Concept Map Maker

Build a concept map with movable shapes and labelled connecting lines.

Start with a radial layout, edit every relationship, then print or download the finished map.

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Why the relationship label is the teaching part

Ms Patel puts six water-cycle concepts on the board. Her class can draw seven lines between them in under two minutes. That proves the words feel related, but it does not show what anyone understands. One student may connect evaporation and heat because heat causes evaporation. Another may think evaporation produces heat. The line looks identical. The label exposes the difference.

A useful concept map is read as a set of short propositions: concept, relationship phrase, concept. “Heat causes evaporation” makes a claim that can be checked. “Evaporation changes liquid water into water vapour” makes a second claim. If the sentence is vague or false, the map has found the exact point that needs teaching.

  • Cause and effect: causes, increases, reduces, leads to, prevents.
  • Structure: contains, is part of, is made from, has the feature.
  • Classification: is a type of, is an example of, differs from.
  • Process and sequence: becomes, happens before, produces, requires.
  • Evidence and measurement: is shown by, is measured with, supports the claim.

Ask students to read every arrow aloud after building the map. If all three parts form a precise sentence, the connection is doing real explanatory work. If the best label is only “is related to,” ask what the relationship actually is.

Plan a map that students can finish and explain

Start with a focus question, not a broad topic. “How does energy move through a food chain?” gives students a job. “Food chains” gives them a heading. Put the focus question above the map or use it as the map title, then choose the concepts needed to answer it.

  1. List five to twelve concepts first. Use short noun phrases such as solar energy, producer, consumer, and heat loss. A full sentence belongs on a linking line or in the explanation, not inside one shape.
  2. Choose the organising concept. Make the broadest or most explanatory idea central, then use Auto-arrange for a readable first draft. A radial map works well for brainstorming; students can drag related branches closer when the structure becomes clearer.
  3. Add the strongest links before cross-links. Connect the ideas needed to answer the focus question. Add a cross-link between branches only when the relationship teaches something new.
  4. Write the arrow label immediately. An unlabeled line is an unfinished thought. Writing the phrase while the reason is fresh prevents a web of unexplained bubbles.
  5. Read and revise. Follow each arrow in its direction. Reverse the arrow or rewrite the phrase when the sentence sounds backwards.

For a first attempt, eight concepts and seven to ten labelled lines are usually enough to discuss without making the page crowded. A larger map is not automatically a better map. One precise cross-link can show more understanding than five weak branches.

Use concept maps for formative assessment

A concept map is most useful before the final mark. Give students five minutes at the start of a unit, save or print the map, then repeat the task at the end. Compare the claims, not the number of boxes. A changed relationship label often shows the learning more clearly than an extra branch.

  • Before teaching: provide six concepts and ask students to add and label the links. The false or uncertain propositions become a lesson plan.
  • During teaching: give a partly completed map with two missing concepts and three blank relationship phrases. This narrows the task while still requiring explanation.
  • Pair discussion: ask partners to find one arrow they disagree about. Each partner must read the proposed sentence and defend the verb.
  • Exit ticket: use four concepts from the lesson and require one cross-link between branches. A small map can be checked in a minute.
  • Feedback: circle one accurate proposition and one phrase that needs revision. Avoid grading colour or artistic spacing unless page design is part of the learning goal.

Incorrect links are useful evidence, not failed decoration. Keep them visible long enough to discuss why the sentence is wrong, then let the student reverse the arrow, replace the verb, or split one vague concept into two precise ones.

Print, share, and protect an unfinished map

The editing colours help students group ideas on screen, but colour should never carry the only meaning. Use shapes, positions, and relationship words as well. The print view removes colour and the dotted editing grid, then fits the map to one landscape Letter or A4 page in black on white. That keeps photocopies clear and ink use low.

  • For a class handout: print the map directly. Relationship labels stay on white boxes so arrows remain easy to follow when lines cross.
  • For slides or a learning platform: download PNG. The 2400 by 1550 pixel image is large enough for a full slide and opens in ordinary image tools.
  • For a worksheet or wall display: download SVG. It is a vector file, so the type and arrows stay sharp when resized.
  • For unfinished work: local saving protects normal refreshes on the same device. Download an SVG before clearing browser data, using a shared-device cleanup routine, or moving the work to another device.

Nothing in the map is uploaded by the tool. The title, concept text, relationship labels, saved draft, and downloaded files are created in the browser. On a shared classroom tablet, restore the example after exporting if the next group should not see the previous map.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the Concept Map Maker

A mind map usually branches outward from one topic and may use single words without explaining the links. A concept map makes each connection explicit with a phrase such as causes, includes, depends on, or is an example of. Read a concept, its line label, and the next concept as one sentence. That sentence is the part a teacher can discuss or assess.

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