.Read the material posted about clustering and its examples.

 .Cluster the composition that you wrote for your midterm. Use “Word” to

create

your shapes and arrows.

  (Remember your topic and supporting ideas)

How to Cluster

So when you are beginning a writing project, consider clustering. It is the most powerful form of prewriting I know.

1. Write a single word or phrase in the center of a blank sheet of paper and circle it. Dr. Rico calls this word or phrase the nucleus.

2. Let your thoughts flow and jot down every word that comes to mind around the first word.

3. Circle the new words and draw lines to connect. Focus on the new words and cluster around them too.

4. Continue to expand this web of words until you have run out of thoughts.

Why circles? Dr. Rico explains: “By its very nature the circle centers, focuses. . . . The circle implicitly suggests bringing into being, activating, animating the pattern-making forces of the creative process”

Clustering procedures vary considerably, although the fundamental objective is to equip students with tools for arranging words, phrases, concepts, memories, and propositions triggered by a single stimulus (i.e., a piece of information, a topic, a provocative question, a 

metaphor

, a visual image). As with other [invention] techniques…, clustering should first be modeled and practiced in class so students can eventually incorporate the tool into their own repertoire of invention and planning strategies.”

(
e
Like
)

Examples: Fill in the five sense

This diagram (cluster) tells me

Topic: Bacon

Subtopic/major points: 4 paragraphs

Taste

Sound

Look

Sound

Feel

You could even add to each subtopic.

(
Taste
Like
)

(
Bacon
)

(
Looks like
.Thin, crinkly .strips
.Red
, wavy
) (
Smells
Like
) (
Feels
Like
) (
Sounds
Like
)

WRITING TIPS

Clustering

Clustering is another way to think of new ideas. The word “cluster” means a group of similar things. Clustering means putting words into groups.Each group, or cluster, has a number of words that are related to each other. Clustering is similar to brainstorming. You try to think of many words and phrases. When you make a cluster map, you write the words and phrases in groups.

Here is an example of a cluster map about daily routine:

How to make a cluster map:

1. Write the topic in the centre of your page, inside a circle.

2. Write general ideas about the topic around the circle.

3. Write more ideas about each general idea.

4. Continue until you can think of no more ideas.

Navigation arrows using image map

Clustering is a type of prewriting that allows you to explore many ideas as soon as they occur to you. Like brainstorming or free associating, clustering allows you to begin without clear ideas.

To begin to cluster, choose a word that is central to your assignment. For example, if you were writing a paper about the value of a college education, you might choose the word “expectations” and write that word in the middle of your sheet of paper. Circle “expectations,” then write words all around it–words that occur to you as you think of “expectations.” Write down all words that you associate with “expectations,” words that at first may seem to be random. Write quickly, circling each word, grouping words around the central word. Connect your new words to previous ones with lines; when you feel you have exhausted a particular avenue of associations, go back to your central word and begin again

Other Examples

Clustering Example

For example, “expectations” might lead you to consider “the social aspects of college,” which may lead you to consider “career networking.” You may then find yourself writing down words that compare the types of jobs you might get through career networking. You may end up asking yourself questions such as “What sorts of jobs do I want? Not want?” Have fun with this exercise; even silly questions can open avenues to explore, such as “What if I ended up waiting tables at Buddy’s?” “Would I rather be a lion-tamer or an accountant?” “What about my brilliant career as a stand-up comedian?”

Some words will take you nowhere; with other words you may discover that you have many related words to write. Random associations eventually become patterns of logic as you look over your work. After looking over the clustering exercise above, you might conclude that you want an exciting career as a performer of some type rather than a job in the service sector or behind a desk.

Now your sample paper about the value of a college education has some focus: how you expect college to lead to an interesting career that involves creativity, skill, and performance. You might then want to return to the phrase “Job Skills” and develop that part of your cluster, noting the skills that you’d need to reach your ideal career.

Clustering does not take the place of a linear, traditional outline; but, as the example shows, it allows you to explore ideas before committing them to a particular order.

Autism

A medical illness with a strikingly high percentage of occurrence and people did not understand it well is Autism. In the US, 1 in every 54 children is likely to develop autism, among which occurrence of autism in boys is four times higher than in girls. It can mostly get diagnosed as early as age 2, but most of the children get diagnosed after age 4. Autism can be observed in all kinds of ethnic groups. If this illness is diagnosed on time, parents and caretakers have more opportunities to improve the healthy options and deliver better health plans throughout the child’s lifespan. However, diagnosis of autism is difficult, but behavior observation and observing development help the doctor diagnose autism.

The reason why it gets late-diagnosed is that people did not recognize the symptoms. It has been observed that children who have autism have difficulty communicating with others. Such children avoid eye contact, show minimal interest in certain topics, or get intense in some topics. They do not want to be cuddled or like to be held, express, or have high sensitivity to sound, touches, light smell, etc. Children with autism also experience seizures which do not start until adolescence. Moreover, there is a different spectrum of autism that defines what type of autism a child has. (Bhandari, 2019).

Now that more people are aware of this illness, the treatment process is improving, and people are now able to quickly adapt to changes they have to make to make autistic children comfortable. It is becoming a worrisome question that why autism occurs, and so far, the only answer is that there are some stem problems in the brain that lead to autism in children. Moreover, it has been seen that older people who conceive late, their children have higher chances of autism. (Wright, 2017).