VISUAL TOOLS

Buy posters?

 

What does it do? 

A Model map is a way of hierarchically organising information. It provides both the big picture and the details at the same time.

 

How do you make it?

There are two ways to construct a model map.

Method One (inside out, or deductive process)

1. Write the name of the topic in the centre
2. Come up with the main themes of this topic and write them above main branches that emerge from the centre.
3. Taking one main branch at a time, come up with its main parts and write them down above new, smaller branches that emerge from the end of the main branch
4. Repeat this process, outwardly, until you have captured and organised enough information.
5. Repeat this process for each branch.

Method Two (outside in, or inductive process)

1. Write the name of the topic in the centre
2. Write, but don’t organise, all the ideas you can think of regarding a chosen topic by placing them on lines radiating from the centre.
3. Start again with the topic written in the middle. This time organise the outer words into groups according to how well they seem to go together. Write these groups of words into separated groups around the centre, still writing above the lines that emerge from the centre.
4. Start again with the topic written in the middle. This time identify the names of these new groups. These words become the main branches which you now draw on your map. Taking each group from step 3 in turn, break the words into levels of hierarchy until they are all used up into the branching system noted above. Add any new words that occur during the process into an appropriate level of branching.
5. Repeat for the other group of words until the map is completed.

 

When do you use it? 

A Model map is useful for:

• Organising your thoughts, work and writing
• Creating knowledge about a topic
• Explaining a topic to another person
• Making a presentation / demonstrating understanding
• Planning
• Assessing what has been learnt

 

Interested in Visual Tool posters?