Students can easily study and understand the branches of government, the roles of elected and appointed officials, and the legislative and judicial processes by making connections and assimilating information in a concept map like the one we've created below.
In Ideaphora, teachers can upload their own materials for students to use in their maps and allow them to use open education resources, such as YouTube videos from the televised debates and articles on the candidates and issues from Wikipedia. By pulling information from multiple online sources and evaluating the credibility of those sources, students develop digital and information literacy skills while building subject area knowledge.
Students can also build their social studies vocabulary through Ideaphora because each concept they use in their maps links directly back to the exact point in the document or video from which the concept was derived, enabling them to easily get context for the word or explicit definitions.
What questions would you pose to students to help them think critically about this election year? What lessons and activities would you create to incorporate concept mapping into your classrooms as you study government and other related topics?
You can try Ideaphora in your classroom with your students for free. Examples of concept maps, including the one on the Three Branches of Government above, and their associated content are available in Ideaphora for teachers and students to use and adapt to their needs. Enroll in our Classroom Pilot program to get access to our engaging knowledge mapping environment.
