---
title: What Should I Write About?
description: Students will generate ideas for a personal narrative writing topic.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/what_should_i_write_about_-001.png
---

**Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)**

**Lesson Length: 30 - 45 mins**

**Topic: Brainstorming Writing Topics**

**Grade Level: 4**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)

**Brief Description:**  Students will generate ideas for a personal narrative writing topic.

**Know Before You Start:** This lesson is a great way to help students brainstorm topics for a personal narrative writing piece. Students will need to have an understanding of the characteristics of a personal narrative.

**Hook:**

- Read and discuss the sample comic. What are some of your favorite things? 
- Have students create a list of their favorite things or memories to help select a topic for writing a personal narrative.

**Activity:**

- Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a three-to-four-panel comic to generate topic ideas for a personal narrative. 
- Encourage students to think about their favorite hobbies, interests, or memories, etc. 

**Closure:**

- Ask students to reflect on the ideas generated and select one topic to begin writing their personal narrative. 
- You may want to have students share their comics with a partner and discuss the topics generated.

**Differentiation:**

- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
- Create a thinking web of ideas as a whole group.
- Allow students to work with a peer model to generate ideas.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.

**Resources:**

- [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/qedcsyb) to print or display
- [Main Idea Web](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/Printables/Graphic%20Organizers_03.pdf)

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2040150577165447168/thumbnail.png) Amusement Park ](https://content.pixton.com/amusement-park)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1720501139696390144/thumbnail.png) Beach ](https://content.pixton.com/beach)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2002788602128396288/thumbnail.png) Cave ](https://content.pixton.com/cave)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1756312841310310400/thumbnail.png) Halloween ](https://content.pixton.com/halloween)
- [![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/thumbnail-sports-1.png) Sports ](https://content.pixton.com/sports)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1692653419912892416/thumbnail.png) Winter ](https://content.pixton.com/winter)

**Suggested Story Starters:**

- [ Personal Narrative ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/parts-of-a-story-personal-narrative)
- [ Funny Personal Narrative ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/funny-personal-narrative)
- [ My Favorite Show ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/if-i-was-a-character-in-my-favorite-tv-show)
- [ My New Superpower ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/i-woke-up-with-a-superpower)

Assign Activity

## Related Ideas

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/writing_multi_digit_word_problems-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/writing-multi-digit-word-problems)

### [Writing Multi-Digit Word Problems](https://ideas.pixton.com/writing-multi-digit-word-problems)

In this lesson, students will create word problems requiring addition or subtraction of multi-digit numbers. Students will solve word problems written by a classmate.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/jordan_cause_effect-001-1.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/cause-and-effect)

### [World War II Cause and Effect](https://ideas.pixton.com/cause-and-effect)

Students will make cause and effect connections between World War I and World War II.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/role_of_women_during_wwii-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/role-of-women-during-wwii)

### [Role of Women During WWII](https://ideas.pixton.com/role-of-women-during-wwii)

Students will understand the impact women had on the developing identity of the United States as it emerged from WWII as a World Leader.