Reading Assignments Are As Important to the Work in Science Classes As Labs

Users Guide to Concept Mapping

Reading assignments are as important to the work in science classes as labs and problems are. We expect you to read the assignments and mentally address each of the questions that are posed throughout the chapter to check your understanding. There are several uses for source materials (articles, textbooks, etc.) in science classes:

1. to reinforce information covered in class,

2. to provide more in-depth coverage of material,

3. to preview upcoming material and

4. to show alternate ways to solve problems.

In order to make sure that you are completing the reading assignments and to provide you an easy way to review for tests and the final, you will create a concept map (or maps) for each chapter. Good concept maps are useful as review tools or quick reference tools when you encounter new material that depends upon past material.

A concept map is a way to organize learning in which you extract the most important ideas from the reading and relate them in a meaningful way on a "map". Each map will be unique and will reflect your individual style. Common to all maps will be the central topic (expressed in one or two words) written in the very center of the paper. All other ideas are clustered around this central topic. The central idea should NOT necessarily be the same as the chapter title. Each map should be kept to one page. If there are too many ideas to incorporate on one page, the map needs to be divided into two or three smaller, more manageable maps.

The central topic branches out in several directions showing all relationships through linking phrases and arrows. Ideas that support the main concept are closer to the center than other ideas that are less related. Important terminology is linked to the appropriate ideas in dear, explidt phrases. Specific examples that clarify concepts and illustrate ideas are important to concept maps.

Beware!! Concept maps do NOT use complete sentences. The idea is to highlight the important ideas, not dwell on vaguely related concepts or unimportant trivia. Pictures and other graphics are a great addition. Graphs may be the most simple format for displaying a concept. To accent certain ideas (e.g. the formulas), different color ink is a must. Using one color to show vocabulary, another for formulas, another for defining characteristics, etc. would help set off these different parts of the concepts at a glance.