Mind map

This strategy will help students to:

  • plan and organise information and understandings

  • summarise key information, clarify relationships or associations between information and ideas and draw conclusions

  • enhance learning and boost memory

  • foster creativity, critical thinking and problem solving

  • enhance presentation skills

  • promote group collaboration skills

  • improve writing skills

Implementation

  1. Explain that this strategy is to organise thoughts and each mindmap will be unique to the individual or group. (There is rarely a 'right' and 'wrong' answer.)

  2. Place the main theme in the center of the page. This can be an image, word or combination of both.

  3. Create the sub-themes by drawing branches from the main central theme.

  4. Identify connected words, phrases or pictures and place these around the main theme and sub-themes, progressively moving outwards to more specific information.

  5. Use very short phrases or single words.

  6. Identify links between different ideas and draw lines to highlight connecting ideas. 

Ideas for creative mindmaps

  • Use colour, different shapes, and lines to add visual appeal and aid recall of information.

  • Initial ideas can be written in pen or pencil and then colours can be used to help categorise and organise information.

  • Pictures or symbols aid visual learners and learners with lower literacy levels.

  • Arrow thickness, shape and colour can be used to indicate cause and effect, and emphasis information and connection.

Technology options

For a PC

Tablet apps

Special needs

  • The SECCA app is a free resource with over 2000 images designed to help deliver relationships and sexuality education to people of all ages and abilities. 

Example

 

External links

Evidence base