CONCEPT MAPPING SOFTWARE
The software programs listed here are just a few of many available concept mapping software programs that are designed to help you brainstorm, plan, organize, visualize, create and share graphic organizers, diagrams and flowcharts.
Software |
Description |
License |
Platform |
| Inspiration | Create graphic organizers & idea maps | Commercial | Mac/PC |
| Kidspiration | Categorize and organize ideas for writing | Commercial | Mac/PC |
| Cmap Tools | Construct, navigate & share concept map | Free | Mac/PC |
| Smartdraw | Draw diagrams, graphs and concept maps | Free | PC |
| Concept Draw | Draw diagrams, flowcharts, mind maps | Commercial/Trial | Mac/PC |
| FreeMind | Create mind mapping using Java | Free | Mac/PC |
| Power Point | Create concept map using the chart feature | Commercial | Mac/PC |
The varied capabilities of a concept mapping tool include, but are not limited to the following: visually represent concepts and their relationships through linking ideas, pictures, symbols and text, Rapid Fire™ feature helps students to get their thoughts down quickly, video and sound files such as QuickTime™ movies and MP3 files can be imported into the diagram, use different colors, shapes, fonts and patterns to group and classify, manage notes, organize ideas with the aid of the arrange tool and the checklist feature. Diagrams can be converted into a hierarchical outline view, drag and drop features, toolbars, templates that offer custom frameworks for gathering and organizing ideas in the subject areas. Included is a dictionary and thesaurus. Diagrams can be imported into word processing documents, presentation software slides, HTML and web pages. The concept mapping tools can be used across the curriculum and in varied grade levels.
- Applied Technology: Concept mapping software in applied technology is a tool that students can use to organize, plan, analyze, and manage production workflow.
- Art: Concept mapping software in the arts helps students to visualize their ideas through graphic organizers that include symbols and text. Students can combine pictures, text and spoken words to show and expand on the relationship between ideas. Students can draw their own pictures to represent concepts. The flowchart tool can help plan a storyboard.
- Foreign Language: Concept mapping software in foreign language helps students quickly brainstorm, plan and organize new ideas that can be expanded into writing. The symbol collection tool can provide images to represent concepts and new vocabulary. Sound files can be added to the diagram and text so students can improve on their listening and speaking skills in the target language.
- Health and Physical Education: Concept mapping in health and PE is a tool to help students combine pictures, text and spoken words to build vocabulary of body parts and systems. Comparative diagrams can be used to analyze healthy and unhealthy behaviors, as well as illustrate caloric intake or heart rates.
- Language Arts: Concept mapping in the language arts helps students to quickly brainstorm, plan and organize new ideas. Pictures paired with images build early reading and writing skills. The process of classifying, grouping and comparing helps improve comprehension, retention and communication of information. The diagram view can convert into an outline view where ideas can be further developed in writing and imported into a word processing document. There are many templates to help students compare characters, organize their essays or poems and plan a story.
- Mathematics: Concept mapping in math is a tool to help students organize, analyze, manage and display information visually through graphs. Diagrams can be used to represent patterns, compare measurements, show relationships between concepts, and visualize ways in which shapes can be combined and subdivided.
- Science: Concept mapping in science helps students to plan, analyze, compare, classify and evaluate information. There are many templates to help students analyze cause and effect relationships, analyze the design and outcomes of experiments, compare attributes of a topic and classify chemical compounds, and explore the pros and cons of a topic.
- Social Studies: Concept mapping in social studies is a tool for students to plan, organize, analyze, compare and evaluate their research. Students can use templates to craft a position in support of a topic, compare articles, explore the life of an important person, analyze an event, show cause and effect relationships, and compare historical events or cultures.
Sample Lesson Plans
The following sample lesson plans provide a general idea on how the concept mapping software tool can be integrated in a content area and grade level. Although there may not be an example for every content area or at every grade level, the lessons from one content area or grade level can often be adapted to another due to its open-ended approach.
GRADE LEVELS K-2
Arts: Visual
- Cardinal Directions in the Classroom: Students will recognize cardinal directions within the classroom.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Sensory Details: Students will use Kidspiration as a tool to help them make observations and use sensory details in their writing.
