Brainstorming & Flip the Prompt

• The first part of any essay is the Introduction

• The Introduction usually has a Hook Statement (more on that later this year) and a Thesis Statement or Central Idea.

• For the purposes of STAAR, the Thesis Statement is the most important part because it tells your reader the focus of your writing.

​A useful method to create a thesis statement is to use the second half of the prompt as your sentence stem.

​Example:

Prompt: Write an essay explaining the benefit of having friends.

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Thesis: The benefit of having friends is to have people you can count on to have your back.​

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​Before we can Flip the Prompt, we have to Brainstorm some ideas to come up with an answer.

​Prompt: Write an essay explaining the importance of laughter.

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I'm going to take 3 minutes to Brainstorm ideas on laughter. Then, I will Flip the Prompt.

​Prompt: Write an essay explaining why it is important to have rules.

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Take 3 minutes to Brainstorm any ideas you have about rules. Then, we will share ideas. ​

​Prompt: Write an essay explaining the benefit of working together.

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Take 3 minutes to Brainstorm any ideas you have about working in groups or on teams. Then, we will share ideas. ​

​Prompt: Write an essay explaining whether a positive attitude helps a person be successful.

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Take 3 minutes to Brainstorm any ideas you have about success. Then, we will share ideas. ​