An Example of a Concept Map
1) Post a 3-5 paragraph summary of the 3-5 ideas you explored for how you could use Concept Mapping within your future classroom. Give your specific examples.
Concept Mapping is another tool a teacher can use when teaching their students about many different subjects. Concept Mapping is a way of organizing ideas; a way to start with a main idea and literally branch-out to other ideas that connect with the main idea. Some of the content areas I would use concept mapping with would include the Solar System, marine life, and use it with a civilizations unit.
As you can see, using one in a Solar System unit would help students see how our Solar System is connected. I would like to use a concept map before the actual content is taught, to see where the students are in their knowledge about the "place in space" we live. I would want to do something akin to what I did above: start with "Solar System" in the middle and write out ideas that the students come up with. If they are having trouble coming up with some connecting ideas, I would guide them along. Once we got some of the connecting ideas down, such as planets and the Sun, I would then see if they could go farther by listing the planets, or even grouping the planets by type (rocky and gas giants). Then, at the end of the Solar System unit, an assessment idea could come from building your own concept map.
The second idea I would like to use concept mapping for would be a "Marine Life" unit. This time, since the students would know what a concept map would be, I would use it as some form of formative assessment. One day in class, once we have gone through some of the material on marine life, I could have the students fill out a marine life concept map on the ideas, concepts, and more that we would have covered. I could have them work alone, in pairs, or in groups, depending on how the students are doing with the material.
The third idea I would like to use with concept mapping would be with a unit on civilizations. At the end of the unit, I would have a major project where students, in groups, will take what they have learned about civilizations and create their own civilization. How they would start this project would be with a concept map. By utilizing the concept map, they can get all the major elements that make up a civilization, and from there create their own. They could then further the concept map by adding in their own unique additions and explaining why the additions fit in with the concept of a civilization.
2) Discuss what you see as the impact of the use of Concept Mapping within your classroom on student learning? Give some details to support your statements.
I can see concept mapping having a huge impact on student learning! Using a Concept Map can help us as educators see what our students know about a particular topic and can help us see how they think and connect the main topic with other topics. We can then use this information to modify lesson plans, to create lessons, or to ditch future lessons, depending on where most of the class falls in their knowledge of the topic. Also, using Concept Mapping can help students see how two topics they thought weren't connected are connected in some way. I can see myself using Concept Mapping in the future!
As you can see, using one in a Solar System unit would help students see how our Solar System is connected. I would like to use a concept map before the actual content is taught, to see where the students are in their knowledge about the "place in space" we live. I would want to do something akin to what I did above: start with "Solar System" in the middle and write out ideas that the students come up with. If they are having trouble coming up with some connecting ideas, I would guide them along. Once we got some of the connecting ideas down, such as planets and the Sun, I would then see if they could go farther by listing the planets, or even grouping the planets by type (rocky and gas giants). Then, at the end of the Solar System unit, an assessment idea could come from building your own concept map.
The second idea I would like to use concept mapping for would be a "Marine Life" unit. This time, since the students would know what a concept map would be, I would use it as some form of formative assessment. One day in class, once we have gone through some of the material on marine life, I could have the students fill out a marine life concept map on the ideas, concepts, and more that we would have covered. I could have them work alone, in pairs, or in groups, depending on how the students are doing with the material.
The third idea I would like to use with concept mapping would be with a unit on civilizations. At the end of the unit, I would have a major project where students, in groups, will take what they have learned about civilizations and create their own civilization. How they would start this project would be with a concept map. By utilizing the concept map, they can get all the major elements that make up a civilization, and from there create their own. They could then further the concept map by adding in their own unique additions and explaining why the additions fit in with the concept of a civilization.
I can see concept mapping having a huge impact on student learning! Using a Concept Map can help us as educators see what our students know about a particular topic and can help us see how they think and connect the main topic with other topics. We can then use this information to modify lesson plans, to create lessons, or to ditch future lessons, depending on where most of the class falls in their knowledge of the topic. Also, using Concept Mapping can help students see how two topics they thought weren't connected are connected in some way. I can see myself using Concept Mapping in the future!
3) Discuss some criteria you would use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be part of a lesson for your students.
There are some criteria I would use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be a part of a lesson or not. Firstly, I would look at the content area. Is it English-related? Is it math-related? Is it science-related? Some content areas don't necessarily require the use of Concept Mapping, such as math (however, you can in some circumstances). Then, I would see what topic I would be teaching. Can it fit into the lesson? Do I already have enough activities? Lastly, I would look to see if I've done a concept map already. Is it too soon? Did students "get" the concept map? I would ask myself questions like this.
There are some criteria I would use to decide whether or not Concept Mapping activities would be a part of a lesson or not. Firstly, I would look at the content area. Is it English-related? Is it math-related? Is it science-related? Some content areas don't necessarily require the use of Concept Mapping, such as math (however, you can in some circumstances). Then, I would see what topic I would be teaching. Can it fit into the lesson? Do I already have enough activities? Lastly, I would look to see if I've done a concept map already. Is it too soon? Did students "get" the concept map? I would ask myself questions like this.
this helped a lot when I needed to make a concept map for school. I needed an example and this helped.
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