Mind Mapping- Science

Mind mapping is a fabulous way to get students thinking about things.  I remember making mind maps in school on a piece of paper.  Technology makes making mind maps a lot more fun and interactive.  Mind mapping can help your students to organize their thoughts for a paper, it can allow them to display the content that they have learned and it can be used as a great visual way for students to learn.

I chose to use popplet as my tool of choice to make a mind map.  I created this mind map to visually teach students how to classify rocks.  Using the mind map, it helps those students that learn visually.  To be able to see it spelled out what characteristics each type of rock have, makes it easier for those type of learners to learn.

This mind map would meet the following standards for fourth grade:

UEN Standard:

Standard 3 
Students will understand the basic properties of rocks, the processes involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil.

Objective 1 
Identify basic properties of minerals and rocks.Classify common rocks found in Utah as sedimentary (i.e., sandstone, conglomerate, shale), igneous (i.e., basalt, granite, obsidian, pumice) and metamorphic (i.e., marble, gneiss, schist).

EdTech Standard: (if used in grades 3-5)

Standard 5 

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE Standard:

Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media.