What? Why? and Games
GENERALIZATIONS
WHAT ARE GENERALIZATIONS?
A generalization is a broad statement, idea, or
principle.
 Generalizations can be made when you infer
from particular text evidence, facts, and/or
statistics.
 Making generalizations is very similar to
drawing conclusions.

WHAT GENERALIZATIONS ARE NOT:
•
•
Generalizations are not written directly in the
text
Generalizations do not contain “all-or-nothing”
words like:
»
»
»
»
»
»
Always
Never
No one
Every one
Every time
Everything
EXAMPLE GENERALIZATIONS
Facts
83% of the teachers at Ochoa have
children
Generalizations
Teachers like children
• All students must be vaccinated before
they are allowed to attend kindergarten.
Schools want students to come to school
• If a student has a fever they are sent
healthy
home from school.
• If you forgot your lunch money, the school
cafeteria will provide an emergency lunch
WHY ARE GENERALIZATIONS IMPORTANT?

Real life experiences:
 The
first day of the month is usually the busiest day
at the grocery store.
 If there is road work, there are often delays in
traffic.
 Life is routine.
ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER
A.
B.
C.
D.
Conflicts are often created from
misunderstandings.
Conflicts must be settled with a fight.
Conflicts are always between two or more
people.
Conflicts can always be resolved by talking
about the problem and writing a plan.
ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER
A.
B.
C.
Improvements in technology result in less
manual labor.
Improvements in technology help people
communicate.
Improvements in technology always increase
the cost of living.
ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER
A.
Dogs make good pets.
B.
Pugs are the best pets.
C.
Cats are good pets.
ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER
A.
Hard work is rewarded
B.
Hard work is inspiring to others
C.
Hard work is construction work
ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER
A.
Cheaters never prosper
B.
Cheating always get you in trouble
C.
Cheating won’t help you learn
WHAT WILL MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS LOOK
LIKE?
After reading this selection, which
generalization can the reader make about
(information in selection)?
 Based on the information in the
story/selection/poem, what generalization
can you make about (character/ idea)?

“STEPPING OUT”
Did you know that most people take about 4,000
steps each day? At that rate, a person will walk
around the world more than two times by the age
of 75. Can you imagine walking that far without
wearing shoes?
People of today step out in many different kinds of
shoes. We wear everyday shoes and dress shoes.
We wear work shoes and shoes for almost every
sport. We have slip-on shoes, lace-up shoes, shoes
with low heels, and shoes with high heels.
“STEPPING OUT”
Based on the information in the selection, what
generalization can you make about shoes?
 A. Items, like shoes are invented because of
necessity.
 B. It is important to have lots of shoes
 C. Shoes always need to be worn.
 D. Items, like shoes are always expensive.
FROM IN THE LINE OF FIRE: EIGHT WOMEN WAR
SPIES
In 1942, the year following the attack on Pearl Harbor,
the United States got into the intelligence-gathering
business in a serious way with the founding of the
Office of Strategic Services (OSS) by Major General
William J. Donovan. During World War II, the OSS sent
hundreds of agents and guerilla fighters into a dozen
enemy-occupied nations in Europe and Asia.
About 20 percent of the people who worked for OSS
were women, most of whom were assigned to desk
jobs at the agency’s Washington headquarters.
FROM IN THE LINE OF FIRE: EIGHT WOMEN WAR
SPIES
Based on the information in the selection,
which is not a generalization can you make
about the intelligence-gathering business?
 A. The OSS was a spying agency
 B. There is always a reaction to an attack
 C. Women were discriminated against
 D. The intelligence-gathering business is
dangerous