FAC T SH EET

How to create a mind map

Mind mapping is a very important skill for students to develop.

Mind mapping helps us to:

Organise and visualise their thoughts/ideas. Categorise (put in specic order) and sequence (follow one after the other) information. Associate (dierent things with the same function) ideas. Study and remember content.

Mind mapping helps us to:

A mind map is structured (planned) in a very specic way. A mind map is drawn using circles or squares, arrows and lines. All of these link up to create one diagram (A drawing of how it will look like). A mind map begins in the middle of the page and branches (spreads out over the whole page like branches of a tree) out to the edges of the page. Look at the example below:
I am 21 This is what I dont like This is what I do like

This is me
These are my hobbies I live in Cape Town

I am studying

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The organisation of a mind map:

The main idea is in the middle of the mind map. The main idea then branches into smaller ideas (sub-categories). These smaller ideas then branch out into examples. The idea move from general (as a whole group of ideas) to specific (a precise and clear idea).
The mind map moves from the general to specic:

GENERAL MORE SPECIFIC VERY SPECIFIC

The main idea in the middle of the mind map is general. The smaller ideas (sub-categories) branch out from the main idea. They are more specific. The examples branch out from the sub-categories (smaller ideas). They are very specific.

Look at the example below:

Beef (very specific) Chichen (very specific)

Bananna (very specific) Pear (very specific)

Lamb (very specific)

Meat (more specific)

Fruit (more specific)

Food (general)
Vegtables (more specific)

Apple (very specific)

Chocolate (very specific)

Sweets (more specific)

Cabbage (very specific)

Jelly Tots (very specific)

Spinach (very specific)

Butternut (very specific)

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Building a mind map:

There are steps to build a mind map.

Step 1:

Draw a circle in the middle of the page.

Step 2:

Choose one main topic. Write the main topic in the circle.

Main topic

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Step 3:
Choose smaller topics (or sub-topics) that link to the main topic. Draw arrows from the middle circle to smaller circles.

Main topic

Step 4:

Write the smaller topics (or sub-topics) in the smaller circles.

Smaller topic

Smaller topic

Main topic
Smaller topic Smaller topic

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Step 5:
Add examples to the smaller topics (or sub-topics).

Example Example

Example

Smaller topic

Smaller topic

Example

Example

Main topic
Smaller topic Smaller topic

Example

Example

Example

Example

Example

Brightly coloured mind maps help you remember information.