Brainstorming for Organization

Brainstorming

After crafting a thesis statement, writers have the main idea of their essays. Then, the writer needs to think and plan what he or she will write, along with where the information will appear in the essay. Brainstorming gives the writer a chance to group similar ideas into paragraphs and needs to take place in order establish organization and cohesion before writing. There are many ways to brainstorm, and the way someone brainstorms differs upon the person. Some ways to brainstorm include webs, lists, or outlines.

Some writers work best with spatial diagrams. Spatial brainstorms allow writers to create "bubbles" or "images" indicating how they group ideas. Click here for an example of a Spatial Bubble Brainstorm Template. Links to an external site. Notice in the example that the brainstorm appears set up for topic sentences stem from the thesis statement, and each body paragraph contains ideas that relate to each other. We will learn about the "state," "prove," and "explain" later in this lesson.

To create a Brainstorm Web, on the center of the paper, write the topic and draw a circle around it. Then, draw a big circle around the main idea or thesis statement. Then, determine relating ideas and write them down, draw circles around them, and draw lines to show how they correlate to the topic in the center and/or the other ideas. 

For Example:

Some people learn best by listing out all of their ideas. Begin by listing a main idea—the thesis statement. With the main idea has been decided, the other ideas should relate or expand on the main idea. Then, determine some topic sentences to group similar ideas. After the topic sentences have been created, draft statements that support your topic sentences. These supporting points will become the paragraphs. 

For Example:

Organization

In order for an essay to make sense to the reader, organization and cohesion must appear from the beginning to the end. Creating separate paragraphs helps craft organization. The introductory paragraph should "grab" the reader's attention and entice the reader to continue reading. Often, relating an introduction to a historical or modern-day issue that aligns with the topic serves as an easy way to "grab" your reader. For example, if the topic is about Romeo and Juliet, a good introduction might discuss how teenage love is different now than during the time Shakespeare wrote the play. Remember that the last sentence in the introduction should be the thesis statement.

After the introduction has been written, body paragraphs are next. There is no set number of body paragraphs an essay should contain, but writers should make sure their paragraphs are very well-supported with proof from the text. From the brainstorm examples, see that each paragraph starts with a topic sentence. The topic sentence reveals what the entire paragraph will be about. Remember the difference between the topic sentence and the thesis statement; the thesis statement reveals what the essay is about, and the topic sentence reveals what the paragraph is about.  

Also, remember that each body paragraph must end with a conclusion sentence that wraps up the paragraph for the reader.

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