Courses: Interpersonal Communication, Family Communication, Relational Communication. Objectives: The objective of this study is to engage students in identifying close relationships' costs/rewards, resources, and development by creating a visual representation using a tree metaphor. Students will reflect on their close relationships and apply…

As a learner, researcher, and educator, Kripa Sundar has depended on concept maps to become more intentional with her time and to better understand topics. Why? Her top two reasons are their efficacy across subjects and age groups and their versatility in application. In this article, she delves into what concept maps are, why they are effective,…

Howard, Overstreet, and Ticknor build on the framework they established in their first book "It's Not 'One More Thing'." They extend their practical how-to strategies for enacting culturally responsive and affirming literacy instruction in K-12 classrooms specific to literacy assessment, engaging texts used for literacy instruction, and…

A key aspect of learning in K-12 education is the idea that what students know and are able to do grows and evolves over time. Simple ideas learned in the early elementary grades gain levels of detail and complexity as students progress in their education. Connections between different topics and disciplines are made. Therefore, a key feature of…

Concept mapping has long been used an assessment tool by educators to illustrate students' conceptual development of a topic over time. In this article, we chronicle the use of concept maps in a language arts environment. Focusing on a literacy tutoring program for struggling readers/writers centered on hands-on science experiments, we explain how…

Social studies instruction in upper elementary school (Grades 3-5) is important for building foundational content knowledge to equip students for the secondary school curriculum. Due to numerous school initiatives and demands on the time of teachers, social studies instruction can play second fiddle to reading and mathematics instruction, which…

This resource is part of a series produced by the Center for Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI) to assist educators as they use College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS) to plan instruction for diverse learners. Although the processes described in this resource use the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association…

Developed in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, "Taking Action" inspires ideas and provides models for conducting effective environmental projects--projects that dynamically engage students from start to finish. From adopting species to protecting habitats to saving energy and creating publications, this guide will help educators plan,…

Would you like your students to be excited when they read a new word and keen to work out its meaning straight away? This book will turn them into word detectives, ready to tackle any new word they come across. And when writing, would you like them to make sentences that have interesting and descriptive words like "shamble," "ravenous" or…

The reading of science-related, historical nonfiction alone does not necessarily lead students to make personal connections to science or understand science as a human endeavor interdependent with culture, society, and history. Teachers must structure students' reading to ensure that they consider specific aspects of science while reading and…

Recommends the use of conceptual mapping, case studies, and springboards to discussion and inquiry as viable approaches to the study of terrorism in secondary classrooms. Provides numerous examples of conceptual maps. (JDH)

Discusses the use of concept maps as an instructional strategy and the construction and scoring of concept maps. Lists Internet sites for information and tools on concept mapping. (JRH)

Examines the use of concept maps to measure tertiary science students' understanding of fundamental concepts in statistical inference. Concludes that valuable qualitative information can be gained from an investigation of student concept maps such as students' misconceptions, which cannot be obtained through traditional assessment methods.…

Finds that the construction of concept maps may help students make links between scientific concepts and related topic areas. Describes different methods of concept map analysis which illustrate different levels of conceptual development. (CCM)

Knowledge graphs can be used by students as a tool to visualize the structure of concepts and relations between mathematical concepts. Focuses on the graphs produced by students, their appreciation of the structuring activity, and the relationship between their graphs and test results. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/ASK)