What are Thinking Maps?
Thinking Maps are eight visual-verbal learning tools, each based on a fundamental thinking process and used together as a set of tools for showing relationships. Thinking Maps give you and your teachers a common language for meaningful learning. The consistency and flexibility of each of the Thinking Maps promote:
1. student-centered and cooperative learning
2. concept development, reflective thinking
3. creativity
4. clarity of communication
5. continuous cognitive development
You will construct knowledge, much like carpenters working together using a common set of tools to build a new structure. Thinking Maps can help you become independent, reflective, life-long problem solvers and learners.
Circle Map - What if you wanted to brainstorm ideas about probability? What is your frame of reference about probability? In other words, what concrete examples do you know that reflect the concept of probability? The Circle Map can be used for this purpose.
Bubble Map - What if you wanted to describe the qualities of animals? Use the Bubble Map for descriptions of qualities and characteristics.
Double Bubble - Use a Double Bubble map to compare and contrast the games of team handball and floor hockey. The Double Bubble examines similar and different qualities.
Tree Map - What if you wanted to examine and define the various types of measurements? The Tree Map can be used for classification.
Brace Map - The parts of a ‘monster’ in Spanish can be identified by using the Brace Map. A Brace Map is used to show the component parts of a physical whole.
Flow Map - The Flow Map is used to show sequencing. Any process that can be described by steps such as 1st, 2nd, & 3rd could benefit from this type of map. For example, a Flow Map could show the correct process for reading a textbook.
Multi-flow Map - A Multi-flow Map could be used to look at the causes and effects of conflicts between Europeans and North Americans.
Bridge Map - The Bridge Map illustrates analogies. The following map shows the major resources of various states.The analogies in this map would read as follows: Coal is to Illinois as oil is to Texas. Oil is to Texas as fertile soil is to Georgia. Can you “read” the rest of them?
