Propositional Concept Maps: A Tool
Engineered for Use to Enhance ContentArea Teaching and Learning
Dr. Nancy Romance
Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Michael Vitale
East Carolina University
Presented to
Science Coaches
School District of Palm Beach County
September 2009
Workshop Overview
1.
What’s involved in meaningful learning in science ? (Establishing the
‘foundation’ for constructing and using propositional concept maps)
2.
What are propositional concept maps, their characteristics and how do
they differ from other graphic organizers?
3.
How are propositional concept maps constructed?
4.
When and how are students introduced to propositional concept maps?
5.
In what ways can propositional concept maps be used by students?
6.
How can propositional concept maps be used by teachers for
curriculum planning and assessment?
Section 1
What’s involved in meaningful
learning in science?
Setting the ‘context’ for understanding the power and
potential of concept mapping to support quality teaching
and meaningful student learning in science
What Constitutes Meaningful Learning in Science?
• Meaningful learning is a cognitive process in which
learners build conceptual understanding in science which,
in turn, can be accessed and applied as prior knowledge
under conditions of automaticity to new learning tasks
• When meaningful learning occurs, learners are able to:
– represent and explain the central ideas and organizing principles in
a domain
– construct rich explanations and predictions
– formulate significant questions
– apply knowledge in many situations and contexts
– organize new concepts within their existing conceptual framework
Requirements for Meaningful Learning in Science
– A curricular structure that organizes science content in
a conceptually coherent and meaningfully sequenced
fashion
– A curricular structure that provides opportunities for
students to be able to:
• organize their knowledge around core concepts (big ideas) and
concept relationships
• explicitly relate what is to be learned (new knowledge) to what
has already been learned (accessing prior curricular
knowledge)
• learn more about what is being learned (depth of knowledge)
• engage in cumulative review of what has been learned
• automatically apply their knowledge to similar or new contexts
Consensus Research Findings About Meaningful Learning..
Recent Research Related to Learning
with Understanding…(Bransford, et al, 2000)
3 Major Findings…
• Prior Knowledge is a major
determinant of future learning
•Understanding involves organizing/
re-organizing knowledge around core
concepts
• Learning involves knowing when to
use prior knowledge and skills for
future learning (metacognition)
Meaningful Learning –
Finding # 1: Prior Knowledge….
Recommendations for Teachers….
• Teachers must draw out students prior knowledge creating classroom
tasks and conditions under which student thinking is revealed (and
often archived for later reference)
• Teachers should use frequent formative assessment to determine
essential student learning and meaningful understanding as instruction
unfolds
• Teachers must build student prior knowledge, if necessary
Meaningful Learning
Finding # 2: Big Ideas/Core Concepts
Recommendations for Teachers…..
In order for students to develop understanding in an area of study, they
must:
– (1) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge
– (2) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptually
coherent framework, and
(3) organize knowledge in ways that facilitates retrieval and
application (e.g., such as can be done with propositional concept
maps)
Meaningful Learning
Finding #3: Thinking about what one knows…..
Recommendations for Teachers…
– must develop a metacognitive approach to instruction enabling
students to learn how to take control of their own learning by
always relating new knowledge to what they already know,
defining their own learning goals, and monitoring their own
progress in achieving them
IF Meaningful Learning Serves as the
Basis for Understanding, THEN……..
Consider the following chain of ideas:
Teaching meaningful science content…
a)
provides a coherent context for building conceptual
understanding
b)
serves as the conceptual basis for linking all instructional
activities to the knowledge (core concepts) to be learned,
THEN
c)
results in cumulative development of understanding which is
comprehension – a
powerful added bonus!!!!!
the basis for reading
Consensus Research: Conclusions Relating to the
Role of Knowledge in Reading Comprehension
Rand Research Findings
•Recommends more contentarea reading
•Defines comprehension as…
The simultaneous
process of extracting and
constructing meaning
from print materials or
other forms of
communication
American Educator
Spring 2003
Entire issue devoted to
comprehension
Available from the
American Federation of
Teachers (AFT.org)
Section 2
What are the characteristics of
propositional concept maps and how
do they differ from other forms of
graphic organizers?
