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This is a great technique that requires only a revision resource, a couple of coloured pens and some paper. Creating a mind map should only take 20 or 30 minutes, so it’s a good activity for a 30 minute slot in the revision timetable, or to give you an activity in between your lessons on Teams. It’s actually a really good technique to help secure learning, and would ideally be part of a your independent study routine.
Mind maps work for all topics, but the example in the video is one making a mind map for one of the poems in the GCSE English Literature anthology.
Mind Maps - 7 steps to Success
Step 1: Read through my revision material. Use a knowledge organiser that contains notes on every poem in the anthology for example. The knowledge organiser is great, because it’s got a lot of information on it, but it won’t stick in your longer term memory unless you do something with that information. Reading is not enough – it’s only the starting point. The same is true of all kinds of revision material – just reading the revision guide will not make it go into my long-term memory; You need to do something with it.
Step 2: Get some pens and paper together. All you need is a few coloured pens / pencils and a sheet of paper. It’s worth noting that you can create mind maps on computers and tablets, but the act of writing makes it more likely that you will remember the information. You’ll notice that in the video we write in capitals as the mind map is created. This is because it is easier to read it, but also the slightly greater time and effort it takes makes the info more likely to stay in the memory.
Step 3: Consider the outline and appearance before you begin. You need to know how many branches to create before you begin, and also have a general idea of which bits will take up the most space. You can vary colours and sizes for emphasis, and if you use a 3d box or two it will add a bit more of an anchor for the memory.
Step 4: Create a central image. You don’t have to be an artist to do this. A simple box with a colour is enough. If you fancy getting creative, just do it. But remember that this is about learning a topic, not passing art GCSE (unless you’re doing it for art GCSE!).
Step 5: Create branches to show detailed info. As you add information to branches, again, try to keep the word count down. A word or two on each line is great. Mind maps are great at showing the relationship between bits of information. You might be tempted to use straight lines. Wonky and wavy lines take a bit longer, look a bit better and are more memorable.
Step 6: Don’t worry if you go wrong. The process is the key thing here – spending time summarising the ideas, including images, looking for the important points to emphasise. It’s great if it looks lovely, but that isn’t the goal.
Step 7: Look for links. Mind maps are all about a spatial representation of information. They are designed to help you see the links between facts.
Finally, check back through your revision material. Did you include everything? Can you add to it by looking at a different revision resource? Enjoy making your mind maps. Transform wordy knowledge organisers into a series of links, and give you something to be proud of. And of course, they will help you remember what you’re learning.
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