Scott Foresman Reading Street

SKILLS

STRATEGIES IN CONTEXT

Generalize
Answer Questions

Test

Selection Test:
Unit 3
Benchmark Test: Unit 4

Reteach/
Review

TE: 3.3 379b, DI•55; 3.4 85b,
101, 127, DI•54;
3.5 161; 3.6 407b, DI•56

PB: 3.1 133, 137, 138; 3.2 23, 27,
28, 36, 46, 56,
143, 147, 148

Practice

TE: 3.3 354–355, 3.4 60–61,
3.6 380–381

Introduce/
Teach

Generalize

	Identify and make generalizations.

	Answer questions to identify and make generalizations.

INTRODUCE

Ask students to name three kinds of dogs they are familiar with. Write their responses on the board. Then prompt students for general information about each dog, such as number of legs, tails, ears, and how they communicate. After writing the information under the name of each dog, challenge students to think about how the dogs are alike.

Have students read the information on
p. 354. Explain the following:

A generalization often sums up
information or states the main idea.
As we read, we should ask
ourselves questions about
information we do not
understand. Answering these
questions can help us make generalizations.

Use Skill Transparency 14 as a way to teach generalizations.

TEACH

STRATEGY Model asking a

question about the selection and looking for the answer.

MODEL The title of the
selection is "Songbirds of the Sea." I wonder what animal it

refers to. From the picture, I know the selection is about whales. They must be the songbirds mentioned in the title.

SKILL Use paragraphs 1

and 2 to model how to identify a generalization the author has made.

MODEL The author says that beluga whales make lots of noise. This could be a

generalization, but there's no clue word. What if I say, All beluga whales make lots of noise? The sentence still makes sense, so it must be a generalization.

PRACTICE AND ASSESS

STRATEGY The answer to the

question is at the end of the second paragraph: Beluga whales make noise for many different reasons.

SKILL Have students use

facts and details from the selection to determine whether this generalization can be made: Sound helps beluga whales identify different objects in the water.

WRITE Have students complete

steps 1 and 2 of the Write to Read activity. You might consider using this as a whole class activity.

then… use Practice Book 3.1, p. 133, to provide additional practice.

If… students are unable to complete Write to Read on
p. 354,

Generalize

Available as Skill Transparency 14

Strategy
Answer Questions

Skill
Generalize

Clue words such as most, many, all, or
few signal generalizations.

Generalize

Sometimes when you read ideas about
    several things you can see how they are
    alike in some way. You can make a general
    statement about all of them together.

Strategy Here’s
a question: “What
generalization about beluga whales has
the author made?”
Look for the answer.
You can find it right
there in the last sentence of
paragraph 2.

Generalization

Example

Active readers ask and answer questions as
they read. They know where to look for the
answers. An answer might be right there in
one sentence or it might be in two or more
sentences. Answering questions will help you
reach a generalization.

Strategy: Answer Questions

Beluga whales make lots of noise.
They click, whistle, squeal, and grunt.
They also sing. Because belugas sing so
much, they are called songbirds of the sea.
Why do belugas make so much noise?
Sometimes they want to talk to each other.
At other times, they make noise to find things.
That often means food. Beluga whales make
noise for many different reasons.

Skill Here’s where
you can make your
own generalization.
Since sunlight
usually doesn’t
reach where a
beluga whale swims,
you can say that the
water is dark and
the whale probably
can’t see much.

      Usually light from the sun does not reach
ocean waters below about 325 feet. A beluga
whale generally swims deeper than that.
Since the whale can’t see, it makes sounds.
The sounds bounce off an object and back to
the whale. This tells the whale where the object
is. If it is a fish, the whale has found dinner.
     All belugas use sound to move through
ocean waters. Sound waves help a whale know
where the ocean bottom is, as well as where
         objects are, such as rocks, boats,
                  and icebergs.

2. Write a one-sentence answer     to the following question: What
    generalization does the author
    make about where beluga
    whales swim?

1. Read “Songbirds of the Sea.”
    Make a web like the one above.
    What generalization can you
    make about the sounds a
    beluga whale makes?



	Close
	Access Content Beginning/Intermediate For a Picture It! lesson on generalizations, see the ELL Teaching Guide, pp. 92–93. Advanced Before students read "Songbirds of the Sea," have them share what they know about whales. Generalize Explain that generalizations are broad statements or rules that apply to many examples; for instance, the statement all dogs have tails is a broad statement that applies to many dogs. Point out the clue word all in the statement. Emphasize that the words all, always, and never or no often point to generalizations. Tell students that whenever they see or make a generalization, they should make sure the facts and details support the statement. Practice Book 3.1 p. 133 with \| without Answers