Propositional Concept Maps..
• What are they….
– As a product, they are graphic organizers that present the
conceptual structure of the knowledge within a discipline (big
ideas, core concepts and relationships) in an hierarchical fashion
and utilize propositional statements to express the relationships
– As a strategy, propositional concept mapping is a dynamic,
interactive process in which students or teachers can organize and
represent their own conceptual understanding
– As a tool, propositional concept maps are engineered for ease of
use when building coherent curricular structures, developing
blueprints for instruction and assessment, and as a dynamic
interactive tool to support student learning and expository writing
As a Product - Emphasis on “Big Ideas”:
• The National Research Council (NRC) in the NSES
suggested that BIG Ideas:
– Represent the central ideas and organizing principles in a
domain
– Facilitate rich explanations and predictions
– Motivate the formulation of significant questions
– Are applicable in many situations and contexts
– Provide the basis for organizing concepts
Propositional Concept Maps: As A Tool
Perspectives from Cognitive Science
Illustrates how knowledge in any meaningful domain
(e.g., biology, economics) has an inherent
structure that….
• permits many other concepts to be related to it
• is a requirement for effectively using and applying
knowledge broadly
• is the central issue associated with transfer of
knowledge to other contexts and situations (Bruner,
1963)
Biological Classification
Please examine Concept Map on
Biological Classification that has
been distributed
PCM: As A Tool ….Can Help Us Build Coherent Curriculum
PCM as a Tool have the characteristics that exemplified the
evidence that Bill Schmidt identified as part of the TIMSS
Study—that is the science curriculum in high performing
countries was….
• “Focused”
– Curriculum was organized around Big Ideas and core concepts that
support linking concepts for in-depth learning
• “Coherent”
– Content was conceptually organized and meaningfully sequenced
• “Articulated”
– Content was vertically and horizontally communicated across
grades and schools
• “Sufficient”
– Curricular content had no critical gaps or overlaps in the concepts
being presented
Propositional Concept Maps –
Major Curricular Myth Busters…..
Organized Curricular Sequences
(..in the form of PCM)
• Build understanding of core
concepts and concept
relationships
• Require the use of questions to
strategically link prior
knowledge with new
knowledge in order to deepen
understanding
• Advocates practice, extension
activities and cumulative
review
• Advocates the importance of
concept learning
“Covering” the Curriculum
• Emphasizes coverage of topics
rather than deep, meaningful
learning
• Uses reading and answering
questions as a pathway to
understanding; sample question
of the day
• Uses lots of skill and drill
• Form vs substance (i.e.,
thinking skills instead of
gaining knowledge)
PCM: A Tool for Constructing Conceptually-Organized
Science Curriculum as a Foundation for In-Depth Learning
• Implementing a coherent science curriculum is the main way in which
most students build what E. D. Hirsch calls “Intellectual Capital”
– Can be compared to “the rich get richer”
– Enables one to participate in conversation (and get the punch line in a
joke)
– Enables one to communicate effectively
– Enables one to comprehend complex texts
– Determines what new knowledge students pay attention to
– Determines how new knowledge is perceived
– Suggests what learners judge to be important
– Determines what they actually learn and remember
Propositional Concept Maps are not….
• Fishbone Diagrams (cause/effect)
• KWL Charts (compare/contrast)
• Flowcharts (time order/cycles)
• Frames (Boxes) (problem/solution)
• Concept Circle Maps (listing)
• Semantic Webs (chunking)
And here’s why: Because PCM represent knowledge
hierarchically, use linking verbs to connect concepts, and
provide a tool for learners to represent their understanding
at a much deeper level
Section 3
How are propositional concept maps
constructed?
