Semantic Organization Tools
• Tools which allow students to analyze and organize concepts.
• Provide relevant learning opportunities – new concepts are tied to each other and to concepts that are already known
Semantic Organization Tools
• 2 main types of tools: 1. semantic networks/concept maps – learners draw visual maps of interrelated concepts ex. Spider map, word web, flow chart, Venn Diagrams 2. databases – electronic record-keeping and retrieval systems - Relational – allow several users to participate and link
data simultaneously - Data can be formatted in various reports - greater storage capacity than spreadsheets alone
Example of Semantic Organization Tools – Inspiration Software. Website has several examples and offers a free 30-day trial. inspiration.com
•Sample of student writing plan for a mythology story•Clicking on “effect” allows student to change adjectives describing the setting and characters. Scholastic.com
Concept Map – readwritethink.org
•Used to show relationships in most any content area:•between words and phrases •relationships among characters• science concepts•historical events
Concept Webs
•Used to develop higher order thinking skills such as comprehension and synthesis•Students can generate words or teachers can give them the words to sort based on relationship.•Great for small groups or individuals•Students can present to class and explain their rationale for word placement and relationships between words•Use as a writing organizer - students can box off groups of words and use each group as a paragraph.•Use to show ideas and relationships about characters in a novel. Students can compare and contrast their maps.
Steps in constructing concept maps
Using Inspiration Software and the “Summary Man” Template from The
Visual Leap at www.thevisualleap.com
Steps in constructing concept maps
1.Select Focus on a theme and then identify related key words or phrases. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Summary Man Mj
Franklin D. MjRoosevelt Mj
Steps in constructing concept maps
2.Rank Rank the concepts (key words) from the most abstract and inclusive to the most concrete and specific.
Summary Man Mj
Franklin D. MjRoosevelt Mj
Political MjIssues Mj
Events Mj
Important MjPersonal Mj
Dates Mj
Programs MjLegislation Mj
Important MjPolitical Dates Mj
Steps in constructing concept maps
3.Cluster Cluster concepts that function at similar level of abstraction and those that interrelate closely.
Summary Man Mj
Franklin D. MjRoosevelt Mj
Political MjIssues Mj
Events Mj
Important MjPersonal Mj
Dates Mj
Programs MjLegislation Mj
Important MjPolitical Dates Mj
Born Mj 30 Jan 1882 Mj
Hyde Park, NY Mj
1905 MjMarried MjEleanor Mj
1910 MjElected to the Mj
NY state Senate Mj
1913 MjAppointed MjAssistant MjSecretary Mj
of the MjNavy Mj
1921 Mjcontracted Mja paralytic Mj
disease Mjwhile Mj
swimming Mjin Maine. Mj
1928 MjFranklin Mj
Roosevelt Mjis elected Mjgovernor Mjof New MjYork Mj
Great MjDepression Mj
1932 Mjelected Mj
the 32nd MjPresident Mj
World War MjII Mj
The New MjDeal Mj
1936 MjWon re-election to Mj
a second term Mj
October 29, 1929 MjThe New York Mj
Stock Exchange Mjcrashed Mj
September 1, 1939 MjHitler invades Mj
Poland, sparking MjWorld War II. Mj
Social MjSecurity Mj
December 7, Mj1941 Mj
Japan attacks MjPearl Harbor; US Mjdeclares war on MjGermany, Italy, Mj
and Japan. Mj
Lend- MjLease Act Mj
Executive MjOrder 9066, Mj
1940 Mj re-elected Mjto a third Mj
term Mj
June 6, Mj1944 Mj
D-Day, Mj
1944 Mj elected to Mj
a fourth Mjterm Mj
April 12, 1945 MjFranklin Roosevelt Mjdies of a cerebral Mj
hemorrhage in MjWarm Springs, Mj
Steps in constructing concept maps
4.Arrange Arrange concepts in to a diagrammatic representation.
5.Link Link concepts with linking lines
Summary Man Mj
Franklin D. MjRoosevelt Mj
Political MjIssues Mj
Events Mj
Important MjPersonal Mj
Dates Mj
Programs MjLegislation Mj
Important MjPolitical Dates Mj
Born Mj 30 Jan 1882 Mj
Hyde Park, NY Mj
1905 MjMarried MjEleanor Mj
1910 MjElected to the Mj
NY state Senate Mj
1913 MjAppointed MjAssistant MjSecretary Mj
of the MjNavy Mj
1921 Mjcontracted Mja paralytic Mj
disease Mjwhile Mj
swimming Mjin Maine. Mj
1928 MjFranklin Mj
Roosevelt Mjis elected Mjgovernor Mjof New MjYork Mj
Great MjDepression Mj
1932 Mjelected Mj
the 32nd MjPresident Mj
World War MjII Mj
The New MjDeal Mj
1936 MjWon re-election to Mj
a second term Mj
October 29, 1929 MjThe New York Mj
Stock Exchange Mjcrashed Mj
September 1, 1939 MjHitler invades Mj
Poland, sparking MjWorld War II. Mj
Social MjSecurity Mj
December 7, Mj1941 Mj
Japan attacks MjPearl Harbor; US Mjdeclares war on MjGermany, Italy, Mj
and Japan. Mj
Lend- MjLease Act Mj
Executive MjOrder 9066, Mj
1940 Mj re-elected Mjto a third Mj
term Mj
June 6, Mj1944 Mj
D-Day, Mj
1944 Mj elected to Mj
a fourth Mjterm Mj
April 12, 1945 MjFranklin Roosevelt Mjdies of a cerebral Mj
hemorrhage in MjWarm Springs, Mj
Summary Man Mj© Mj© Mj 2011 The Visual Leap, MjLLC Mj
Created using Inspiration
Summary Man Mj© Mj© Mj 2011 The Visual Leap, MjLLC Mj
Created using Inspiration
Databases
• Link to use Excel for concept mappinghttp://www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_concept_map.htm• This link allows you to generate a concept map from information in a spreadsheet.
