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Using Mind Mapping as a Scaffolding Tool
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Activity Description
Canva helps students create mind maps online. They can then share them with others and add them to presentations. This tool is great for brainstorming collaboratively. In this activity students use mind maps to organize or scaffold information for getting a job.
For this activity, students make a mind map, create a presentation of the mind map, and present it to the class.
Preparation
- Get an account at Canva.com. Review possible Canva Templates and create a sample mind map.
How-To
- Discuss mind mapping as a tool to use for organizing, brainstorming, and pre-writing.
- Go to the Web site. Demonstrate how to use it showing the mind maps you created or the example one.
- Make a mind map together.
- Assign students to work in pairs or small groups to create a Mind Map.
- Use the Example Document for an assignment sheet.
More Ways
- Use the on collaborative projects.
Program Areas
- ABE: Adult Basic Education
- ESL: English as a Second Language
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
- ASE: High School Diploma
- CTE: Career Technical Education
- AwD: Adults with Disabilities
Levels
- Low
- Intermediate
- High
- Beginning High
- Intermediate Low
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
Lesson Plan
Ask learner pairs to brainstorm all the things they associate with the topic "Getting a Job" in two minutes. Share the list with the class.
Sometimes big topics like getting a job are difficult to organize. Using mind mapping can make organizing the topic much easier. (show an example of a mind map) As pairs, take a sheet of paper and create a mind map for the brainstorm list you just created.
As a class identify the main branches in getting a job.
They might include Career Goals, Resume, Cover Letter, Job Searching Strategies, Interview Prep, Skills and Training, Time Management.
Assign each learner pair one of the main branches.
Gather colored pens/pencils and large sheets of paper for pairs to use to create their mind maps.
As a pair take the Main Branch assigned and create sub-branches. Use the mind map to organize (scaffold) your ideas.
Ideas of Sub-branches:
- Career Goals: Target insdustries, job titles, salary goals
- Resume: update format, keywords, accomplishments
- Interview Prep: practice questions, attire, elevator pitch
- job-search strategies: job boards, networking, social media presence, job alerts, tailoring applications
- Interview Prep: common questions, company research, mock interviews, body language, interview formats
- Skills & Training: skill assessment (identify current strengths) highlight gaps based on job listings, technical skills (software tools Google, Microsoft, use of Internet), Soft skills (communication, time management, problem solving
- Time Management: daily job search schedule, prioritization, use of tools (Google Calendar, Trello), goal setting
Share Mind Maps with the class.
Demonstrate creating a Mind Map using Canva. Discuss the steps for getting a free Canva Account and Finding the Mind mapping templates. Select a template and us it to demonstrate making a mind map. Demonstrate how to share the mind map depending on how you want to share them as a class.(Go to Share-top right-See all: Choose one of the categories:Share, Save, Social, or Messaging depending on how you want learners to share their mind maps) For example, you can have them share them with you in a shared Google Drive Slides presentation
As pairs, learners create a mind map of their assigned topic using Canva. Share it with the class. Use the Document Using Canva to Create a Mind Map
As a class share the presentations, done as pairs or on a single Slides Presentation. Each pair explains their own slide.
As a class, first as pairs then as a class discuss
- What surprised you?
- Did the map help clarify the topic?
- What are other ways you could use mind mapping?
In pairs, brainstorm 5 ways to use mind mapping --as a class select a Next Project
Documents
- Using Canva to Create a Mind Map.docx - Using Canva to Create a Mind Map
Subjects
- Basic Communication
- Communicate in interpersonal interactions
- Electives
- Career Exploration
- Employment
- Understand basic principles of getting a job
- Language Arts - Reading
- Analysis
- Comprehension
- Language Arts - Writing
- Organization of Ideas
- Reading
- Consumer Skills
- Critical Thinking/Decision Making
- Employability
- Government
- Health
- Learning to Learn
- Vocabulary
- Reasoning Through Language Arts
- Essays
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
- Writing
- Basic Sentences
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
- Paragraph Skills
- Parts of Speech
- Report Writing
CTE Anchor Standards
- Anchor Standard 2: Communications - Language Standard: Acquire and accurately use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the (career and college) readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
- Anchor Standard 3: Career Planning and Management - Speaking and Listening Standard: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
- Anchor Standard 5: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking - Writing Standard: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem, narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate, and synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
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Creative Commons License
