The use of mind mapping (MM), a visual tool developed by T. Buzan (1983; 1996) to improve note-taking, foster creativity, organize thinking, and develop ideas and concepts, was studied in a sixth-grade classroom with 16 students as an instructional and learning tool. In MM, a central focus or graphic representation of the problem is placed in the center of the page, and key words, connected to the central focus with lines, are used to represent ideas. Students perceived MM as an entertaining and interesting approach and thought that MM enhanced their learning. Most students preferred individual MM; some preferred group MM. The teacher enjoyed using MM and thought that it fostered student motivation in learning science. Three appendixes contain a student-generated MM, a chart of goals and activities for the unit studied, and the survey and interview questions used with students. (Contains 35 references.) (SLD)