Concept+Mapping

Concept mapping is an instructional strategy, that when used to start an activity, can help get all the students brainstorming on ideas. Concepting mapping, also known as graphical organizers and diagramming keywords, starts off with a focus question and then specifies the relationship between concepts. Two important features of a concept map are: 1) the hierarchical structure and 2) cross-links. Hierarchical fashion is placing the most general, specific concepts at the top of the map and the less general concepts are below. Because concept maps are set up in this fashion, they tend to be read from top downward. Cross-links are "relationships or links between concepts in different segments or domains of the concept map" ([|www.cmap.ihmc.us]). Concept mapping was developed in 1972 by a Professor named Joseph D. Novak in a research program at Cornell University.

Concept mapping is a great way to get students involved and thinking. As a teacher when you are introducing a new activity, you need an instructional strategy that will grab the student's attention. With concept mapping the teacher tells the students the topic and then lets them give ideas of what they think the topic means or what they want to learn from the activity. For example, if the activity is about bears, the teacher has the students call out what characteristics a bear has and the teacher makes a concept map out of all the information the students give.

Concept mapping is also very helpful in getting students organized. This strategy can be used not only as a group in the classroom, but the teacher can also have students make a concept map on their own. For example, if the lesson is to write a story, the student can make a concept map to get his/her thoughts organized before starting to write their story. I can remember as a student in elementary/middle school using concept maps (back then we called it making a web) and it was such a helpful tool to get your thoughts ready before you began your project.



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