Engaging Students with Concept Mapping Activities

Concept maps are a useful resource for teachers and students to engage in visual thinking and use students’ creativity to display ideas, concept understanding, and overall knowledge of a particular subject or area. Teachers can incorporate concept mapping into the classroom in various fun and interesting ways. Concept mapping activities can increase student organization, researching skills, and writing abilities.
An innovative idea for using concept mapping is when studying habitats, have the students create a concept map depicting the main habitats. Students can insert the various animals and plants that live in each particular habitat. The students can then write a description of the habitat, addressing the animals that are able to survive there and the climate of each habitat. Another interactive to way to engage students by making a concept map is during a government lesson have the students create a concept map of the three branches of government, executive, legislative, and judicial. Students can then move the terms and powers to the correct branch of government. The students can add additional symbols or pictures that represent each branch. After creating the concept map, students can write a brief description of the responsibilities of the three branches of government, also explaining the check and balances system. Teachers can use concept mapping in math lessons as well. For example, students can match various pictures with the correct fraction or other appropriate equations. A fun way to promote and improve writing skills is by having students create a weekly journal entry using a concept map. Students can use pictures and symbols to represent how they are feeling that week or any exciting events that have occurred. Then students can write an explanation of each picture and express themselves and any thoughts or feelings they may have each week. This is a great way for teachers to check up on students on a personal level. An additional use of concept maps is creating book reports. After completing a book and participating in a class discussion, students can make a concept map, depicting the main characters, setting, plot, and theme of the story, using symbols to help express each category. Then students can write about each of the areas.


1.) Concept mapping can greatly effect and promote student learning in various ways, such as improving writing skills and displaying understanding of concepts. When studying government, students can create a concept map of three branches of government and place symbols and pictures representing the powers of each particular branch. Then students can write a description of each branch, describing its roles and responsibilities. Another way to incorporate concept knowledge and writing is by having students make a concept map of habitats and the animals which live there. Students can write about each habitats climate, vegetation, and the animals found there.

2.) The amount of time spent learning this application would range anywhere from 5 hours to two days, depending on the teachers prior experience with computers and the amount of time spent exploring it in one setting. However, I feel that it is worth all the time and effort. I think that concept mapping is an extremely beneficial tool for teachers to incorporate in their classroom. Concept mapping allows students to display their thoughts and knowledge in a visual and interactive manner.


Here is an exapmle of a concept map: