Thinking Maps Training
April 14, 2010
The Multi-Flow Map
Name the thought process:
CAUSE AND EFFECT
We watched a
video.
The Multi-Flow Map
 The Multi-Flow Map helps students identify the
causes and effects of an event.
 When constructing the map, always focus first on
the event.
 The event is the key to this map. It must be a
“happening.” The event should be “the flooding
of the Nile” instead of just “the Nile.”
 A one-word event is possible – “Hurricane”
 Event may also be a statement with a verb –
“I went on a trip to Mexico.”
The Multi-Flow Map
• The causes and effects do not have to
balance.
• Begin by identifying all the causes first and
then the effects.
• Students may also construct a one-sided
Multi-Flow.
Effects
Causes
Healthy Teeth
Key Words and Phrases
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Causes and effects
Discuss the consequences
What would happen if …?
If … then
Predict
Describe the change
Identify the motivation behind …
Identify the results of …
What happened because of …?
Guiding Questions for the Multi-Flow Map
• What are the causes and effects of this
event?
• Why did this event take place?
• What happened because of this event?
• What are the effects of this event?
• What was the motivation behind this
event?
• What will be the results of this event?
Frame of Reference for Multi-Flow Map
• How do you know what you know about
the causes and effects of this event?
• What could be influencing how you are
thinking about these causes and effects?
• Where did you get your information?
• What source(s) did you use to identify the
causes and effects?
• Did a specific time period influence the
causes and/or effects?
The Multi-Flow Map
Useful
With
Real Life
Experiences
so
The
fire bell
rang
we went
outside
we got in
a line
we did
not talk
When using the Multi-Flow Map with students it is beneficial to
begin with events that are in their immediate experience. The
teacher should take the opportunity to use this Map with events
such as a school fire/tornado/earthquake drill. All students will
be able to understand, draw, and relate to the “effects” of the
drill; however, only those at a higher level of ELD will be able to
complete the “causes”.
What if the turtle
Adding
didn’t have a shell
on its back. . .
Academic Rigor
What if the
leopard had short
little legs. . .
Then …
Then …
Your Turn
• Get in groups of 2 - 4.
• Assign roles – materials, recorder,
reporter, task master
• Assignment:
– Materials person gets an egg
– Group reads task and completes
– Materials person returns egg and gets a
different egg
– Group reads new task and completes
– Repeat again if time permits with a third egg
The Multi-Flow Map
Event/ Language
Correlation
so
pumpkins are
turning orange
so
Autumn
arrived
people are
raking leaves
so
people are
watching football
Because
pumpkins are
turning orange
Because
people are
raking leaves
Because
people are
watching football
The
weatherman
said,
“Autumn
is in
the air.”
The event for a Multi-Flow Map will depend on the focus that
the teacher chooses, as well as, the language that needs to
be articulated for the students. In each example above the
focus is on the same topic but one Map addresses “effects”
using a simpler sentence structure, while the other focuses
on the “causes” using a more complex sentence structure.
Note the cause/effect language that is included on the Map.
The Multi-Flow Map
Can Be “Read”
With Varied Forms
of Language
so
The
fire bell
rang
we went
outside
we got in
a line
we did
not talk
When using the Multi-Flow Map with students it is beneficial to
begin with events that are in their immediate experience. The
teacher should take the opportunity to use this Map with events
such as a school fire/tornado/earthquake drill. All students will
be able to understand, draw, and relate to the “effects” of the
drill; however, only those at a higher level of ELD will be able to
complete the “causes”.
The fire bell rang. We went outside.
The fire bell rang so we went outside.
The fire bell rang so we went outside and waited.
The fire bell rang so we went outside, waited, and did not talk.
The fire bell rang; therefore, we went outside
The Multi-Flow Map
Can Be
One-Sided
depending on
the Focus
Mother
Teresa
died
Princess
Diana
died
Multi-Flow Maps are not required to have both the “causes” and
the “effects” represented for every event. Whether or not to
include both depends on the focus of the instruction as well as
the importance or significance of each side of the Map.
The Multi-Flow Map
Can Be adjusted
to Reflect the
(so) (;therefore)
causal
it barks
thinking in Text
The dog wants to
greet its owner
Arf!
Arf!
The dog wants to
scare strangers
The dog wants to greet its
owner so it barks.
The dog wants to scare
strangers; therefore,
it barks.
Almost everyone has heard the sound of a dog barking. Have
Upper levels of ELD can experiment
you ever wondered why a dog barks? Sometimes
dogs bark
with the Map and language: It barks
because
because a dog wants to scare strangers.
to greet their owners when they come home from
work or
When using the Multi-Flow Map with English Learners, it is
school. They want the owner
to toknow
theyphrases
are asglad
seewords
important
write complete
well as to
“causal”
that the student can see the language while reading it. The
them at the end of the day.solanguage
Many
dogs
alsoon the
want
to ofprotect
used
will depend
ELD level
the student.
their owners so they might bark to tell the owner that a
stranger is nearby. A dog’s bark can also be a warning to the
stranger to go away. While a barking dog can be annoying at
times, it can also be a help to the owner and his family.
The Multi-Flow Map
Summarizing
and
Synthesizing
Information
The
Civil
War
was
fought
Big Idea
The
Revolutionary
War
was
fought
A
War
Occurs
World
War I
was
fought
World
War II
was
fought
Using the Multi-Flow Map can help the students to synthesize
information and to determine the “big ideas”. For example, after
studying different wars and completing Multi-Flow Maps for each,
the teacher would ask the students to look at the information
and to determine what might be causes/effects of any war.
The Multi-Flow Map
Predicting
Ari thinks
The wolf
knocks on
the 1st
little
pig’s door
The pig will not
open the door
LaToya thinks
The pig will tell the
wolf to go away
Ivan thinks
The pig will open
the door
Multi-Flow Maps are useful tools for predicting while reading a
story with students. During the reading the teacher would stop,
record the event that has just occurred, and ask the students
to predict what they think the effects of that event will be. T o
designate that it is a prediction rather than a fact, the teacher can
draw thought bubbles beside each prediction.
PREVIEWING THE TEXT
PREDICTING BEFORE READING
A
Volcano
Erupts
A
Volcano
Erupts
TEXT FEATURES
To extend their
thinking, students
can construct a
Multi-Flow Map to
discuss the
effects the author
hoped to achieve
by using specific
text features.
Why did the
author use this
text feature?
The
author
uses bold
print
Classroom Applications Using the Multi-Flow Map
Summarizing and
Synthesizing
Information
Predicting
Can Be
One-Sided
Depending on
the Focus
Useful With Real
Life Experiences
Can Be Adjusted
To Reflect the
Causal
Thinking in Text
Can Be “Read”
With Varied Forms
of Language
Event/ Language
Correlation
Assignment
• Introduce multi-flow maps in classroom instruction
and bring at least one student sample of multi-flow
maps used to:
– identify causes and effects of an event
– predict causes and/or effects of an event
– Identify “what if … then” relationships
• Add a frame of reference
– How did you know what you know about the causes and
effects of the event?
– Where did you get your information?
– What influenced the information in your map?
– What sources did you use to identify the causes and
effects?