Idea Maps

Whether students are searching for ideas for writing assignments, projects, or presentations, often they need a spark to make ideas begin to flow. That's where idea maps come in. This visual learning technique stimulates students to generate ideas, follow them through, and develop their thoughts visually.

Idea maps help students brainstorm, solve problems, and plan their work. Using fast, five-minute exercises in word and idea association, idea maps connect keywords, symbols, colors, and graphics to form nonlinear networks of potential ideas and thoughts.

See an Inspiration^® idea map.
See a Kidspiration^® idea map.

Educators tell us they use idea maps in all kinds of applications. Prior to field trips, ideas maps help students think about what they might see and learn. After the field trip, students use idea maps to record their observations. And idea maps give emerging or struggling writers a boost as they learn to generate ideas and gather and organize their thoughts.

Other visual learning techniques:

• Webs
• Concept Maps

See more curriculum ideas for using Inspiration in the Achieving Standards with Inspiration 7 Lesson Plan Book, and find out how Kidspiration can help meet curriculum standards for grades K-5 in the Kidspiration Activity Book. These products and more are available in our store.

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