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Click on each map below for the thinking process, guiding questions, and keywords.
Also, click on each map's name to watch a short video on how to create the map.
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Please do NOT share this password as Thinking Maps are copyrighted, and we only have permission to use them within Heartland. Thank you!
Circle Map
Use the Circle Map when you want to tell all about something.
Thinking Processes: Defining in context, brainstorming
Guiding Questions: How do you define __? What do you know about __? What are all of the ways you could represent __?
Key Words: Context, list, define, tell everything you know, brainstorm, identify, explore the meaning, discuss, generate
Bubble Map
Use the Bubble Map when you want to use adjectives to describe something.
Thinking Processes: Describing
Guiding Questions: How would you describe __? What adjectives would you use to describe its properties or qualities?
Key Words: Describing using adjectives, use vivid language, use your five senses, qualities, properties, describe feelings, observe and describe
Double Bubble Map
Use the Double Bubble Map when you want to compare and contrast two things.
Thinking Processes: Comparing and contrasting
Guiding Questions: What are the differences between __ and __? How are these two alike or different?
Key Words: Compare, contrast, similarities, differences, distinguish between, differentiate, same, alike, different
Tree Map
Use the Tree Map when you want to categorize things.
Thinking Processes: Classifying, categorizing, main idea and details
Guiding Questions: How would you classify or group all of these __? How would you sort __ into different groups? What specific and related details support your ideas about __?
Key Words: Classify, sort, group, categorize, identify main idea and supporting ideas, give sufficient and related details, kinds of, types of, taxonomy
Flow Map
Use the Flow Map when you want to show a sequence of events.
Thinking Processes: Sequencing
Guiding Questions: How would you sequence these events or steps? How would you order __? What are the stages of __ in this cycle?
Key Words: Sequence, put in order, retell, recount, cycles, patterns, show the process, solve multi-step problems
Multi-Flow Map
Use the Multi-Flow Map when you want to show the cause and/or effect of an event.
Thinking Processes: Cause and Effect
Guiding Questions: What is the name of this important event? What are the causes and effects of __? What caused __ to change? What impact did this change have?
Key Words: Causes and effects, discuss the consequences, what would happen if? If...then, predict, identify motives, why, results, outcomes, benefits
Brace Map
Use the Brace Map when you want to break something down into it's physical parts.
Thinking Processes: Part to whole, whole to part
Guiding Questions: What is the name of this whole object? What are the physical components of __? Do any of these parts have smaller parts?
Key Words: Parts of, show the structure, take apart, identify the structure, physical components, anatomy, deconstruct
Bridge Map
Use the Bridge Map when you want to show the relationship between two or more things.
Thinking Processes: Seeing analogies and relationships
Guiding Questions: What is the relationship (relating factor) between these two __? What other pairs of words have the same relating factor? How are __ and __ related in this metaphor or simile?
Key Words: Identify the relationship, guess the rule, interpret symbols, metaphor, match, analogy, simile
Frame of Reference
Source - Main Idea - Influence - Conclusion
What is framing your thinking?
What is framing your thinking?
The Frame of Reference can encourage reflection and metacognition (the understanding of one's own thought process) through understanding where the information in the map is coming from, the main idea of the information, what is influencing the information, and conclusions about the information. This can also be helpful when writing from the map.
Mini Lesson with Tree Map and Writing Sample
Show students a picture from a book. Ask who is in the picture, what they are doing, when they are doing it, where they are, and why they are doing this.
Show students a picture from a book. Ask who is in the picture, what they are doing, when they are doing it, where they are, and why they are doing this.
Perfect by Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood
Next, create a tree map classifying who, what, when, where, and why, listing examples. Help students create an opening sentence. For example, "The girl was mixing in the morning at the table because she was hungry."
Next, create a tree map classifying who, what, when, where, and why, listing examples. Help students create an opening sentence. For example, "The girl was mixing in the morning at the table because she was hungry."
Working Backwards from Assignment to Map to Writing Product
The Great Molasses Flood ~ An example of how to write from the maps
Step 1: After reading The Great Molasses Flood, the students created a Circle Map to brainstorm facts from the story.
Step 1: After reading The Great Molasses Flood, the students created a Circle Map to brainstorm facts from the story.
Step 2: A Multi-flow Map was then designed to list the causes and effects of this very unusual event.
Step 2: A Multi-flow Map was then designed to list the causes and effects of this very unusual event.
Step 3: Students created sentences from the causes and were able to produce a paragraph. The same was done for the effects.
This process helps set a student up for success by writing from the maps.
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