Students have such a hard time finding anything interesting to write about. This is one activity to help brainstorm ideas before picking a story to write about.
Hook: Have students listen to the poem "Hands" by Sarah Kay to start off lesson. Re-read the poem and ask students to think about their own hands and possible memories they think of that come to mind.
Purpose: Students will begin to think about stories from their own lives.
Brainstorm: Ask students to share with the class idea that came they thought of while listening to the poem.
Model: Draw a hand on the board to demonstrate to students all the stories that come to mind about your life. Have students draw their hand in their notebooks and feel free to write anything that comes to mind while sharing. Remember it is important to show students writing in real time. Once you have made your own hand- circle parts that could later turn into real stories. Saying things like "this part is really important to me and a great memory but I am not confident that I ca turn that into a good writing piece" to model for students.
Share/Guided Writing: Ask students to get into groups either at their tables or different groups of your choice and continue to work on their hands. At this time make it clear to students to talk to one another and share ideas. Model how to engage while students are talking. Encourage students to write any ideas that come to mind while other students are sharing. This activity shows students that writing time is not always quiet time. It also shows students that being inspired by other writers ( like their classmates) is what all writers do.
Reflection: Ask students to reflect this strategy and share as a whole class.
Did this strategy help spark ideas?
Did this help you think of stories you have never thought of until now?
Resources: Dr. Beth Buchholz from Appalachian State University. Format inspired by Mentor Texts by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli. Poem "Hands" by Sarah Kay
I'm a big fan of using a hand map to help students discover stories attached to specific emotions. The poem is a great way to get students to see that their hands can be so much more than just a part of their bodies. I would suggest developing your purpose into a statement you would be able to share with your students in order to explain to them how hand maps can help them with their writing. Thanks so much for sharing this lesson!
I like this lesson a lot; the poem Hands by Sarah Kay was inspiring when I first heard it in class and I'm glad to see you using it. I think using our own hands is a great way to spark ideas for personal narratives because honestly our hands can tell A LOT of stories!!
I really enjoyed doing this activity in class. What grade are you anticipating teaching this lesson in?
This is a great strategy to get students thinking about stories that they have to share. Your modeled writing will be so helpful in getting students to think about the many stories related to their hands!