THINKING MAPS
One district initiative is thinking maps. Thinking Maps will be used throughout the school year,
including a report based on thinking maps. The students will have their own Thinking Maps folder,
which they will be able to utilize to further their ideas, and assist them in becoming experts at
using all 8 Thinking Maps. Our brains are always trying to find and build patterns. That is
how we make sense of our world. Thinking Maps help us organize information visually. By using
eight different maps, students can learn eight different ways of thinking. The maps are a concrete
way of seeing abstract concepts. Students can use these patterns for a variety of purposes in their
class work, homework, and independent projects.
Here are the names of the eight maps:
Circle Map Brace Map
Bubble Map Flow Map
Double Bubble Map Multi-Flow Map
Tree Map Bridge Map
Here are the uses of each map. It doesn’t matter what grade level or subject the maps are used for.
You will notice that the maps have very practical applications. There are labels and diagrams of
the 8 maps at the bottom of the next page.
Circle Map – for brainstorming ideas. A word, concept, picture, sign, or symbol is put into an
inner circle. In an outside circle goes any information to support the word in the inner circle.
Bubble Map – for describing with adjectives. In an inner circle goes the word or thing being
defined. Connected by lines to the inner circle are outside bubbles in which students write the
adjectives or phrases describing the word or thing in the inner circle.
Double Bubble Map – for comparing and contrasting. Two center bubbles show similarities between two
things. Middle bubbles are for the items being compared or contrasted. Outside bubbles list the
differences in the items. All items are connected together by lines.
Tree Map – for sorting, classifying, and grouping. On the top line is the name of the category.
Underneath are subcategory layers. There is also a third layer describing the subcategory.
Brace Map – for breaking the whole into parts. Start with the whole object, then divide it into
parts and subparts using braces (parentheses.)
Flow Map – for sequencing events and stages of events. Using rectangles for each stage of an event,
a flow pattern (with arrows connecting the boxes) is established. The flow can go to the right or
left, down or up.
Multi-Flow Map – for linking causes and effects of events. An event is written in the center
rectangle. Causes of the event are written in boxes to the left while effects are written in boxes
to the right of the center rectangle.
Bridge Map – for identifying similarities in relationships. A pair of things has a relationship to
another pair of things. It is a similar phrase that can fit on both sides of a bridge.