Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

Concept mapping can be a great tool to use in any K-12 classroom, especially to help promote thought amongst your students. As an introduction activity, a concept map could be a great tool for teachers to use with their students. For example, if I was planning on starting a science unit with my students about plants, I might make a concept map for brainstorming. I would ask students to provide words they think of when they hear the word “plant” and build a map from their input. As the students provide input, I would attempt to challenge their thinking and ask how that word is related to plants or if it relates to some of the other words that were already related to plants. This allows students the opportunity to think out loud as well as feeding off each others information and ideas.
Another very effective way to use concept mapping within a classroom could be as an assessment tool. After going through any sort of lesson with students, you could provide them with a blank sheet of paper and ask them to create a concept map about the topics you have just learned. With an example like this, it is important to provide students with examples of what concept mapping looks like as well as what key elements you want them to cover in their map. This is a great assessment tool because it provides students the opportunity to not only comprehend the essential ideas of your lessons, but also make connections among them as well. Concept maps provide a great visual of what your students have learned and how they can apply that knowledge. An additional idea for concept mapping use could be an about me. This activity provides students the chance to create a concept map of them, and to really think about who they are as a person, and what makes them unique and special.
Observing comprehension of subjects can sometimes be a difficult task for teachers, but concept maps allow teachers to clearly see a student’s comprehension of a topic. When a student creates a concept map, they are given the opportunity to think about what certain terms mean in relation to each other as well as an overall theme or idea. Concept maps show teachers how students are connecting and organizing information in their own ways, which ultimately shows a level of understanding. To be sure that concept mapping is appropriate for your activity, think about the level of comprehension you are attempting to achieve. If you simply want students to recall facts, as in a multiplication test, then a concept map would essentially be ineffective. However, if you want students to be able to demonstrate similarities, and possible differences, within a subject or idea, then a concept map is great. Ultimately, the most important aspect to keep in mind when considering using concept maps in your class is simple, could you yourself create one from the lesson? If you could think of a way to create a concept map that makes sense and is effective, then chances are likely that you students would be able to as well.