Identifying Generalizations

What is a Generalization? a broad statement that applies to many examples, groups, or situations used to connect information, observations, or experiences about the same topic = things in common

everyone often sometimes generally never always usually many few none Clue Words everyone often sometimes generally never always usually many few none most all

Valid Generalizations Valid generalizations are TRUE. - based on observations - proven by facts - supported by examples - logical and make sense Clue words: MOST, MANY, SOME, USUALLY, FEW, SELDOM, OFTEN

VALID GENERALIZATION because: When they see a cat, most dogs will chase it. VALID GENERALIZATION because: - based on observations (my own dog, cartoons like Tom & Jerry) - logic & reasoning (Dogs’ instinctive behavior is to chase small animals to hunt their prey.) - clue word: MOST

Faulty Generalizations Faulty generalizations are FALSE. - not supported by facts - not often observed - lacking experience Clue words: ALWAYS, NEVER, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE, NOBODY, NO ONE, ALL, NONE

All boys love to play sports. FAULTY GENERALIZATION because: - not supported by facts (Not all boys love playing sports. Some boys would rather play an instrument, read, solve puzzles, or play outdoors.) - clue word: ALL

VALID Let’s Practice! VALID or FAULTY Most kids like pizza. Clue: Most Fact: Many of the students in our class like pizza. Observation: Most students choose pizza in our class for lunch on Fridays. Experience: Mario’s Pizza is full of kids after a Friday night football game. VALID

FAULTY Let’s Practice! Most kids like anchovy pizza. VALID or FAULTY Clue: Most - leads me to believe it may be valid but: Fact: None Observation: I’ve never seen anyone eat anchovy pizza. Experience: I don’t like anchovy pizza nor does anyone in my family. FAULTY

FAULTY Let’s Practice! School is fun and easy. VALID or FAULTY Observation: Some kids don’t look like they have fun at school when they slouch across their desk. Experience: I know that I like school, but not everything I do is easy. FAULTY

Let’s Practice – You try! Using the details below, make a generalization. Fact: Irish settler dogs, greyhound dogs, and labrador retriever dogs weigh over 50 pounds. Robert’s two Irish settlers sleep most of the day. Observation: The greyhound dog at the end of the street is always asleep in the yard. Experience: When I sit on the couch, my labrador, Smoky, always falls asleep next to me. Many big dogs sleep a lot.

Read the paragraph below. Use the details to make a generalization. There have been forty-two Presidents of the United States. Eight of these men were born in Virginia. Seven were born in Ohio. The states of Massachusetts and New York each can claim four presidents as native sons. Two presidents were born in North Carolina, Vermont, and Texas. Thirteen other states have each produced one President.

Example Generalizations Nearly all of the states that have produced more than one President lie east of the Mississippi River. Eastern states have produced more Presidents than western states.

Read the paragraph below. Use the details to make a generalization. Eighteen Presidents have been members of the Republican party. Fourteen others have been Democrats. Presidents have been members of four other parties, all which have now disappeared. The Whig party and the Democratic-Republican party each claimed four Presidents. Two presidents (in fact, the first two) were Federalists.

Democratic-Republican Party Whig Party (NOT ACTIVE) Democratic Party Democratic-Republican Party (NOT ACTIVE) Whig Party (NOT ACTIVE) Federalist Party 19 15 4 2 Out of a total of forty-four Presidents, thirty-four have been members of either the Republican party or the Democratic party. Many U.S. Presidents belonged to either the Republican or Democratic Party.

So You Want to Be President? Presidents come in all shapes and sizes. - Clue word = all - Facts: Lincoln was very tall. Madison was small. Taft was big. Presidents can be big or small. Every President has had siblings. - Clue word = every - Not positive every President had siblings because the author only lists a few Presidents, but she probably checked her facts. VALID VALID FAULTY

Support Your Generalization! Collect information about the topic. As you read, gather as many facts, observations, and experiences as you can about a particular topic or event. Look for relationships among the facts, observations, and experiences. Ask yourself what they have in common and what links them. Decide if the evidence forms a pattern. Come up with a general statement about the related facts, observations, and experiences. Remember that when forming a generalization, all of the supporting statements MUST lead to the same conclusion. If any of them do not fit, the generalization will be faulty.