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Vocabulary
Concept maps can be utilized in a variety of ways to help students organize their thinking around complex texts and topics. When students are asked to contextualize knowledge within broader events, developments, or processes, creating concept maps for vocabulary words can help them begin to understand connections and patterns in texts that may not have been obvious otherwise. When students are asked to contextualize words as a result of an academic task, concept maps provide them with a useful scaffold before publicly presenting their thoughts to others through writing or speaking.
PREPARATION:
Select the main term or concept from the text, as well as other important terms that students will need to use.
Determine how students are to identify their terms by importance on their map (e.g., a circle around the most important terms, a square around supporting terms, a diamond around a detail term).
STEPS
AFTER READING, BEGIN CONCEPT MAP: After students conclude their reading, begin the concept map with the class by identifying the key concept and then brainstorming a list of terms or ideas associated with the concept by using some of the questions in Educator Resource: Concept Map Questions and Formats.
CHOOSE TERM/IDEA AND GIVE PURPOSE: Choose one of the associated terms or ideas and conduct a Think-Aloud to explain why the term is associated with the key concept.
STUDENTS COMPLETE CONCEPT MAP: In small groups or duos, release students to create their own concept maps for the term. After students work together for a few minutes, have them stop, and call on students to share their maps. If the class is not in alignment with the terms identified before the lesson, go back and redirect the maps.
FINISH MAP: After students have shown mastery of the concept map with a partner, they can finish the map they’ve created individually.
WRITE A SUMMARY: After completing the map, students will write a summary of the text using the terms they identified in their concept map.
VARIATION:
Provide students with two or three key concepts from the text and have them work on a web of terms until the two concepts are connected.
Students then complete their map with a summary of how the terms are connected.
Concept Map QUESTIONS:
Consider these questions as possible brainstorming ideas when creating concept maps. There are many ways that concept maps can take shape, but thinking ahead about these relationships might help students get started.
Definition: What is the “thing”?
Categorization: What type of “thing” is this key concept?
Properties: What smaller attributes make up this particular key concept?
Examples: What are some examples and non-examples of this key concept?
You might also consider these formats as students are learning to create their own concept maps.
Concept Map FORMATS:
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