Writing Resources

Lesson Plan: Creating Thematic Maps

Sociology

Objective

This is the final part in series of assignments intended to prepare students to write a 5-page synthesized paper that draws out major themes and processes from class texts.  The goal of the assignment is to help students visualize connections and relationships between key events/people and outcomes.  

Estimated Time  

45 minutes

Work Completed Before Class

In the previous class students are asked to turn in a list of 10-15 key events and actors collected as they are reading a historical text.  They are also asked to write a one-sentence description of the term’s significance.  The instructor then compiles a single list of 10 events and processes connected to a particular historical outcome.

1. Students are divided into groups of three or four. They receive a sheet with the list of key events and processes, as well as a pack of large style sticky notes. 
2. Each team writes out the terms out on the sticky notes and places the notes on a white board. 
3. Together with their team, the students manipulate the sticky notes, working to construct a chronological causal narrative of how events and processes are connected and how they contribute to a particular outcome.  The team may modify terms as they see necessary.  The terms are connected using arrows and lines to indicate the direction of the relationship. Key terms are also used to identify the nature of the relationship: X [‘causes,’ ‘influences,’ ‘determines,’ ‘follows from,’ ‘occurs through,’ etc.] Y.
4. The exercise concludes with a discussion where the entire class investigates each of the groups’ maps together.  The discussion should primarily focus on the logic behind the maps’ layouts and the key commonalities and differences evident among them.

Developed at Brandeis University through a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation