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The instructional focus beginning February 8, 2009 and ending March 13, 2009 is as follows:

ABSTRACTING: To find, identify, and explain general patterns in specific information or situations.

KEY VOCABULARY THAT INDICATES ABSTRACTING:
Important Pattern Relationships Association Between Among Summarize Generalize

STEPS IN THE ABSTRACTING PROCESS:
    1. Identify what is considered important or basic information.
    2. Write basic information in a more general in the following manner:
        a. Replace words referring to specific things with words referring to more general things (poodle
        is specific: change poodle to dog to make a general reference)
        b. Summarize information whenever possible
    3. Find new information or situations where the general pattern applies.

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
    1. What is important in the information?
    2. Can the same things be said in a more general way (pattern)?
    3. What is the pattern of this information?
    4. What other information has the same general pattern?
    5. In what other situations can this pattern can be applied?

EXAMPLES OF ABSTRACTING:
    1. A music teacher points out the general pattern of a song or piece of music. Students then identify
    the pattern in other songs or pieces of music.
    2. Students read three stories, write a summary (or abstract) of each story, and then identify the
    common pattern(s) used in each story.

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