Learning+how+to+Web!

Subject:
Language Arts; Writing

Writing Process Stage:
Pre-writing

Grades:
K-2

Concept:
Students learn how to web, brainstorm, in order to generate ideas and thoughts for creative writing.

Teacher Background:
Webbing is a way for students to unleash all their ideas without any constraints. It is a fabulous way to break through writer’s block. Students need to realize that not all ideas need to be utilized or incorporated in their writing, but that by brainstorming they can then pick the best of the best for their storylines. Students relish this kind of abandonment, yet truly need coaching and encouraging.

Materials:

 * Webbing template

Anticipatory Set:
Begin with a picture or a quick sketch of a spider’s web and stick a spider smack dab in the middle. Discuss all that could be caught in the sticky strands, and jot down the ideas all around the web (list all the various insects; list other items: dust, leaves, dew, etc.). Debate which the spider would eat and which she may not. Ask why the spider may not decide to eat all of the items (not hungry, doesn’t like items, not spider food, etc.).

Directed Instruction:

 * 1) Explain that one way to pre-write is to create a web of ideas. They may be random, they could be associated, they may be disjointed, or they may be cohesive.
 * 2) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Pick a central idea (circus, school, ocean, sky), and write it in the middle of a large piece of paper or a board.
 * 3) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Next, tell students that you are going to go around the room and each of them has to say the first (or second) thing that comes to mind when they think of that central idea.
 * 4) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">This rapid fire thinking is called “brainstorming”; the less serious thought, the better!
 * 5) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">As the students give their input, draw lines radiating from the central idea and note their thoughts within bubbles.
 * 6) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Next, model how if you were to write a story about this idea, you might pick the ideas that you could incorporate into your story by starring/marking them. In order not to make students feel left out, you could mark others in another color to symbolize how you could take the story in yet another direction by incorporating other ideas.

<span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #532380; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;">Group Activity:

 * 1) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Using the provided webbing template, tell students that they are going to try webbing two times.
 * 2) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">First you are giving them a central story idea to write in the upper web’s middle.
 * 3) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Explain that students will have thirty seconds only to write down anything that comes to mind as soon as you give that central idea. The ideas should go in any of the surrounding bubbles – order does not matter.
 * 4) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Next, explain that you are giving them another central idea.
 * 5) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">This time, they must write down the associated thoughts while making their own radiating lines and/or bubbles.
 * 6) <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Encourage them to go back and star/mark the ideas which may work the best for a creative story.

<span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #532380; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;">Wrap-Up:
<span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline;">Turn the tables and have the kids give you a prompt for webbing. Ask for a volunteer to think up a webbing topic. Ask another volunteer to time you for a minute. As soon as they shout, “Go!” write all you can in a web format to emphasize that more is better in this case!

<span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #532380; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; vertical-align: baseline;">Differentiation:
Webbing Worksheet
 * <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Provide webs with some associate thoughts noted.
 * <span style="background-color: #f6f5f6; color: #494848; font-family: arial,verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; vertical-align: baseline;">Demonstrate how to “cluster” ideas by elaborating on a thought by noting even more detail (i.e., central idea: circus; thought: clown; clustering notes: red nose, white face, big wig).