PCM - Construction Features
• Concepts are represented as nouns in boxes
• Concepts are linked using verbs and verb phrases which are
located on lines connecting boxes
• Concepts (nouns) and linking words (verb phrases) always
represent propositional relationships in the form of complete
sentences
• Lines end with arrows to denote direction of the concept
relationship being represented
• Concepts that apply broadly to the entire map are connected to the
top concept (super-ordinate concepts)
• Concepts that are equally important are organized along the same
plane
Concept Mapping As a Graphic Organizer
CONCEPT MAPPING
(Simplified)
Concept Map of
Concept Mapping
represents
highlights
uses
KNOWLEDGE
BIG IDEAS
(as nouns)
VERBS
are connected to
are used as
SUB-ORDINAT E
IDEAS
IDEA
CONNECT ORS
has
has
FORMS
ORGANIZAT ION
Focusing on Content Knowledge
Concept Map Example: Heat Energy
Propositional Concept Map
for Heat Energy
HEAT ENERGY
can be
transferred
through
RADIATION
CONVECTION
CONDUCT ION
comes from
is made up of
occurs between
SUN'S RAYS
CONVECTION
CURRENT S
OBJECT S
are formed by
must be
heat the
HOT
SUBST ANCES
EART H
will
COLD
SUBST ANCES
DIFFERENT
T EMPERAT URES
will
and
EXPAND
and
RISE
CONTRACT
and
SINK
T OUCHING
PCM –General Construction Guidelines…
General Suggestions ……
• Construction guidelines exist for both teachers and students
• PCM’s are best constructed by individuals working in small groups
• PCM’s can be constructed using postit notes and large sheets of paper
or on the computer using software such as Inspiration (or Cmap Tools)
• PCM can be linked together as a family of maps rather than crowding
too much information on one map
• PCM’s can and should be modified as knowledge becomes more
refined
• PCM’s should reflect a reasonable representation of how one thinks
the knowledge being learned should be organized
Step-by-Step: Teacher Guidelines for Constructing PCM’s
• Select a topic area, unit or mini-unit for study (or big idea and
benchmarks)
• Identify major concepts and sub concepts and place on individual
postit notes
– Different sources can be used (e.g., benchmarks, textbooks, teacher
knowledge)
– Line concepts up so that you can easily see all of them (parking
lot)
• Concepts are represented in the form of nouns and noun phrases (e.g.,
states of matter) and placed in boxes or on individual postit notes
• Keep the number of concept words on each postit note to a minimum
(e.g., one or two)
Teacher Guidelines for Construction of
Propositional Concept Maps
• Caution!
– Don’t try to organize concepts while simultaneously
brainstorming all the ideas you consider important
– Don’t worry if you have too many concepts as you can
always delete some later
• Ask: What is the general organizing concept or most
subsuming concept that can serve to organize the topic?
Place it on top of map
• Next: Select the next layer of major concepts that organize
(or categorize) the topic into broad subtopics,
Step-by-Step Guidelines for Construction PCM’s
• Begin to arrange/organize concepts on paper or technology tool
(anywhere you decide to construct the map)
• Rehearse – that is, think about what linking verbs represent the
relationship you are trying to represent and can assist you in creating a
complete proposition or thought (complete sentence)
• Important Note: Initially all links (e.g. verbs) should be written in
pencil to allow for any changes in position or wording
• Maintain focus on relatedness among concepts as the key for
organizing the concepts
• A single map cannot represent everything you know about a topic (use
sub-maps for elaborations)
Step-by-Step Guidelines for Construction of PCM’s
• Don’t hesitate to add or delete concepts, as needed
• Arrows positioned at end of links are helpful in showing
flow of concept relationships
• Specific examples and small details are usually placed at
the bottom of maps
• Continue: Use the same process for each concept on a
map, arranging and linking as appropriate.
• Read map aloud to yourself. Ask: Does it make sense? Edit
and rearrange as necessary...
NSF/IERI Science IDEAS
Project #0228353
NSF/IERI Science IDEAS
Project #0228353
NSF/IERI Science IDEAS
Project #0228353
NSF/IERI Science IDEAS
Project #0228353
NSF/IERI Science IDEAS
Project #0228353
Propositional Concept Map
on Conv e ction
Convection
explains
can be modeled by
Many Earth
Science
Phenomena
Conv ection Cells
examples
include
Winds
Fronts
Hurrica nes
Tornadoes
Sea Breeze
...
