Objective: By the end of class, students will be able to explain the importance of

effective brainstorming and demonstrate how to brainstorm when given a prompt.

TEKS: (A) plan a piece of writing appropriate for various purposes and audiences by
generating ideas through a range of strategies such as brainstorming, journaling,
reading, or discussing
Estimated Lesson Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (Ideally one class period with no
homework)
Grade-Level and Subject: 10th Grade ELAR
Created By: Miranda Price

Hook/Anticipatory Set:
● The teacher will hold up a lightbulb they brought to class, and students will be
asked the question: What does a lightbulb represent? (The question and
directions will be written on the whiteboard for students that need a visual
reminder of the question.)
● Students will answer this question by writing 1-2 sentences in their journals. This
activity should take no more than 10 minutes (provide extra time for students to
get settled into class if needed).
● Ask students what they wrote (make sure each student gets the chance to
answer if they want to), and then transition into the lecture. This should take
about 5-10 minutes.

Mini-Lecture:
● Have a conversation with students about the importance of brainstorming. This
should take about 15 minutes. Ask the students why they think brainstorming is
useful, not just for writing, but for everyday life. Ask the question: When do we
use brainstorming outside of the classroom?
● The teacher will then transition into a fifteen-minute lecture on how to brainstorm
using the free-writing technique. The teacher will have a PowerPoint slideshow to
provide visual cues for students, and discussion will be added in throughout to
make sure students stay engaged.
● Brainstorming is a technique designed to be open-ended so that students can
come up with as many ideas as possible in a limited amount of time. The
emphasis needs to be on the de-stigmatization of ideas. Every idea is important
because even the most mundane idea can lead to a great one. Provide specific
examples of this happening (use the example of a famous author’s failed book
idea that led to the birth of their famous work).

Modeling:
● The teacher will model their own brainstorming process by answering the
following prompt:
 Some people focus so much on the future that they do not enjoy the present. Others
spend so much time living in the present that they do not prepare for the future.
Carefully consider this statement.
Write an essay stating your opinion on which is more important: preparing for the
future or focusing on the present.
● The teacher will state their thought process the entire time as they go through the
brainstorming process. The teacher will set a five-minute timer and write down as
many ideas and thoughts about the prompt as possible.

Check for Understanding: Students will turn to the student next to them and explain in
their own words what they just learned. The teacher will walk around and listen,
occasionally getting involved in the conversation when students show confusion or ask
questions.

Activity:

Independent Activity -
The teacher will provide each student with the same writing prompt:

It is common for people to compete with one another. Competition can foster creativity,
provide valuable lessons, and inspire people to challenge themselves and achieve
things they never thought possible. On the other hand, competition can breed
selfishness and promote the idea that the most successful people are those who have
the most power and who will win no matter what the cost.

Think carefully about the following question.

Do people have to be competitive in order to succeed?

Each student will independently choose their side of the argument and work on
brainstorming as many ideas as possible about this topic for ten minutes using the
method the teacher modeled for the students.

Review: Students will answer this question on an exit sheet ten minutes before the end
of class: Why is brainstorming important when writing an essay?

Supplies Needed:

● Printed exit ticket

● Printed writing prompt for independent practice
 ● Pencil
● Paper
● Student journal
● Slideshow
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IFtjTqDy_hUUqaeOt2t5HPCFUo4sooBZ
imdMxitqgCI/edit#slide=id.g1243c64c051_1_7

Resources

Teacher Tips:

Brainstorming Group Activity (Can be used for any topic that needs brainstorming)
https://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/brainstorming-lesson-plan/

Planning a brainstorming session and general brainstorming knowledge

https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/brainstorming.shtml

Student Resources:

The Role of Brainstorming in Persuasive Writing

https://www.universalclass.com/articles/writing/the-role-of-brainstorming-in-persuasive-
writing.htm

Brainstorming Tips
https://www.easybib.com/guides/writing-guides/tips/how-to-brainstorm-for-essay/

Optional Group Activity - Students will be asked to brainstorm as a group of three or

four. One person will write down ideas on a sheet of paper while the other two or three
students will shoot ideas to one another. The person writing will be instructed to tell their
peers when the idea they give is either “good” or “bad”.

After this activity is completed, the students will evaluate what they did and didn’t like
about the brainstorming session.