Concept Map - A Novel Idea

We tried something new today in fourth grade - it's called "concept mapping," and I got the idea from a blog post over at All Things Upper Elementary. And since we are in between finishing up our unit on economy (with a Powerpoint project being completed this week) and starting our next one on the Midwest, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try this out.

So, I previewed the activity with them, showing them (and explaining) what a concept map essentially is. After taking questions, I proceeded to put the list of economic terms on our SmartBoard. Then, I passed out one large piece of chart paper and a marker to each small group (5-6 students).

Then, I gave them about 15 minutes - and, truth be told, they could have gone on for another 15 minutes. Minus the couple of students who were more interested in their erasers or other things in their desks, the students were engaged and debating the whole time. I was impressed. I did minimal guidance, mostly making sure all students were participating (again, there always seem to be those select few who like to zone) and not arguing. The hardest part for them was figuring out what to write on the arrows connecting the terms.

Afterwards, I called them back to order, and they shared with the whole class. And then, we debriefed - why did we do this activity? One student hit it right on the head - we were stretching our thinking. (In my words, we were using higher order thinking skills.)

Here's a glimpse at what some of the groups came up with:

first group's concept map

a close up of the one above - you can see how they tie the terms together

another group's concept map

showing how advertising is affected and plays a role - some included pictures instead of words on the arrows to connect terms, which worked fine!

another close up - this time on globalization and its related terms

I've come to learn with this group of students that there is no such thing as an independent and silent activity after lunch. That's why amidst the craziness of the afternoon, this activity was a saving grace. Independent Beatitudes review? Not so much...

I'm excited to explore more possibilities with this concept mapping activity - I'm pretty sure we can use (but not overuse) it in just about every subject.