Gather Your Writing and Drawing Materials
Having to get up to find a tool or notebook is more than a inconvenience, it can completely break your concentration. Have plenty of paper on hand, colored markers, a ruler, and even a shape template. You may wish to dedicate a notebook just to making and refining visuals for your classes.
Gather Your Research Materials
These materials can include: books, class notes, related newspaper and magazine articles, notes of independent observations, data / statistics, and visual materials, such as photos and diagrams. This is your "database" for making concept maps. You scan such materials to keep relevant information in mind as you are making maps.
Select One of the Concept Map Formats
Get to know the different formats. Try them out when you have an opportunity. See how different formats are appropriate for different kinds of information. For example, if you want to depict the organizational structure of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, a hierarchy map is best (the Dean goes in the top box!).
Making Your First Map
For example, for the question "Should there be logging in old growth forests?", make a spider map to represent the pro's and con's of this issue. On one side of this issue, there are topics like biodiversity and spotted owls that should be depicted on the map. On the other side of the issue, there are topics related to the towns and families that rely on logging income that should be on the map. There are also issues of logging and foreign trade, logging and recreation, and so on. Try to come up a with a map that represents the whole issue.
Revising Maps
Revise your maps to refine them: Are they clear? Logical? Attractive? Good maps are like good writing; they are usually the product of several drafts.Show a map to your teacher and friends to get feedback.
Using Maps as Preparation for Discussion Section
After lecture and before your discussion section, make a map to represent the information presented in lecture. And be sure to ALWAYS master the concept maps that are in your Discovery Manual at the beginning of each of the five system sections. They provide a convenient overview of some very complex information.
Creative Tips for Making Maps