Begin+Freewriting

Brain Starter
 **Free//Draw//**: Take a half sheet of blank paper (which I'll provide), and start drawing anything (appropriate). Don't scribble; really draw something. Start drawing anything (appropriate) that comes to mind, and don't stop for 3 minutes. Draw fast! Try to fill up the entire sheet of paper with lines and shapes. Allow one line or shape to lead you to the next one, and so on... The artist Paul Klee used to say to his students, "Take a line on a walk." Try that, freedraw for the next 3 minutes (without talking, please, so that you can follow your own thoughts).
 * Show and Tell:** What was easy about doing this? What was hard? How did you keep yourself going when you got stuck?

Enduring Understanding
Writing is a good way to find out what you think... ... and a blog is a great place to make your thinking public.

Essential Question
Do you have to think before you ink?

Mini-Lesson (with modeling)

 * Writing Race:** Let's see who can write the most about our essential question. Write non-stop, the same way you did your freedrawing. Write in sentences. Allow one word to lead to the next word. Write fast! Try to write as much as you can in the next 3 minutes. Write anything that comes into your head about the essential question. I'll do it too, and we'll see who has the most words at the end of 3 minutes. Ready? Write the question at the top of your page. Set? Go!

Check for Understanding

 * Show and Tell:** Okay! How many people wrote 5 or more lines? 3 lines? 2? What was easy about doing this? What was hard? Do you have any suggestions for people for when they get stuck while freewriting?

Practice
Freewrite about one of your 10 self 10 world questions.
 * 1) Use Flock. Go to your Tumblelog (firstname&lastinitial.tumblr.com). Find your 10 self questions and you 10 world questions.
 * 2) Copy one question (the one that will give you the most to say) from your 10 self of 10 world questions.
 * 3) Find **Docs** in your Tool Box. Log in, go to New, then Document.
 * 4) Double-click on "Untitled" and paste your question in for the title of your new document
 * 5) Freewrite! Write non-stop for 10 minutes.

Write a Focused sentence.
 * 1) A focused sentence is one that sums up everything you've written so far.
 * 2) It should be short and strong.
 * 3) It should show your opinion. Someone should be able to argue with it.
 * 4) What would a focused sentence be for our Writing Race for the Essential Question?

Freewrite again.
 * 1) Begin with the focused sentence.
 * 2) Write again, anything that comes into your head //now// about your question.

Wrap Up Share (Assessment)
Add a "tweet" to [|Youth Twitter] about your freewrite. Something like: "Today I wrote about... " then say what new thinking you did. Keep it to 140 characters! Tag it and post.

Homework or Independent Practice
Freewrite about your question //one more time//! Write another focused sentence, then freewrite a third time about your question. You can do this on paper or in Docs if you have access to a computer. (Add it to the same document as you were working on in class today.)