Week 1, Tuesday

Craft Mini Lesson

Brainstorming

Essential Question:
How can we, as young visionaries, create new and exciting topics to write
about for our dystopian narratives?
Objective:
This mini lesson is to help the students get started on their dystopian
narratives. The students will learn to express individual perspectives so they
can think of a topic for their dystopian story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally and logically.
Materials Needed:
Paper
Pens/pencils
Markers
Activity:
Teacher
1. Take attendance
2. Instruct the students
to get out their pencils
while I pass out markers
and blank piece of paper
to each student
3. Today we are going
to discuss how to think of
topics to write about for
your narrative essays.
Ask the students if they
know what brainstorming
is and if they can give
any examples. If they
cannot think of any, they
will discuss with their
table groups to think of
ideas.

Student
1. Listen for name to be
called

Time
1. 2 minutes

2. Get out their pencils

2. 1 minute

3. Some students will

answer and give
examples about
brainstorming

3. 4 minutes

4. For your narratives,

you already know they
are supposed to have a
dystopian theme, but I
want us to practice the
creativity behind our
stories. Writers often
brainstorms their story
before they write. Today,
I am going to show you a
technique called mind
mapping to help you
think of ideas. We will
brainstorm as a group,
and then you will
brainstorm by yourselves.
Can anyone tell me what
mind mapping is?
5. Draw a circle in the
middle of the
SmartBoard. All mind
maps begin with a main
idea in the middle of the
page. So in the middle of
the board, lets write
dystopia. From that, we
will branch off and write
words that relate to that
topic. So for one
example, when I hear the
word dystopia, I think of
the word society. Draw
a branch to the word
society. Does anyone
else want to volunteer to
write some words on the
board?
6. Now it is time for the
class to get started.
Instruct them to use their
pieces of paper and any
writing utensil to start
their mind maps. Tell
them that they should
have at least six ideas
written down.

4. Students listen/answer

5. Students will listen and

observe as I tell them
about mind mapping.
Then volunteers may
come up and write their
own ideas.

7. They will use the time

to draw their own mind
maps for their narratives.

4. 2 minutes

5. 6 minutes

7. 10 minutes

TIME: 25 minutes.
The students will use the remainder of the class to either finish their mind
maps or discuss with their table partners ideas for their narratives.
Assessment:
I will collect the mind-mapping worksheets at the end of the hour and will
expect them to have written at least six branches.
Accommodations:
Bob: I will try to sit him next to people who are his friends and make him
feel comfortable in class. I will conference with various students, including
Bob to make sure they are working and headed on the right track.
Sally: I will conference with Sally as well and use scaffolding techniques to
help her with her brainstorming.