Concept maps can be used in undergraduate biology as ways to visually communicate the relationships among things and events. One strength of concept mapping is that there is not just a single, correct way to compose one, given a list of particular concepts. Nevertheless there seem to be associations among ideas that are expressed frequently while teaching biology. For example, hierarchical relationships among structures and steps within processes are two common kinds of relationships that students encounter regularly. Based on our own classroom experiences and surveys of concepts appearing in two popular textbooks, we provide here a resource for composing propositions within biological concept maps. This list of more than 50 linking words and phrases is appropriate for freshman biology but can be adapted for use in more advanced courses.