Christine A. Elmore
Objective:
To make a heart map on which you will draw and write meaningful ideas about life–experiences that you could later write about.
Materials:
outlines of a heart on 8.5 x 11 paper, pencils, markers, crayons, colored pencils
Procedure:
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1. Gather the class on the carpet. Tell them one good way that you have found to think about what is important to you is to draw a heart map. Show your own partially completed heart map and explain how it helps you get lots of ideas to write about your life.
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2. Point to one piece of the map and relay the story behind the words or sketch. Show another one that is less serious and more funny in nature and tell about that. Remind the class that the events, people or things written on your heart map can be serious or silly but should be ones close to your heart. A good sample of a completed heart map can be found on p. 19 of Ralph Fletcher's aforementioned book.
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3. Have students talk with a buddy before beginning their individual heart maps to help them brainstorm ideas. Then send them off to their desks to begin working on them. Emphasize that there is no need to fill it all up in one day and that as ideas come to them, they can include them.
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4. These completed heart maps can be attached to the inside cover of their notebooks for easy access.
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