Earth
examples
include
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Continental
Drift
...
Heat
represent
and
involve movement
in
Air
is explained by
Cycle of
Mov ement in
Subs tances
and
is caused by
Water
Heat Source
Making Part of
Subs tance
Less Dense
examples
include
Deep
Oc ean
Currents
Surface
Currents
...
Dens ity
results in a
movement cycle of
Force
and
Pressure
reflects combined
effects of
(1) Les s dens e part of substance rising . . .
(2) Being replac ed by cooler (more dense) other parts . .
(3) Original heated s ubstance cooling, becoming more
dense, falling . . .
(4) Ev entually being re -heated, etc . . .
includes
phenomena
such as
Concept Maps that Emphasize
Big Ideas: Mathematics
Concept Map of
Mathematics Computation
Bas ic Co mputatio n
consi sts of
in vo lves
op erati ons
fo r
Comb inin g
Obje cts
Ad diti on
in vo lves
by
Sub traction
in vo lves
Coun ting
Fo rwa rd
Coun ting
Backward
in vo lves
Divisi on
with or
with out
can b e do ne
in vo lves
exam ple is
exam ple is
Prob lem: 5 + 3:
(Coun t 5 obje cts
in set 1 a nd
conti nue cou nt
with obj ects in
se t 2, i.e ., coun t
al l 8 obje cts )
Coun ting
Multipli cation
Prob lem: 5 - 3:
(Coun t 5 obje cts
in set 1 a nd then
count backward s
by 1 for each
ob ject in set 2)
Coun ting
Fo rwa rd
by
Group s
Coun ting
Backward
by
Group s
Backward
Fo rwa rd
ei ther
exam ple is
exam ple is
Prob lem: 5 X 3:
(Create 5
gro ups of 3
ob jects a nd then
count the m)
Prob lem: 15 / 3:
(Group the 15
ob jects i nto
gro ups of 3 ,
th en coun t
ba ckwa rds from
15 by 3's)
Coun ting
Seq uentiall y
by 1 's
Coun ting
Seq uentiall y
by 2 's, 3's, 4 's,
5's,
etc.
Group ing
Obje cts
Concept Maps that Emphasize
Big Ideas: U.S. History
US History
Concept Map
of US History
consi sts of
Majo r
Peri ods on a
Ti meli ne
are
org anized
us ing
categ orize h isto rica l
even ts i nto
Sep arate
Events
pro vi de l inkage
be tween
Reoccu rring
Dynami cs
Pas t, Pre sent,
an d Fu ture
Events
Colo nial
Develo pmen t
an d th e
Revolu tion ary
Wa r
Econom ic
Develo pmen t
an d Wo rld War 1
Wo rld War 2
Pos t Wo rld War 2
to Modern Tim es
Caus e-Effe ct
An alysis
are ide ntified
th rough
in vo lves i ntera cti ons
be tween
Event
Fra meworks
reflect
Culture
reflects
Enviro nmen t
compo sed of
in clu des
fa cto rs of
al low in terpre tati on o f
Prob lems
Civil
Wa r and
Pos t Civil War
Different
Ti mes and
Pla ces
can b e un derstood
th rough sim ilar
PreColo nial
Cultures and
Explo ratio n
Pos tRevolu tion ary
Expan sion and
Econom ic
Develo pmen t
occu r
in
pro vi de
even ts
fo r
in terpre tati on
of
Pres ent-in term s
of Past
ba sis
fo r
in terpre ting
ge nerate
Fu ture-- in
te rms o f
Pres ent
an d Pas t
Societal
Actio ns
in clu de
Acco mmod atin g
or
Domi nati ng
or
Moving
or
In ve ntin g
or
To lerating
res ult
in
in clu des
fa cto rs of
Different
Li vi ng
Style s
an d
Pers pectives
in the form of
reflect
Econom ics
(Bas ic
Huma n
Need s)
or
Peo ples
Righ ts
Historical
Events
Actio n
Effects
Geog raphy
or
Clim ate
or
Natu ral
Reso urce s
res ult in
Prob lem
Eli mina tion
or
Prob lem
Continua tion
or/and
Creation of New
Prob lem(s )
effect (as fee dback)
occu r
in
US
or
Othe r Countries
Section 4
When and how are students introduced to
propositional concept mapping?
