You’re right ~ YEAH! 

14. Let’s try it one last time This time we’ll try it by looking at the end of a short story you all know: The Most Dangerous Game , by Richard Connell. Because you already know the story, you can use what you already know as well as what you learn from this ending.

15. “ Rainsford did not smile. ‘I am still a beast at bay,” he said, in a low, hoarse voice. “Get ready, General Zaroff.’ The general made one of his deepest bows. ‘I see,’ he said. ‘Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford. . . .’ He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided.”

16. What do we know? We know that Zaroff likes to hunt humans. We know that Rainsford was his ‘game’, and Zaroff thought he killed him.

17. What do we learn from the ending of the story? We know that Rainsford knows that as long as Zaroff is alive, he is in danger. “ ‘I am still a beast at bay,’ ” he tells Zaroff. We know that Zaroff loves a good challenge, and is ready to take Rainsford on again. ‘Splendid! . . . On guard, Rainsford. . . .’ We know that whoever loses will be dinner for the dogs. “ ’One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds.’ “ Zaroff tell Rainsford. And we know that whoever wins gets the big bed. “ ‘The other will sleep in this very excellent bed.’ ”

18. What conclusion can we draw? Based on what the narrator tells us at the end of the story, “ He had never slept in a better bed, Rainsford decided,” who won the duel ~ Rainsford or Zaroff?

19. If you said Rainsford, You’re Right!! 

20. Ok, that’s it for now! Go back to the course for further instructions.