About every two weeks I will be sending out a follow up to our map training. Please complete the following activity with your students and then make a comment about your activity on this Thinking Maps blog.
Please complete before Wednesday February 17.
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My students used Circle Maps to review for a quiz on Ancient Greece. Students were asked to list every concept, person, and term that we have studied in the unit. This was great for establishing working or prior knowledge. The second step in the review was to take a more detailed look at the information that the students provided in the Circle Maps by using the Brace and Bubble Maps to “flesh out” the details of the information contained in the Circle Maps. In essence the students classified, related, and described information on Ancient Greece in one class quiz review using Thinking Maps. Class quiz average was an 85.
ReplyDeletei just did the circle map review with all of my classes. we used it as a way to review everything we had done on our current subjects: population, immune system, and plants. the map works really well as a pre informational draw (what do you know) and as a very good review summary (what do you know now). you can definatley see a big difference in the terms and knowledge gained between begining and end. it also make s it very easy for me to see the areas that i did not cover as well as i needed to and i can then go back and fil in the holes. it works super well as a way for me to evaluate what knowledge i was able to convey.
ReplyDeleteJeremy, what lucky students to have a teacher who sees the power of using Thinking Maps to preassess and review! Thank you for using them in combination, matching the thinking process to the specific Map needed to show that type of thinking! It sure looks like the rigor paid off - Hats off to you and your students for the 85 average!!! Mack, I commend you on also using the Circle Map to review! Letting the students see the amount of information they've learned is valuable and rewarding to them! I'm glad you've seen its value as an effective way to review and preassess! Keep up the good work! Finally, Dr. Mullis, thank you for supporting your faculty in this "Thinking" adventure! Taking a few minutes to review each Map and look at a way to apply it to instruction keeps the focus on this powerful tool for both teachers and students! I applaud you and your wonderful faculty!
ReplyDeleteI have observed Mrs. Roper and Mrs. Norris using semantic circle maps to teach vocabulary. The circles were divided into quarters - meaning, synonyms, example, sentence - with the vocabulary word or root in the center. This was an excellent visual reference for the students - it's quick and easy to use and study.
ReplyDeleteI am working on Probability with the 8th graders right now. I let them choose from the Brace, Circle or Bubble Maps as a way to check for understanding. It is easy for me circulate around the room and quickly see if they understood the material based on the quality of their responses. This allows me to meet each student on their level and help clarify questions he/she may have.
ReplyDeleteI have used Circle Maps a variety of times in both Physical Science and Biology. The other day, I was introducing Motion as a new unit. The kids watched a video clip about roller coasters and then created a circle map to gather all the information they had pulled from the video. I have plans at the end of this unit to do another circle map on Motion and then let them compare how much they have learned since teh beginning of the unit.
ReplyDeleteAs Lynn mentioned, I have used "semantic" Circle Maps to teach vocabulary on a couple of occasions, last week being the most recent. My students write a vocabulary word (from the literature) in the small center circle of each map. (They use a separate map for each word.) The larger circle is divided into four sections: meaning, examples, sentence, and synonym. Each student then uses a dictionary, life experience, his or her creativity, and possibly a thesaurus to complete the information for each word. This has been an excellent way for my students to learn their vocabulary. They once struggled with the vocabulary section(s) of their literature tests, but that is no longer the case. We are all enjoying the success of the semantic Circle Map!
ReplyDeleteWe did a circle map as an introduction to a new physical science term (friction). I knew that they had some background information on it, which is why I knew this would work. I had them first do it on their own, and then we did one on the board as a group. We talked about what friction does on Earth and we also included what would happen if there wasn't friction. It seemed to work well. I think it works so well because they are used to using this type of map b/c we do it across the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteCircle maps have become a huge part of my classroom instruction. I love the format and the fact that lines and smaller individual circles (from the old webs) are gone. I think that the circle maps are neater and easier to read (for the students and me). As Lynn mentioned, I use circle maps for daily word study. I divide the circle into four sections. Each section has different way for the students to study or analyze the word. Students seem to enjoy the format. It is easy to use and easy to read. The circle map also allows for the students to analyze the word or word part in several ways (without them even knowing it).
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed being back with you this week! It's rewarding to read your latest comments concerning the use of the Circle Map for vocabulary study! The success the students are having certainly validates their value! I applaud you for using this map to help students connect new learning to their prior knowledge. Jenna, thanks for letting the students compare the Circle Map made before instruction to the one made after the teaching of the unit! They need to see how much they've learned! Lauren, I agree with you when you attribute the success of the Circle Map to its use across the curriculum! Keep up the good work, Simpson teachers!