- Shapely People: Students will identify shapes and colors by creating a shape person.
Language Arts
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
- Sensory Details: Students use Kidspiration as a tool to help them make observations and use sensory details in their writing.
- Shapely People: Students will identify shapes and colors by creating a shape person.
- Student/Picture Match Game: Student will use Kidspiration as a tool to help students learn each others' names.
Mathematics
- Patterns: Students use a word processing program to make patterns.
- Perimeter: Students will measure the perimeter of a square by using a pipe cleaner.
- Shapely People: Students will identify shapes and colors by creating a shape person.
Science
- Animal Habitats: Students will demonstrate knowledge of plants and animals within a habitat by dragging pictures into the appropriate habitat.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
Social Studies
- Cardinal Directions in the Classroom: Students will recognize cardinal directions within the classroom.
GRADE LEVELS 3-5
Arts: Visual
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
Language Arts
- Alien Story: Students will use correct punctuation when writing a conversation.
- Classmate Grid: Students will use a coordinate grid using information about their classmates.
- Classmate Pictograph: Students will make a pictograph using information about their classmates.
- Food Chain: Students will use technology to enhance the effectiveness of communication by writing a paragraph describing their food chain using key vocabulary.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
Mathematics
- Classmate Grid: Students will use a coordinate grid using information about their classmates.
- Classmate Pictograph: Students will make a pictograph using information about their classmates.
Science
- Food Chain: Students will know that animals eat plants or other animals to acquire the energy they need for survival by creating a food chain.
- Interactive Journeys: Students will use technology to enhance their field trip.
Social Studies
- Family Tree: Students will understand the cultural traditions and contributions of various societies by researching their family heritage.
GRADE LEVELS 6-8
Arts: Visual
- Must Love Animals: Students will research an animal they are interested in and present their findings in an AppleWorks slideshow.
Mathematics
- Addition and Subtraction of Integers: Students will learn to add and subtract integers by creating electronic models.
Science
- Must Love Animals: Students will research an animal they are interested in and present their findings in a AppleWorks slideshow.
Grade Levels 9-12
Arts: Visual
- Pirate WANTED Poster: Students will investigate the character traits of a 17th and 18th century pirate.
- Store Design: Students will design their own stores through the use of multiple programs.
ESOL
- Deconstructing a Text: Students use Inspiration software to find the main idea in a page of text.
Language Arts
- The Americas: A Picture Diagram in Inspiration: Students will gain knowledge of Native Americans through the use of Inspiration and Appleworks.
- The Cost of Progress: Students will achieve a better understanding of the costs of progress through the development of an informative website.
- Deconstructing a Text: Students use Inspiration software to find the main idea in a page of text.
- International Relations: Concept Mapping with Inspiration: Students will gain a better understanding of current events and reading material through concept mapping with Inspiration.
- Introduction to Wellness: Students will use a graphic organizer to learn about health and wellness.
- Pirate WANTED Poster: Lesson Description
- Store Design: Students will design their own stores through the use of multiple programs.
- Using Reading Strategies to Teach the Immune System: Students create presentations about the immune system using Inspiration software.
- Visualizing Vocabulary: Students demonstrate their understanding of vocabulary terms through the use of a graphic organizer.
Health and PE
- Introduction to Wellnesss: Students will use a graphic organizer to learn about health and wellness.
- Personal Fitness: Students will use a variety of technology applications to enhance their understanding about personal fitness and how participating in sport can contribute to one's health and fitness.
Science
- Using Reading Strategies to Teach the Immune System: Students will use reading strategies to learn about the immune system.
Subject
- The Americas: A Picture Diagram in Inspiration: Students will gain knowledge of Native Americans through the use of Inspiration and Appleworks.
- International Relations: Concept Mapping with Inspiration: Students will gain a better understanding of current events and reading material through concept mapping with Inspiration.n
- Pirates WANTED Poster: Students will investigate the character traits of a 17th and 18th century pirate.
- Store Design: Students will design their own stores through the use of multiple programs.