PCM Introduction to Students…
• Several approaches can be useful: (Whole Class)
– Unit/Lesson Starter: Map exists, can be displayed in
classroom and students receive orientation to map structure as well
as reference it throughout instruction (big idea overview approach)
– Unit/Lesson Summary: Teacher has copy of map; teacher
guides the identification of all key concepts (vocabulary) being
learned; teacher models out-loud how he/she would organize the
concepts and explains the basis for the organizational structure
– Textbook Page Summaries (and for Comprehension):
Teacher guides student use of the knowledge-based reading
comprehension intervention (KBI) with course textbook or reading
packets, identifies key vocabulary terms, and guides whole class
construction of the propositional concept map using key concepts
and relationships discussed
Section 5
How can propositional concept maps
be used by students?
PCM – 3 Uses for Teachers and Learners
Knowledge-Bas ed Comprehension
Model (KBC)
Overview of Knowledge-Bas ed
Comprehension (KBC) Model
consi sts of
Knowledge-Bas ed
Teaching (KBT)
Knowledge-Bas ed
Learning (KBL)
em phas izes
em phas izes
Roles of
Teachers
in Instruction
Roles of
Students
as Learners
in clu de
Curric ulum
Analysis /
Organization /
Planning
bo th u se
is bas is
fo r
Conc ept Mapping
as a Tool
in clu de
is bas is
fo r
fo cus es o n
an d
an d
Content
Knowledge
to be Learned
Instructional
Presentation
Enhancement
Written
Composition /
Communic ation
is bas is for
an d
an d
Knowledge-Bas ed
Instructional
Routines
Generation of
Activities for
Teaching and
Assessment
Independent
Student
Study
em phas ize
are use d fo r
are use d fo r
res ult in
Reading
Comprehension:
Content Analy sis
Learning
with
Comprehension
res ult in
PCM: Strategic Uses for Students
Concept Mapping by students emphasizes the role of
conceptual knowledge in:
• Content-area reading comprehension (e.g., solar system
example)
• Blueprint for written composition / communication
• Tool for independent study or for preparation for tests
• Visual representation and review of concept
relationships
PCM: As An Instructional Tool
• Student construction of PCM requires…
– Numerous episodes of modeling PCM construction by
teacher
– Numerous opportunities for guided practice - small
groups of students begin to construct PCM
– Opportunities for whole class sharing and revising of
PCM
– Further modeling, guided practice and independent
practice
PCM: As An Instructional Tool
• Benefits to students
– Encourages students to discuss concepts and concept relationships
(develops vocabulary)
– Provides a means for them to represent how they think and what
they understand about concepts being learned
– Builds and reinforces strategic learning strategies and skills (e.g.,
cause/effect relationships; similarities/differences; core ideas and
scientific principles; logical development of ideas)
– Develops collaborative learning environment for students
– Supports reading comprehension
Section 6
How can propositional concept maps
be used by teachers for curriculum
planning and assessment?
