Brain research has shown that our brains organize information by making patterns. In the past, educators have used "graphic organizers" (i.e. visual organizers) such as Venn diagrams or brainstorming "webs" to help students create memorable patterns of information.
The problem was that there were many graphic organizers taught to students, creating confusion as to which organizer to use...
The concept of Thinking Maps, while similar to previous generations of graphic organizers, is fundamentally different in that a specific organizer was created for each of the eight thinking processes.
In other words, all students - from kindergarten through adult - are taught one map for each thinking process. The maps then become a tool which the student uses to organize and process their own thinking.
Click on the name of each of the 8 Thinking Maps for a brief description of each: