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While working on this activity, students will
-- develop a strategy (concept mapping) that will help them understand relationships between key concepts in articles, text books, and other academic reading material
-- explore how concept mapping can
be used to evaluate sources, organize notes, and structure writing projects
academic journal article or text
book chapter
paper
Post-it notes (Using small Post-its
encourages students to think in terms of "key words" or "key
phrases." Also, Post-its work well for concept maps because they can be
moved around easily as the students look for patterns.)
1. Read the article or textbook chapter.
2. Write the ideas/concepts you remember from your reading on Post-it notes.
3. Try arranging the Post-its containing the key concepts down the side of a piece of paper, with the most general ideas at the top of the page and the most specific details at the bottom of the page. This process might not work for everyone. Some students will have a range of general concepts to specific details. Others will find that they have mostly general ideas/concepts on the Post-it notes.
4. Next, rearrange the Post-its, if necessary, grouping the ideas/concepts in a way that makes sense to you.
(At this point, the instructor may want to have students hold their maps up to share with the rest of the class. Students will discover that each map is quite different. This helps emphasize the point that there isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to build a concept map because each student is constructing his or her own meaning from the process. In addition, individual student understanding of the relationships between concepts will change as the maps change.)
5. Draw lines between the Post-it notes to show how the ideas/concepts on the Post-it notes are related. Write connecting sentences on the lines that explain the relationships between the ideas/concepts on the Post-it notes. These connections create meaning.
6. Share your concept map with your classmates. Discuss how this process could be used to help writers organize information, map out essays, and/or study for exams.
1. What surprised you the most about the process of completing your concept map?
2. How could you use this process to help you in your other courses?
3. Why do you think each student's map is different?
The design of this activity was guided by careful consideration of
-- the unique learner
-- the environment
-- the construction of individual meaning
Concept mapping was explored in the late 1970's and early 80's by many researchers including Joseph D. Novak (Cornell University). Current brain research helps explain why concept maps, flow charts, mind mapping, webbing, graphical organizers, concept maps, and other visual tools help learners process, organize, and understand information. Today, most writing texts present similar tools useful for the writing process. Mapping Inner Space, a book about graphical mind-mapping by Nancy Marguilies, presents a method for mind-mapping that combines webbing with a central image, key words, colors, codes, and symbols. Computer programs such as Inspiration allow students to create mind maps that, with the push of a button, can be turned into linear outlines. Students introduced to these visual tools often develop their own "system" to explore ideas on paper. Although your students' final project may be a linear outline and traditional research paper, giving them as many ways to "get there" as possible will help them develop strategies that are brain-compatible and multiple-intelligences friendly.
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