Brainstorming - Fantasy

Before I started teaching about writing narratives, I wanted to know what students knew about fantasy. (Teaching and Learning cycle - Building the Field). We made some categories that reflected the stages/parts of story writing. We listed fantasy creatures (who), places a fantasy story could take place (where) and things that could happen, which would be fantasy (what/problem). 

Brainstorming is a great way of finding out what knowledge your students already have. Some rules for brainstorming I have is to write everything down, children can call out and the information needs to be sorted in some way. 

Write everything down: If you are sorting out the information later then it should not matter if a student suggests something that doesn't quite make sense. As a class, when sorting the information, you will work out that it doesn't fit and either eliminate it or change it so it can fit. The important part is that every student was able to participate during the brainstorming. If you are sorting information into different categories during the brainstorm like I was above, then on another piece of paper or somewhere on the board, still make a note of what was said. You can word it something like this "Can you think of which group that it belongs in? I can't at the moment. I'm going to write it down over here and maybe you will think of the right group. Great try though." I find that with my ESL students, they become very discouraged when they are told that something is wrong as every lesson can be a struggle for them. This is one time they are able to have a go and feel that their contribution is valid.

Children can call out: Brainstorming is often best when students can quickly add something to the previous suggestion of another. If they have to put their hands up, it can be a long time before they get to speak, often making it difficult for them to remember. Children also need to learn how to read situations. Obviously, they will not be heard if they call out at the same time as another. It doesn't take much time for students to understand that shouting will not get their point across and if they just wait for the other student to finish, you will also write down their suggestion.

Information needs to be sorted: Once you have a board full of information, it is important to teach the skill of ordering/sorting this so it makes more sense. This is particularly true when you are brainstorming about a scientific topic or something they will be assessed on later. Help them to look at information and read it in a way that makes sense, so they can use these skills to complete a task independently. 

Brainstorming can be done straight on paper or if you are lucky enough to have one, a SmartBoard. I have a whiteboard in my class, so often I take photos after a brainstorm so the information can be published somehow. You can see our brainstorm in the photo. You can also see I was not concerned about my handwriting or even writing straight...it happens. =)