This whole-group brainstorming activity can be used for a variety of purposes in the classroom. Or it can be adapted for use at home, with one child. The example here is a story starter for elementary students. But the process works with any age — to inspire and design history and science Units of Study and/or projects, to develop technical vocabulary, and much more.  

In a classroom, you will be quickly writing words on the chalkboard as students call them out. So you will need to prepare a few things ahead of time. 

Preparation

1. Arrange for 2 Recorders: adults or older students who can print neatly. To keep up with you as you write, they will alternate making a copy of the words as you’re quickly writing. So you will need to provide each recorder with —

A stack of blank “Word Cards” of heavy card stock — cut approximately 2.5″ X 6″ (a recipe card will do) and — 

2 wide-tipped marking pens — one black and one other color

2. Place a few long strips of masking tape beside the chalkboard, out of the way — sticky side toward you.  Tape them down with short, horizontal strips, as shown in the image. You will be moving them to the center of the blackboard midway through the activity.  So you’ll just want them to be ready. 

The activity

Children call out (brainstorm) words related to the topic you’ve announced. They do this quickly, so you will be writing rapidly. To keep up with you, but make neat copies, the Recorders will alternate making a copy on the Word Cards.  (In other words, together they will be able to give you one neat copy of each word you write.)

When you have a dozen or two words on the board, stop and collect the Word Cards from your Recorders.   Then you can either  —

Post the words randomly, as  shown in the image. 

Or you can make it more complex (not shown here) —

a. Read all the words from the board and have the children help you create several categories. For instance, have the children read the words off the board with you., then help you decide on five categories:  PRESENTS I WANT – WHO WILL VISIT – DECORATIONS – FOOD – FUN ACTIVITIES.

b. Once the categories are decided, the recorders will make headings for those categories, in a different color. You then —

move the strips to the center of the board (ignore the words written there or erase them), and

place each heading at the top of it’s own strip of tape.

c. Once the category headings are up, you then slowly begin reading each word from the stack of word cards. As you read each card aloud, you allow time for the children to tell you which category to place that card under. 

Post the word strips within easy view

The strips of words remain posted as long as that topic is popular. During your writing period the children should be responsible for looking through the strips for a word they need to spell — before they ask for help with spelling. See Incorporating Phonics on this website for other sources for spelling.  

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