Concept maps were first developed by Prof. Joseph D. Novak at Cornell University in the ‘60’s.As a result of my increasing interest in science education reform and active learning, I place more emphasis on understanding concepts and less on rote memorization of minute details. The use of a concept map on a particular topic should help students:

reorganize information to reflect their understanding

show knowledge in a more visual format

assess their understanding of a topic

see relationships between different words or concepts

My students do 4 concept maps during the semester, one on each of the first four units: Classification, Growth and Reproduction, Process of Infection, and Defense.I’ve dropped the maps on the last two units (Identification and Control) because part of my goal is to have them learn the skill of concept mapping and by the 4^th map, they are doing well.  One of the problems students have with concept mapping is there is no one right way to present the information…it is the way they see it.

There are many styles of concept maps. Check them out on the Inspiration website below. As you decide to incorporate CM, think about what you want the student to achieve.  I wanted them to understand how different topics are related and be able to express those relationships using correct grammar. So here are my rules:

I give them x number of words that must be on the map then they must also add an additional number of words (varies with map). The words must come from material we’ve discussed. Some were trying to map the chapters in the text over material we had not covered. 

1 point off for: information that should be there (e.g., Classification map should show how each group is classified), an incorrect link (Procaryotic cells are found in the Protozoa)

By the 3^rd map I expect organization (I’ve talked about it and shown examples) so there aren’t just 25 symbols on the page.Their grade will then consist of 3 numbers: one for the words, one for grammar, etc. and one (5) for the descriptiveness of their links.Many students do a really quick map by using “can be”, “is a part of”, “consists of”, etc. which really are not very informative links. Students often arrange words by color or size of symbol .

The maps must be done on computer (try grading some handwritten ones and you’ll see why!). They may use any program but I recommend Inspiration, a software program designed for concept mapping. A 30 day trial can be downloaded from http://www.inspiration.com.  Most of my students do not buy the program but use it in our Computer Lab. Regular cost is ~$90 but students can purchase it online for about $40 from http://www.journeyed.com  I have a handout that briefly describes how to use the program. Contact me if you are interested in receiving one. I allow the students to redo the first 2 maps to gain more points and help them over the learning curve. (I don't tell them this to start with) If they really have no clue on their first map, I usually invite them to my office where we can work together—it’s important to have Inspiration on your office computer. For some of the ESOL students I have required them to take their map to the English lab for help with a note from me that they need assistance with sentence structure, subject verb agreement, etc.

One semester I tried a “moving” concept map especially for those students that need to move around to learn! Using a large size font, I printed the "must have" words on paper, then took in extra paper and markers for additional words supplied by the students. Each group got 3 or 4 words. The group that has the “main idea” word (e.g., Process of infection) starts the map off then others bring their word and create a link to it. We ended up using the blackboard and tape but there has to be a better way. Students would redo links trying to make the link richer and they would comment on different arrangements. I had them assess the effectiveness of this and the majority said it helped to hear and see different ways of arranging the words. I also told them at the beginning they could not use the links word for word on their maps because many of them started copying what was on the board for “their” map!! I hadn’t thought of that. A few didn’t like it because they said it “messed up” their thinking on how they would organize it.

 
The maps I’ve included are defnitely some of the better examples of maps  What is the point in sharing bad ones?  I've included one for each unit to show you the various styles students use.  Each map will be unique and it is very obvious when one map has been copied from another student.  If you print the maps, be sure to use the "Landscape" setting on your printer.  I tried to reach a happy medium between size of the image file and quality.

 
STUDENT MAPS

 
Classification

 
Growth and Reproduction