ReplyDeleteLinda thanks for the refresher on Monday. It helps to keep the conversation going about the Thinking Maps and how they can be used. Teachers I am enjoying reading your blogs and seeing students use Thinking Maps when I am making class room visits. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeletewell, we did the bubble on all grade levels and in every class. it was slow going at first as all of the students were very limited in the "adjective vocabulary" at first. they were limiting themselves by only using sight adjectives. we then closed our eyes and used our imaginations for a few minutes, and all of a sudden more and more descriptive words cam out. i recommend doing a little visualization first. sounds corny and dorky, but it really works!!!
ReplyDeleteMack, you handled your experience with Bubble Maps exactly as you should! Thanks for not giving up or letting the students settle for a limited number of adjectives! One of the most powerful reasons for using the Bubble Map is to make students "stretch" to get to those adjectives rather than be lazy thinkers! It pays big dividends in vocabulary development. I love the idea of having them visualize first. You might try starting with a Tree Map with 5 branches, one for each sense. Then the students could tree map the adjectives according to each sense. Thanks for sharing, and keep up the great thinking!
ReplyDeleteI used 2 seperate bubble maps to talk about Similar and Congruent figures. After we completed a bubble map for teach topic we put them both into a double bubble. This really helped the visual learners see the differences and similarities between the 2 topics.
ReplyDeleteMY bubble map was similar to the circle map in that we use it to review characteristics of quadratic functions in MT2. It is a helpful resource for most students in that they become resourceful for problem solving. It is also helpful to recall how the discriminant fits into the scheme of things and to recognize early on how many solutions to expect. We could not come up with many adjectives to describe a quadratic function, but we could remember several useful characteristics. Some thinking maps are more applicable than others.
ReplyDeleteMy 7th grade is currently covering World War I, which gave me a great oppertunity to show footage and pictures of just how horrible the war really was. I wanted the students to discribe what they saw and felt about the war... the Bubble Map was the perfect tool. The activity had a slow start as stusents wanted to use nouns such as death and bombs. But after we got going I was impressed with the type adjetives used. This activity helped the students put into words how the facts, footage and pictures of WWI made them feel. I believe it really brought the war to life for my students.
ReplyDeleteI think I have a hard time using the bubble map myself, so the students struggled with it as well. I don't think that I chose a topic that really had a lot of adjectives to describe it.. and I didn't think to try to visualize. I tried a second topic to make the bubble map and it wasn't any better than the first. I think having a topic where there are a lot of describing words is important and I guess I didn't really think that through. It gave us a good activity in thinking of new adjectives other than the 2 obvious words. I'll think more wisely next time.
ReplyDeleteMy English II students are currently preparing to read Julius Caesar, which includes learning about the real Julius Caesar. After reading and taking notes about him from an informational text, the students each completed a Bubble Map using adjectives to describe him. (I knew they might struggle with sticking to adjectives only, so I posted the adjective questions on the Promethean Board: Which one? What kind? How many/much? and Whose? I also gave them the following sentence for additional help: Julius Caesar was a ___________ man/person/leader, etc.) This activity was a great way to reinforce their understanding of the kind of person Caesar was, and we haven’t even started reading. This means we have a head start on characterization. Yahoo!
ReplyDeleteMy Physical Science classes did a bubble map describing motion. At first they had the same problem as Mack's kids in that they couldn't describe motion. We used the virtual thesaurus in conjunction with this bubble map to expand the descriptions of motion. It seems to work pretty well.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that you are working hard to integrate Bubble Maps into your instruction! Stephen, I commend you for creating Bubble Maps on two related topics, then taking the information to a Double Bubble! This is a great way for students to see likenesses and differences. Heather, using the sentence frame to help your students get to the adjectives is a great idea. As you're learning, some topics lend themselves better to Bubble Maps than others. Just remind your students that they can infer adjectives, as long as they can back them up with evidence. I continue to brag on you wherever I go! Keep up the good work and keep thinking! Have a great week! Linda
ReplyDeleteGreat comments and post about how you have been using the Thinking Maps. It is time for Double Bubble now. PRIDE teachers were commented at lunch how the students are really starting to get the concept and use the maps. AWESOME!!!!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Roper's class used a Bubble Map to describe Julius Caesar. Mrs. Warren's class used a Bubble Map to describe the writing process. Mrs. Warren's class used a Double Bubble Map to compare and contrast the most widely used world languages from different time periods.
