Say what? Inference Oops

So I got my first cold of the teaching season. It is too early in the year to call in sick because I am trying to keep my routines and authority in place. I have been barreling through with this cold all week. 

We started learning about inference this week. For the most part it has been going well. 

We read "Made out of Meat" and then made inferences about the story. 

The story is a conversation between two beings and their discussion about these beings they have just encountered who are, "Made out of meat." 

The reader needs to infer that the being having a conversation are aliens and the beings made out of "meat" are humans.

An adaptation of the story if you are interested:

At the end of the story the aliens decide that they are going to, "Pretend like no one is home," and leave without making contact. 

One of the inference questions I asked my students was, "Why were the aliens going to pretend like no one is home?"

One block of my students stared at me blankly so I decided I needed to lead them towards the answer. 

I said, "Well, if someone came to your house and you pretended like no one was home, why would you do this?"

They all said, "Oh! Because I don't want to talk to them!"

I replied, "EXACTLY! So the aliens would pretend like no one is home because....."

Their response? 

"They are going to kill the humans!"

Face....meet palm

We got there eventually, but really.....I don't even have words for how my students' brains work this year. 

If you are interested in any of my inference lessons:

CLICK HERE