TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
Activity Type Introduction
Reading and writing In this brainstorming and mind mapping worksheet, students
exercises learn and practice two common pre-writing techniques. Students
then use one of the techniques to produce an essay outline and
write a complete essay.
Focus
Pre-writing techniques: Procedure
brainstorming and mind
Give each student a copy of the three-page worksheet.
mapping
Students begin by reading information about brainstorming and
mind mapping.
Aim
To learn and practice The students then practice creating either a brainstorming list or
two common pre- a mind map for an essay about work-life balance.
writing techniques,
brainstorming and mind Exercise A - Possible answers Brainstorming list
mapping.
Benefits - Work-life balance
Preparation Benefits to businesses
Make one copy of the
• Better staff retention
three-page worksheet for
• Increased productivity
each student.
Benefits to employees
Level
• Improves health
Intermediate (B1) • Increased motivation
Mind map
Time
90 minutes
Improves Increased Better staff Increased
health motivation retention productivity
Benefits to Benefits to
businesses Work-life employees
balance
(continued on the next page)
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TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
Activity Type Procedure continued
Reading and writing Next, students use their brainstorming list or mind map to produce
exercises an essay outline on the topic.
Exercise B - Possible answer
Focus
Pre-writing techniques: Thesis statement: Benefits maintaining work-life balance.
brainstorming and mind
mapping 1. Topic sentence: Benefits for employees
a. Supporting idea: Improved health
Aim
i. Detail: Less stress and anxiety
To learn and practice
two common pre- ii. Detail: Better sleep, lower blood pressure
writing techniques,
brainstorming and mind b. Supporting idea: Improved job fulfillment
mapping.
i. Detail: Feel more valued
Preparation ii. Detail: Better morale and motivation
Make one copy of the
three-page worksheet for 2. Topic sentence: C
ompanies appreciate the value of work-life
each student. balance
a. Supporting idea: Increased productivity
Level
i. Detail: Overworked = fatigue and less efficient
Intermediate (B1)
ii. Detail: L
ess motivated = less creativity and
innovation
Time
90 minutes b. Supporting idea: Better staff retention
i. Detail: N
ew staff = m
oney cost and lower
productivity
ii. Detail: More revenue
In the last exercise, students use the essay outline from Exercise
B to write a complete essay.
(continued on the next page)
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TEACHER’S NOTES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
Activity Type Procedure continued
Reading and writing Exercise C - Possible answer
exercises
The modern economy has helped build and spread prosperity and
security across the globe. People now enjoy much higher standards
Focus of living than ever before and live a life of relative abundance.
Pre-writing techniques: However, people are under increasing pressure to succeed at work
brainstorming and mind and earn more. This can negatively impact on work-life balance.
mapping This essay will outline the benefits of maintaining a harmonious
work-life balance.
Aim A better work-life balance has some notable benefits for employees.
Firstly, it can help staff improve their general health. This is
To learn and practice because workers, who have enough time to attend to the other
two common pre- areas of their lives outside of work, feel less stress and anxiety.
writing techniques, As a result, they are less inclined to suffer sleep disorders or
brainstorming and mind develop physical ailments such as high blood pressure. Secondly,
mapping. a better work-life balance means employees develop an improved
sense of job fulfillment. This is because they feel more valued by
their employer, which can also boost morale and motivation.
Preparation
Make one copy of the While a healthy work-life balance is an obvious advantage for
three-page worksheet for employees, it is something that companies are increasingly
each student. appreciating the value of. One of the main advantages of promoting
a better work-life balance for companies is a boost to productivity.
This is because overworked employees tend to be more fatigued
Level and less efficient. They may also feel less motivated, and this could
also impact on creativity and innovation. Moreover, in companies
Intermediate (B1) where staff have a healthy sense of separation between the office
and home, there is better staff retention. In general, when a
company replaces an employee, they incur financial costs and
Time a drop in productivity. Thus, by encouraging a better work-life
90 minutes balance, companies can increase revenue.
To sum up, achieving a better work-life balance is an important
consideration for all companies and organisations. Employees
benefit by being healthier and more satisfied and companies
improve their bottom line. Thus, companies and employees should
invest more in achieving an optimal balance between professional
and personal life.
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THE WRITING PROCESS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
Pre-writing is a part of the writing process that begins once a student has understood the
requirements of an essay question. There is more than one pre-writing technique and not all
need to be used. It is recommended students use the technique that suits them best.
Brainstorming is perhaps the most well-known technique. This involves spending two or three
minutes writing down any thoughts that come to mind that relate to the topic or question.
There is no need to immediately judge the quality of the ideas. Initially, they are just written
down and once brainstorming is completed, weaker ideas can be deleted and stronger ideas
kept to create a final brainstorming list as in the example below.
Essay question: Outline some of the main causes and effects of poverty.
Brainstorming list
Causes and effects of poverty
Causes Effects
• Economic conditions • Poor health
• Conflict / warfare • Crime
• Social injustice • Poor education
Mind mapping is another common pre-writing technique. A mind map usually starts with a topic
or question that is circled and placed in the centre with related ideas branching out from it.
Related ideas are usually in smaller circles with lines connecting them to the main central circle.
The centre circle is the idea from which a thesis statement might develop, and the secondary
circles are ideas from which main ideas of a paragraph may develop.
In the mind map below, see how the brainstorming list above could be represented in a mind
map form.
Mind map
Economic Conflict / Poor
conditions warfare Crime
health
Causes Effects
Poverty
Social Poor
injustice education
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THE WRITING PROCESS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
A. Create either a brainstorming list or a mind map for the essay topic below.
Essay question: Discuss the benefits of having a healthy work-life balance.
B. Now, turn your brainstorming list or mind map into an essay outline.
Thesis statement: ........................................................................................................
1. Topic sentence: ........................................................................................................
a. Supporting idea: ...................................................................................................
i. Detail: ............................................................................................................
ii. Detail: ............................................................................................................
b. Supporting idea: ...................................................................................................
i. Detail: ............................................................................................................
ii. Detail: ............................................................................................................
2. Topic sentence: ........................................................................................................
a. Supporting idea: ...................................................................................................
i. Detail: ............................................................................................................
ii. Detail: ............................................................................................................
b. Supporting idea: ...................................................................................................
i. Detail: ............................................................................................................
ii. Detail: ............................................................................................................
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THE WRITING PROCESS
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Brainstorming and Mind Mapping
C. Use the outline from Exercise B to write an essay that discusses the benefits of
having a healthy work-life balance.
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