LESSON 4: BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES (5 W’S AND MAPPING)

People who like structure will like the

_________

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Those who are visual learners,

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5 W’S

_____________________________________________use this strategy to get the whole story.

This strategy helps you find a topic or narrow or topic down once you have made a selection.

Note:

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5 W’S WITH RESEARCH

1. Who is involved? At what level? Who is affected?

2. What is your topic? What is its significance? What is at stake? What are the issues?

3. When does your topic occur? When did it begin/end? When must action be taken to deal with it?

4. Where does your subject occur? Where is its source?

5. Why is you subject of interest? Why did it develop as it did? Why should others be interested in your topic?

5 W’S WITH A PERSONAL STATEMENT

1.Who

2. What

3. When?

4. Where?

5. Why?

5 W’S EXAMPLE Television is a very powerful medium. What do you

think is the ideal place of television in our lives and why? Explain. How close is reality to that ideal?

Who watches TV? What kinds of shows are people watching? What happens to kids who watch too much TV? (affects

schoolwork? Relationships?) What about people with no TV? Are they more or less informed? What do people expect from TV? Relaxation? Information?

Entertainment? Where do people place TVs in their homes? Kids’ rooms? (effect

on family relationships, socialization?) Bedroom? (effect on sleeping/relaxation?) Kitchen? (effect on conversation during meals?)

What effect doe TV have on our lives? What if we get rid of TV? When was TV invented? Why do people watch TV?

PRACTICE 1Use the 5 W’s technique to generate ideas for the following assignment.

School uniforms for public school students is among the most controversial proposals for education reform in America. Where do you stand on the issue? Defend your position.

MAPPING

Mapping is a _______________________that allows you to investigate the relationships between diverse ideas. It’s a simple process best used_________________________________________.

To make a map, draw a circle and add spokes

radiating from it. Put your central idea

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MAPPING EXAMPLEDISCUSS HOW DO SPORTS INFLUENCE POPULAR CULTURE.

How sports influence

popular culture

Leading Sports Figures

Commercial endorsements

Footwear/ fashion

Fashion industry

fansTelevision/ media

Product placemen

t trends

PRACTICE 2 Use the mapping technique to generate ideas for the

following assignment.

Discuss how reality TV shows are affecting today’s youth.