Good Practice Database >> Harvest Poem - Using Mindmaps to Structure Writing

School Name

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What was the focus for improvement?
Skills in creative writing

What did we do?
The children were to produce a poem inspired by Miroslav Holubs’ “The Door.”
Prior to writing their own version they read over and discussed the structure of this poem.
In their poem they would compare harvest time in the welsh valleys to the destruction brought to the lives of the children in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.

Verse 1 – Harvest time in Wales
Pupils began by producing mind maps of harvest:
• The class went outside to look at the area surrounding the school
• They wrote down words they identified with the time of year on post-its
• These were transferred to the white board
• Similar ideas were combined and the main topics identified
• The children then expanded each topic: adding descriptive words/phrases to produce individual maps – thesaurus use
• From these they wrote the first verse of their poem using the outline sheet

Verse 2 – Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans
Prior to writing the children watched the Newsround special report on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans.
They also looked at images of Hurricanes on the internet.
Again the process outlined above was followed to produce individual maps which formed the basis for the writing of the second verse.

The final poems were typed and images added to be read as part the Harvest Assembly.

What evidence have we collected to demonstrate improvements?
Pupils’ poems – see attached examples

What were the outcomes?
Each pupil completed a poem.

What have we learnt about teaching practice and pupils learning?
How mind maps can be used effectively to develop pupils’ creative writing skills.

What we aim to do next
Use mind mapping techniques to improve creative thinking in others of the curriculum.

Supporting Documentation
1. Mind Mapping
Scanned copies of pupils completed mind maps
2. Pupils’ Poems
Copies of the pupils’ poems
 

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