ReplyDeletewell, i used a double map as a bonus/extra credit question on my most recent 7th grade test. they were asked to compare and contrast "biotic and abiotic" factors of the environment. it worked really well as a review. they had no questions about how to use the map. some students nailed it while others were not perfect with it. however, when given the chance to orally explain what they had written in their map, they had no issues what so ever. the kids are really getting a hold on these and how to use them! i liked using it as a bonus question because it took all of the pressure off of the students about what to pu in it, and they just filled it out.....it worked great
ReplyDeleteThe students used the Double Bubble to compare and contrast two rival political views (Bourbons and Populist) during post-reconstruction in SC. This worked great allowing the students to understand differences and similarities of each political faction within the state during the late 19th century.
ReplyDeleteHi, Simpson friends, and welcome back from what I hope was a relaxing and wonderful Spring Break! I continue to enjoy reading your blogs to see how you are integrating each Thinking Map into the content areas - Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. Mack, thanks for reminding us that Thinking Maps work great as assessments. I love your idea of using them as a bonus question on a test. Without the pressure, students can show you what they know, and you can see their level of understanding of both the content and the Thinking Map they used. Jeremy, the visual you provided for your social studies students will truly help them retain the information! As always, great job, and keep those students thinking! Have a great week! Linda
ReplyDeleteIt is time to get back to blogging. Please post on how you are using Tree Maps. Tim
ReplyDeleteRecently, my English I students created Double Bubble Maps comparing and contrasting the characters of Mercutio and Nurse from Romeo and Juliet. This was a very organized way for them to see similarities and differences for these two characters, and it worked much better than another graphic organizer I once used for this same activity.
ReplyDeleteAs the second-year high school students prepared for HSAP testing, we used the Write for the Future process for writing an expository essay. The point of view essay option required students to use the Tree Map (only two "branches") to brainstorm so they could see the other side to their view point. I, also, recently used the Tree Map with my English II students as a way for them to summarize Act II of Julius Caesar. Again, this was a very organized way for them to get their thoughts on paper.
I used a double bubble map to show GCF to my kids in math. We put the two numbers in each large bubble and named factors. I had the kids put the factors in the appropriate bubbles as to which were common to one or the other, or to both. I think a light came on!
ReplyDeleteWe have been reading Canyons by Gary Paulsen. Today we used a tree map to distinguish the characteristics of the two characters, Brennen and Coyote Runs. It was interesting the insight the kids conveyed as they described the characters and wrote descriptions of each.
ReplyDeleteUsed a tree map so that students could evaluate the similarities and differences between four of the smallest countries in Europe. We looked at size,climate,ethnicity,population,neighboring countries, literacy,infrastructure,religion,form(s) of government,currency,and the economy. The countries we studied were Andorra, Monaco,San Marino & Vatican City. Vatican City which is the smallest of the 200 independent countries in the world is mentioned briefly in the text. The other three as far as Prentice Hall is concerned don't exist. So we accessed Concise Earth in order to study these rather unique countries. Sometimes a side trip can be both entertaing and educational.
ReplyDeleteI used the tree map to list some important concepts of MT1, MT2, MT3 and MT4. Since MT1 plus MT2 make up Algebra 1, I wanted to show how important Algebra concepts are toward being successful in Geometry and Probability/Statistics. Algebra is important in all higher math courses.
ReplyDeleteI used Tree Maps to review students for Pass testing. Great way to hit on different topics and events that are related to each other!
ReplyDeleteHi, Simpson Friends and Dedicated Mappers!! Once again, you have made me so very proud of your Thinking Map applications! Not only have lights come on for your students, but I can tell that Thinking Maps are becoming a natural, routine part of your planning and instruction. When you get to this level, you are truly taking ownership! Heather, I see that you are finding all sorts of ways to integrate them into ELA instruction. I love using Tree Maps to summarize both literature and nonfiction passages! Gaye and Mr. Kellam, I'm so proud of your math connections! With your Canyons activity, having your students take the information off the Tree Map to write about the characters really took your instruction to the next level! Michael, I could see your Tree Map in my mind! Now picturing the details was a different matter! If my teachers had used Tree Maps to summarize the important categories of information concerning other countries, maybe I would have remembered it longer! Jeremy, thanks for reminding us that Thinking Maps are wonderful for reviewing before assessments! You painted a picture in your students' minds that will certainly help them recall the information! Hats off to all of you as you finish the year stronger than ever! Good luck and keep those students thinking!
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