Grade 4 Unit 3 Week 3
Skill/Strategy: Generalize
Essential Question: What is a generalization and how can I tell if it is valid?
Review: A generalization is a broad statement or rule that applies to many examples. Clue words such as all, most, always, usually, or generally signals that an author is making a generalization. Valid generalizations are supported by facts, and faulty generalizations are not supported.
Reading Street, Grade 4, Unit 3, p. 314
Part A: Look at some common generalizations. Circle the clue words. Decide if each generalization is valid or faulty by identifying facts that support valid opinions. (see attached sheet)
Girls can’t catch. faulty
Most children like pizza. valid
All boys play sports. faulty
It always snows in the winter. faulty
Library books are usually free. valid
Usually, kids wear helmets when they ride bicycles. valid/faulty
All animals migrate every year. faulty
In Pennsylvania, it is always dark at night. valid
Kids in elementary schools are generally well-behaved. valid
I always try my best. your choice
Part B: Read the Week 1 Paired Selection to students (one page at a time) while students follow along. This exercise is designed so that students can practice finding a fact in the text as part of the process. Ask students to find the related section in the text and then change the following sentences from faulty to valid.
. Faulty Generalization / Valid Generalization / Supporting Fact(s)p. 288 – The Earth causes the seasons. / The Earth’s movement around the sun causes the seasons. / The Earth moves around the sun. The Earth is tilted on its axis.
p. 289 – Being farther from the sun makes the weather warmer. / Being closer to the sun makes the weather warmer. / When the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the sun, it is spring and summer. These countries have winter and fall when they are pointed away from the sun.
p. 289 – The equinox is the day with the most daylight. / The autumn equinox is the day with the most daylight. / September 21, 2,, or 23 is the days with 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.
p. 290 – Leaves are colorful. / In the fall, the leaves change colors. / Chlorophyll breaks down, allowing colorful pigments to be revealed.
p. 290 – The United States is a good place to see the colorful leaves. / Eastern United States is one good place to see the colors of autumn. / Eastern US and southeastern Canada have many forests. The leaves changes colors in the fall.
p. 291 – When geese fly, the one in the front is the generally the loudest. / When geese fly, the one in the front of the V formation is one of the strongest. / The strongest geese take turns flying in the front of the V formation.
p. 291 – Animals usually know when it is time to get a bath. / Animals usually know when it is time to migrate. / Geese fly south before ponds freeze and snow falls.
How can you tell the difference between a faulty and valid generalization?
A faulty generalization is not completely true or cannot be supported by facts.
Part C: Inductive Reasoning
Making a generalization is also called inductive reasoning. Show students how to use the graphic organizer to list details, notice patterns, and make a generalization. I believe students will need a lot of support to complete this activity.
Part C – Inductive Reasoning
#1 Sam has done a lot of work in the field today. His eyes are burning, and feeling itchy. He is rubbing his eyes, and keeps sneezing.
#2 When you eat your fish dinner, it goes from your mouth into a tube in your throat called your esophagus. As you swallow, strong muscles move the food downward.
#3 Fructose (FROOK-TOSE) makes foods taste sweet and can be found in all different kinds of fruit. It gives your body the energy it requires to keep moving and working.
#4 Your tongue has more than 10,000 taste buds on it. These taste buds allow you to taste the various flavors of your food. The tongue is a strong muscle that pushed the good up and down against the roof of your mouth.
Name ______Date ______
Part A – Valid and Faulty Generalizations
Generalization / Valid / Faulty / How do you know?Girls can’t catch.
Most children like pizza.
All boys play sports.
It always snows in the winter.
Library books are usually free.
Usually, kids wear helmets when they ride bicycles.
All animals migrate every year.
In Pennsylvania, it is always dark at night.
Kids in elementary schools are generally well-behaved.
I always try my best.
Name ______Date ______
Part B – Faulty and Valid Generalizations
. Faulty Generalization / Valid Generalization / Supporting Fact(s)p. 288 – The Earth causes the seasons.
p. 289 – Being farther from the sun makes the weather warmer.
p. 289 – The equinox is the day with the most daylight.
p. 290 – Leaves are colorful.
p. 290 – The United States is a good place to see the colorful leaves.
p. 291 – When geese fly, the one in the front is the generally the loudest.
p. 291 – Animals usually know when it is time to get a bath.
How can you tell the difference between a faulty and valid generalization?
Name ______Date ______
Part C – Inductive Reasoning
#1 Sam has done a lot of work in the field today. His eyes are burning, and feeling itchy. He is rubbing his eyes, and keeps sneezing.
#2 When you eat your fish dinner, it goes from your mouth into a tube in your throat called your esophagus. As you swallow, strong muscles move the food downward.
#3 Fructose (FROOK-TOSE) makes foods taste sweet and can be found in all different kinds of fruit. It gives your body the energy it requires to keep moving and working.
#4 Your tongue has more than 10,000 taste buds on it. These taste buds allow you to taste the various flavors of your food. The tongue is a strong muscle that pushed the good up and down against the roof of your mouth.