How to Make a Literacy Map

Like locations on a map, ideas can be connected by lines on a map.

To connect broad ideas, many teachers employ the use of literacy maps. Essentially, a literacy map starts with a single concept and branches off in a variety of directions, allowing topics to cross and relate in a visual way. This visual representation is often easier to follow than simply ordering facts in the mind, leading to a deeper understanding of the material for students.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen

Instructions

1. Write a core concept of your lesson at the bottom of the page. For example, the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLSE) starts their sample map with "change is something that happens to many things" as the core concept.

2. Draw a line toward the left end of your page and record a related concept that builds off your core idea. For example, the DLSE sample map defines change at this point. Draw more connecting lines to other areas of the page as related ideas develop.

3. Build on the secondary concepts, drawing more lines to connect these ideas. Connect concepts on all the tiers. The DLSE sample map connects the rate of change to erosion and sound waves, which then connects to earthquakes. Often, multiple concepts or processes will connect to the same conclusion. These connections are visually represented by connecting lines.

4. Conclude the literacy map at the top of the page with one or two statements that summarize all the concepts on the map. All arrows from your tiers should point to these conclusions. For example, the DLSE sample map ends with a definition of the rock cycle and the age of rocks on the planet's surface.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult the Digital Library for Earth System Education web site for more examples of literacy maps.

• Literacy maps can also be effective in vocabulary, especially in science. For example, you can start with the word "photosynthesis" and include other vocabulary words like "chlorophyll"; write connection labels such as "needs," "leads to" or "produces" on the connecting lines to show the relationships among the vocabulary words.

References

• Digital Library for Earth System Education: Literacy Maps
• National Science Digital Library: How to Use Science Literacy Maps