1. A way to demonstrate understanding and seek new knowledge
Concept Maps
A way to demonstrate understanding and seek new knowledge

2. What Are Concept Maps?
Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing and representing knowledge, and seeking new knowledge.

3. What Do They Look Like? Concept maps include:
Concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type
Relationships between concepts indicated by a connecting line linking two concepts.
Words on the line, referred to as linking words or linking phrases, specify the relationship between the two concepts.

5. Propositions
The combination of two nodes and a labeled line is called a proposition.
It is the basic unit of meaning in a concept map
The simplest concept map would be two concepts connected by a linking word to form a proposition (Novak & Gowin, 1984, p. 15)
For example, “seeds grow into plants.”

7. Concept maps, then, purport to represent some important aspects of a person's declarative knowledge in a content domain (e.g., physics).

8. What is a Concept?
We define concept as a perceived regularity in events or objects, or records of events or objects, designated by a label.
The label for most concepts is a word, although sometimes we use symbols such as + or %, and sometimes more than one word is used.

9. Propositions are statements about some object or event in the universe, either naturally occurring or constructed.
Propositions contain two or more concepts connected using linking words or phrases to form a meaningful statement.
Sometimes these are called semantic units, or units of meaning.

11. Hierarchy
A characteristic of concept maps is that the concepts are represented in a hierarchical fashion
with the most inclusive, most general concepts at the top of the map
the more specific, less general concepts arranged hierarchically below.

12. Cross-Links
Cross-links are an important characteristic of concept maps.
These are relationships or links between concepts in different segments or domains of the concept map.
Cross-links help us see how a concept in one domain of knowledge represented on the map is related to a concept in another domain shown on the map.

13. New Knowledge
In the creation of new knowledge, cross-links often represent creative leaps on the part of the knowledge producer.

14. New Knowledge
These two features are important in the facilitation of creative thinking:
The hierarchical structure
The ability to search for and characterize new cross-links.

15. Clarifying
We may add specific examples of events or objects that help to clarify the meaning of a given concept.
Normally these are not included in ovals or boxes
They are specific events or objects and do not represent concepts.

17. The Process Brainstorming Organizing Layout Linking Finalizing
identify facts, terms, and ideas that you think are in anyway associated with the topic
Organizing
Spread out your concepts (Post-It® notes) on a flat surface so that all can be read easily and, together, create groups and sub-groups of related items.
Layout
On a large sheet of paper, try to come up with an arrangement (layout)
Linking
Use lines with arrows to connect and show the relationship between connected items.
Finalizing
convert the concept map into a permanent form that others can view and discuss.

18. Context
It is important to begin with a domain of knowledge that is very familiar to the person constructing the map.
Concept map structures are dependent on the context in which they will be used.
Best to identify a particular problem or question that one is trying to understand.
This creates a context that will help to determine the hierarchical structure of the concept map.
It is also helpful to select a limited domain of knowledge for the first concept maps

19. The Focus Question
A good way to define the context for a concept map is to construct a Focus Question.
A question that clearly specifies the problem or issue the concept map should help to resolve.
Every concept map responds to a focus question, and a good focus question can lead to a much richer concept map.

20. Beginning the Map
Given a selected domain and a defined question or problem in this domain, the next step is to identify the key concepts that apply to this domain.
Usually 15 to 25 concepts will suffice.

21. Parking Lots
We refer to a list of concepts waiting to be added to a concept map as the parking lot of concepts.
The starting point for the construction of the concept map can be a list of concepts that the teacher wants to make sure all students include in their map.

22. Parking lot of Ideas

23. We then start with the most general concept and work toward the most specific adding connecting arrows and linking words.

24. Note: Not all the words in the parking lot were used,
and these are yet to be added.

25. The Process Brainstorming Organizing Layout Linking Finalizing
identify facts, terms, and ideas that you think are in anyway associated with the topic
Organizing
Spread out your concepts (Post-It® notes) on a flat surface so that all can be read easily and, together, create groups and sub-groups of related items.
Layout
On a large sheet of paper, try to come up with an arrangement (layout)
Linking
Use lines with arrows to connect and show the relationship between connected items.
Finalizing
convert the concept map into a permanent form that others can view and discuss.

26. What is a Good Concept Map
Accuracy and Thoroughness. Are the concepts and relationships correct? Are important concepts missing? Are any misconceptions apparent?
Organization. Was the concept map laid out in a way that higher order relationships are apparent and easy to follow? Does it have a title?
Appearance. Was the assignment done with care showing attention to details such as spelling and penmanship? Is it neat and orderly or is it chaotic and messy?
Creativity. Are there unusual elements that aid communication or stimulate interest without being distracting?

27. Seasons “Why do we have seasons?”
Only eleven concepts, properly organized are needed to understand why we have seasons,
One arrangement of these concepts is shown in the Figure.

29. Agricultural Practices
Proposition: Without the industrial chemical reduction of atmospheric nitrogen, starvation would be rampant in third world countries.
Starvation
and Famine
FOOD
Deprivation leads to
Requiring more
Population Growth
Predicted by
Can be
limited by
and
Contains
Malthus 1819
Required
for
Climate
Protein
Human Health
and Survival
Such as in
Eastern
Europe
Politics
Includes
Can be increased by
Used by humans as
Essential Amino Acids
Economics
and
Made by
India
Distribution
Animals
Grains
Legumes
Africa
Agricultural Practices
Eaten by
Such as
Such as
Plants
Possess
Pesticides
Genetics & Breeding
Herbicides
Irrigation
Required for
growth of
Symbiotic Bacteria
That produce
Fertilizer
Which significantly
supplements naturally
“Fixed” Nitrogen
Haber
Process
Used for
Atmospheric N2
NH3

30. Monarch Butterfly Example
Where do we start?

31. Word brainstorm Monarch butterfly Food source generations flowers
milkweed
north
metamorphosis
Fall migration
direction
temperature
For example, you could start off by doing a group activity similar to what they would be doing on their own. This is a word wall for a Journey North unit.
Now as a team, let’s ‘map” these terms. I have cards that represent each of these terms, plus blank ones for others that we have come up with.
instinct
Mexico
south
chrysalid
Fall
day length
caterpillar
egg
Mountain top
February 31

32. What is next?

33. Either way, start to build the map by making relationships between the words
development
pesticide
migration
and
Mexico
does
and
Threatened by
insect
Missouri
Monarch butterfly
Is a
includes
needs
habitat
Is a
caterpillar
includes
metamorphosis
Leads to
chrysalid
milkweed 33

34. Parts of the concept map
Dead end
development
pesticide
migration
and
Mexico
does
node
and
Threatened by
insect
Missouri
node
Monarch butterfly
Is a
includes
Point out the NODE, ARROW and LINKING TERM
needs
habitat
Is a
caterpillar
Linking word
line
includes
metamorphosis
Leads to
chrysalid
milkweed 34

35. agriculture East Coast logging development Mexico In herbicides spring
North to
South to
herbicides
spring
fall
Roosts in
and in in
lost to
pesticides
Oyamel fir
migration
lost to
does
Threatened by
Is winter
Monarch butterfly
Three body parts
needs
have
More sophisticated mamp
habitat
eats
Is an
insect
lays
become
Improved by on
eggs
Is found in
become
milkweed
contain
Go through
Butterfly gardens
caterpillar
metamorphosis 35

36. Problems?
What might be some things that could be improved with this concept map?

37. Sources