Writing Ideas

Today, we started writing out our ideas. But first, we had to talk. Students were partnered up. Next, they each had two minutes to talk about whatever they wanted to share. Then the partner had two minutes to talk.

Talking ...

After awhile, you run out of things to talk about ... you want to take a break ... and it is the perfect time to focus and write. The only sound was pencils on paper and the firing of synapses in their brains.

Then students had time to make lists of whatever random thoughts they inspired. What do they like? What do they not like? What did their talks made them think about?

We did the process again (Two minutes talk/listen, two minutes listen/talk. Add to the list). 

Now we have a starting list of things we might want to write about. Ask your fourth grader about what random ideas they recorded.