The Creative Brain (Grades 7-9)

In this unit, students explore the nature and importance of creativity. Students also examine the ways that writers incorporate the voices and ideas of others into their own writing and learn about writing effective explanations. Two informational texts 2-3 weeks instruction Explanation writing What is this unit about? In this unit, students will read two texts: “Research Opens Windows Into the Creative Brain” by Karen Weintraub and “The Creativity Crisis” by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. Both texts explore the nature and importance of creativity by drawing on research and interviews with experts in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry. The authors of both texts are journalists who communicate their findings to broad audiences. Through the study of these two articles, students build their knowledge about creativity and examine the ways that writers incorporate the voices and ideas of others into their own writing. What content and concepts will students learn?