For those students that are more visual, it may be better to use a concept map to give instructions or help identifying processes. These maps may be given with instructions on the side so that those who prefer written text will be accommodated as well. For many students having the text, and using a visual representation as a reference, will be most successful.
Using a concept map can also promote critical thinking. Students must evaluate their circumstances and then refer to the map in order to justify their next step. An example of this would be the identification of an unknown microbe. Students must use tests and evaluate the outcome before continuing along the appropriate direction on their map.
Concept mapping can be used to connect topics. Students can use this technique in order to arrange the relationship of different ideas. By creating this visual representation, complex matrixes of connections can be analyzed as a whole. This would be much more difficult if the topics and their relations were written in text form. This type of arranging information could also be used as a rough draft to organize information in order to transfer it into written form.
When using concept mapping in the classroom, national and state standards must be taken into consideration. In the realm of the sciences, using concept mapping can be used in support of an inquiry based lesson. Students can use concept mapping to demonstrate their perspectives to different events and outcomes. The teacher could then assess the map on its rational.
Concept maps can be used in biology for several different ways. One of the ways it can be used is in a taxidermic method. It can show the linkages due to the similarity in genetics between organisms. The more similar the DNA code, the closer related the organisms are. This process can also help in identify branching points in organisms’ evolutionary progress. Since there is relatively consistent rate of mutation at certain areas of the genetic code, the amount of similarity can then be manipulated to show the amount of time since divergence. The lengths of the connecting lines are representative of the amount of time.
As a biology teacher I plan to use concept maps routinely. They are the primary way to demonstrate different cycles such as the water cycle, carbon cycle, or food webs. The amount of information and relationships within these cycles could not be adequately represented in written text. Using this type of presentation is the most efficient.
Two criteria that I will use in order to decide if concept mapping will be used are: 1) If the student in the class react better to visual material, and 2) In the support of inquiry, students find their own ways of analyzing and representing information.
The following is an example of using a concept map to find the different effects of pollution.
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