An effective themed unit creates a web of intricately connected relationships and meanings that raise the teacher and students to higher levels of thinking, feeling, and understanding. Long after specific facts are gone, students will still carry the deepest meanings in their minds and hearts. The web of connections within a themed unit are forged through generalizations, broad statements that relate to and provide a focus for a theme. Generalizations give you a foundation for instruction. Generalizations also provide a focus for assessment as you and your students see how well they understand what was important in the thematic unit.
Generalizations can come from several sources.
You might select them as they arise naturally from the literature. Perhaps you will draw generalizations from the experiences you provide for students as they explore a topic. You might also guide students to come up with their own generalizations based on the books they read. A themed literature unit can fit well into any structure for literature study. For example, the themed unit could become the focus for literature circles as students read, discuss, and respond to literature.