Curated OER
BrainStorming
Students, through modeling and independent practice, are introduced to the different methods of brainstorming. They explore and engage in these different approaches individually, in pairs, and as a group.
Curated OER
My Mind is Blank
Investigate prewriting activities in this brainstorming lesson plan. Middle schoolers are divided into groups and are assigned a topic. They decide which prewriting technique to choose from, including free write, looping, brainstorming,...
Curated OER
Clustering Worksheet
In this clustering worksheet, students create a list of items under each of nine headings. Students use the lists to generate ideas from which to find a potential topic for a composition.
Curated OER
Writing: Lesson 2
Eighth graders examine the English Language Arts Writer's Checklist. They practice prewriting techniques. Students use clustering as a prewriting tool. They discuss how a checklist is a lot like a map in that it guides you through the...
SUNY Empire State College
Empire State College: Developing Ideas for Writing
Explains nine methods for developing ideas for writing, including freewriting, brainstorming, clustering/mapping, maintaining a personal journal, responding to a text, maintaining a response journal, responding to a specific assignment,...
Books in the Classroom
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site: Catherine, Called Birdy
Cross-curricular online resource on the book "Catherine Called Birdy," by Karen Cushman. Includes discussion questions and engaging learning activities.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Paper Writing: Research Paper: Topic Choice
This tutorial focuses on choosing a topic and narrowing or expanding the focus to fit the requirements for a research paper. It provides tips like clustering, using a Venn Diagram, Google Scholar, etc. to find and narrow the topic. It...
Other
Sharpening Your Writing Skills
This handbook provides step-by-step modules to help you develop an appropriate business writing style. It also gives you rules for punctuation and "plain English." Answers are provided for exercises. PDF document.
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Creating Subtopic Headings
An excellent tip sheet on how to group information after brainstorming and prewriting.
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina Writing Center Handouts: Brainstorming
This handout describes brainstorming as " taking advantage of your natural thinking processes by gathering your brain's energies into a 'storm.'" Learn how to use brainstorming techniques to gather ideas before you begin a project or to...
SUNY Empire State College
Empire State College: Developing Ideas for Writing: Clustering
Explains clustering and its advantages as a pre-writing exercise.
University of Richmond
University of Richmond: Pre Writing Clustering
This site from the University of Richmond provides information on the subject of clustering. "Clustering is a type of prewriting that allows you to explore many ideas as soon as they occur to you." This handout explains the principles of...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Estimation
[Free Registration/Login Required] After this lesson, students will be able to solve problems using a variety of mental math strategies.
Other
Brain dance.com: Three Step Creative Writing Process
This process seems very involved, but there are good ideas for getting started on your creative writing if you're stuck at the brainstorming stage.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Graphic Organizers
A collection of pre-formatted graphic organizers that you can integrate into activities and lesson plans or use by themselves.