PCM – 3 Uses for Teachers and Learners
Knowledge-Bas ed Comprehension
Model (KBC)
Overview of Knowledge-Bas ed
Comprehension (KBC) Model
consi sts of
Knowledge-Bas ed
Teaching (KBT)
Knowledge-Bas ed
Learning (KBL)
em phas izes
em phas izes
Roles of
Teachers
in Instruction
Roles of
Students
as Learners
in clu de
Curric ulum
Analysis /
Organization /
Planning
bo th u se
is bas is
fo r
Conc ept Mapping
as a Tool
in clu de
is bas is
fo r
fo cus es o n
an d
an d
Content
Knowledge
to be Learned
Instructional
Presentation
Enhancement
Written
Composition /
Communic ation
is bas is for
an d
an d
Knowledge-Bas ed
Instructional
Routines
Generation of
Activities for
Teaching and
Assessment
Independent
Student
Study
em phas ize
are use d fo r
are use d fo r
res ult in
Reading
Comprehension:
Content Analy sis
Learning
with
Comprehension
res ult in
PCM: Curriculum Blueprints
Teachers
realized the
potential of
using multiple
sources to
construct
PCM
Teachers spent many weeks researching science
concepts to construct concept maps representing
each of the units of study for their course
Principals
worked with
grade-level
chairpersons or
K-5 curriculum
articulation teams
to construct PCM
for each unit of
study for each
grade level
PCM for Teachers …As A Curriculum Tool
• Curriculum Concept Maps help to– Organize the school and/or grade level curriculum (vertical and
horizontal coherence and articulation)
– Highlight ‘big’ ideas (Fl Next Generation Benchmarks) in the
curriculum as organizing concepts for learners
– Prioritize concepts to be taught (less is more)
– Identify ‘gaps’ in the curriculum
– Identify concepts which can be used to connect other disciplines
– Establish consistency among the curriculum units being taught at a
grade level or for a course
– Evaluate text-based and other instructional resources
Science IDEAS Architecture: Integrating the 6 Elements for
Meaningful Understanding of Science
CURRICULUM CONCEPT MAP FOR
FACTORS THAT EFFECT WATER EVAPORATION
Activity 12Reflection
Water
Evaporation
involves
examples
include
Activity 2- Real
Examples
Activity 1- Prior
Knowledge
Phase of Matter
Change Process
involves
Liquid
Changing
to a Gas
involves
Water as the
Liquid
Water Vapor
as the Gas
Activity 7Reading
can occur at
Morning Dew
Disappearing,
.....
Damp Cloth
Drying,
.....
Heated Water
Disappearing
From a Pot,
.....
Wet Sidewalk
Drying
Activity 10Application
Activity 13Add. Reading
Activity 6Journaling
Faster or
Slower Rate
depends upon
Activity 11
Prob. Solv.
Combined Effects
of 3 Different
Factors
Activity 8Concept Map
Activity 9Writing
are
More HeatSpeeds
Evaporation
Activity 3Demonstration
More Surface
Area- Speeds
Evaporation
Activity 4Hands-on Act.
More Air FlowSpeeds
Evaporation
Activity 5Hands-On Act.
PCM: An Instructional Tool for Guiding the Student
Content-Area Reading Comprehension
• Teachers model and guide student construction of
PCM as they read for understanding and meaning.
For example,
– Demonstrate to students how to construct maps as a
representation of how they comprehend the text-based
materials being read; then let them work in small
groups
– Help students represent their understanding of key
vocabulary by graphically representing relationships
among concepts using print materials
PCM: An Instructional Tool for Guiding the Student
Writing Process
• Curriculum Concept Maps…
– Serve as a blueprint to guide and support
student expository writing
– Develop student construction of passages rich
in detail/support and elaboration of key ideas
– Organize student thoughts for multiple literary
genres (narrative, expository and persuasive)
Propositional Concept Maps:
An Assessment Tool
• Curriculum Concept Maps help to– Provide a clear view of the important concepts to be taught and
tested
– Provides a list of key vocabulary
• Using Curriculum Concept Maps as the Assessment
– Delete connecting verbs and have students fill in
– Delete concepts (nouns) and have student fill in
– Have students create their own maps working first in small study
groups
– Have student create individual maps
– Have students create a map to serve as a measure of their reading
comprehension and understanding
Conclusion
• Concept maps have the potential to improve
the quality of instruction in any content
domain for which conceptual coherence is a
requirement for in-depth, meaningful
understanding
• Clearly, concepts maps have great potential
for enhancing both instructional practices
and student learning