Database Assignment 6th grade Language Arts
• Students were placed in groups to complete research on 2 of 16 public colleges in NC using the following website/database http://www.collegeportraits.org/NC
• They were given specific information to find and place in a spreadsheet. Other assignments involved generating maps and creating T-shirts and pennants to go with respective colleges. Then students completed an evaluative writing assignment at the conclusion stating what they had learned.
• The completed spreadsheet was made available for all students to see, thus allowing them to make comparisons.
• Graphs were also be generated from the spreadsheet.
College Total Undergrads Diversity Males % Females % Internat'ls % Yearly Cost Math SAT Reading SAT In top 25%
Appalachian State University 15,137 N/ 87%W 48 52 1% $16,102 530-610 510-610 57%
East Carolina University 21,458 Y/75%W 41 59 1 17,724 490-570 470-550 41
Elizabeth City State University 3,208 N/80%B 39 61 <1 12,260 N/A N/A 4
Fayetteville State University 5,586 Y/74%B 33 67 <1 12,265 390-460 370-440 12
NC Agricultural & Technical Univ. 8,955 N/89%B 47 53 1 13,255 410-500 400-480 6
North Carolina Central University 6,441 N/85%B 34 66 <1 5,846 380-460 380-460 17
North Carolina State University 25,246 Y/76%W 56 44 2 18,427 560-660 530-620 81
University of NC at Chapel Hill 17,981 Y/69%W 41 59 2 17,424 620-710 590-700 96
University of NC at Pembroke 5,910 Y/40%W 39 61 2 11,775 420-510 410-490 31
University of NC at Asheville 3,845 N/87%W 43 57 1 15,501 530-630 540-640 60
University of NC at Charlotte 19,419 Y/65%W 49 51 3 14,627 490-590 470-590 41
University of NC at Greensboro 17,445 Y/64%W 34 66 2 11,279 470-570 460-560 43
University of NC Wilmington 11,197 N/83%W 42 58 <1 16,068 550-630 530-620 62
University of NC School of the Arts 749 N/77%W 60 39 1 15,119 480-600 510-630 15
Western Carolina University 7,450 N/83%W 46 54 <1 15,194 480-570 460-550 34
Winston-Salem State University 5,960 N/81%B 30 70 1 11,946 410-470 410-480 24
Database/Spreadsheet - 16 Colleges in UNC System – each group of students was assigned to find and enter information for 2 colleges. Then all were compared and evaluated based on various criteria.
Appalach
ian St
ate Unive
rsity
East
Carolin
a Unive
rsity
Elizab
eth City
State
Universi
ty
Faye
tteville
State
Universi
ty
NC Agricu
ltural
& Te
chnica
l Univ.
North Caro
lina C
entra
l Unive
rsity
North Caro
lina S
tate U
niversi
ty
Universi
ty of N
C at Chap
el Hill
Universi
ty of N
C at Pem
broke
Universi
ty of N
C at Ash
eville
Universi
ty of N
C at Charl
otte
Universi
ty of N
C at Gree
nsboro
Universi
ty of N
C Wilm
ington
Universi
ty of N
C School o
f the A
rts
West
ern Caro
lina U
niversi
ty
Winsto
n-Salem
State
Universi
ty$0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
$16,000
$18,000
$20,000
Yearly Cost
Yearly Cost
Appalach
ian St
ate Unive
rsity
East
Carolin
a Unive
rsity
Elizab
eth City
State
Universi
ty
Faye
tteville
State
Universi
ty
NC Agricu
ltural
& Te
chnica
l Univ.
North Caro
lina C
entra
l Unive
rsity
North Caro
lina S
tate U
niversi
ty
Universi
ty of N
C at Chap
el Hill
Universi
ty of N
C at Pem
broke
Universi
ty of N
C at Ash
eville
Universi
ty of N
C at Charl
otte
Universi
ty of N
C at Gree
nsboro
Universi
ty of N
C Wilm
ington
Universi
ty of N
C School o
f the A
rts
West
ern Caro
lina U
niversi
ty
Winsto
n-Salem
State
Universi
ty0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Total Undergrads
Total Undergrads
Conversation Tools
Synchronous Conferencing
Google Chat
• Allows for online meeting
• Convenient
• Use inside of GMail
Blogs
• www.cnnstudentnews.com
• Current Events
• Share opinions
• Posts appear once they are approved
Asynchronous ConferencingGoogle Documents
Voki
Sample Voki
Allows students to share thoughts through characters.
Increases involvement
References
• The Visual Leap: www.thevisualleap.com• Inspiration Software• http://www.fed.cuhk.edu.hk/~johnson/
misconceptions/concept_map/cmapguid.html