Concept Maps in the Classroom

Since JKL just wrote a Language Arts test, I thought I would expand on one of the concepts we looked at, which was the Writing Process by using a concept map. One of the many ways teachers could incorporate concept maps in the classroom is for a Grade 8 Language Arts class. For this particular assignment, the teacher could introduce the idea of concept maps when teaching about the 5 Stages of the Writing Process: Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, and Publishing. By having the students properly write an essay through these steps, the students could create their own concept maps, in which they fill in the spaces to illustrate their outline for their essays.
In the end, the students should have a grasp on how to structure an essay, and the proper order in which it should be structured: Introduction (containing the thesis), followed by the arguments (which are supported), and finishing with a conclusion paragraph, that restates the thesis. They will also have experience and confidence in using a webbing tool such as Inspiration and the technological outcomes that would be covered are:

General Outcomes
P.2 – Students will organize and manipulate data
Specific Outcomes
3.1 design, create and modify a database for a specific purpose
3.3 use a variety of technological graphing tools to draw graphs for data involving one or two variables

General Outcomes
P.2 – Students will organize and manipulate data.
Specific Outcomes
3.1 design, create and modify a database for a specific purpose

General Outcomes
P.4 – Students will integrate various applications
Specific Outcomes
3.3 emphasize information, using placement and color.