Bubble Map Writing Activity

Prep Time: 2-5 minutes

Materials: a board and markers, pens and paper

Prep: Choose a writing topic

Procedure:

1.      Write the writing topic in the center of the board with a circle around it, for example “A Place I Like to Visit.”

2.      Say out loud what you are thinking as you think of a few ideas to write about.  Draw rays coming out from the circle and for each idea. For example, you could write “the library,” “Lake Superior,” and “my brother’s house.”

3.      Continue thinking aloud and add a few ideas the bubble map, for example “I love new books,” “it’s free,” “it’s close to home.”

4.      Erase the bubble map and start a new one, either with the same topic or a similar one.  This time elicit ideas from the students, for example, ask “Where do you like to visit?”  Add more ideas to the map by asking, “Why do you like to visit ____?” Note: leave some space on the side of the board or have a flip chart or projector screen ready for steps 6 and 7.

5.      Students each write their own bubble maps.  Tell students that they should write words and not sentences.

6.      Use the example on the board to show students how to choose one topic, in this case one place, to write about. 

7.      Show students how to write a few sentences based on the ideas in the example bubble map. Do one as an example and then elicit ideas for other sentences from the students.

8.      Students write a few sentences based on their own bubble maps.