On Hand: Whiteboard and marker.

Mini-Lesson: Draw a circle in the center of the board. Choose a topic that is too unwieldy, for example: "weather." Next, ask students to brainstorm everything they could tell a reader about weather. Students might begin recalling types of weather (rain, snow, sleet, hail, hurricanes, tornadoes), move on to clothing (raincoat, umbrella, boots, mittens), and then think of the less obvious (weather forecasts, radar, tornado sirens, etc.). Keep adding content until the students seem to truly exhaust all ideas.

                Then say, "Wow, weather is too big a topic. If we were to write about this topic, I fear we wouldn't have any quality details at all." (Anything less than a book would be one long list). Model choosing one of the subtopics in your web, perhaps rain. In my class we talk about choosing the Goldilocks idea: one that's not too big, nor too small, but just right. With students, write an interactive paragraph on this topic that includes specific, sensory details.

Extension: Suggest students make a web for one of the following "too-large" topics and then choose a smaller idea to develop in their writing:

·         My family

·         My vacation

·         Things I can do