Concept map

            The purpose of a concept map is to organize ideas in a hierarchical manner and represent my knowledge of a specific subject. While it took me a while to think of a topic to investigate and explore within, I came to the conclusion that I’d draw a map of my two favorite species; a manatee and sea turtle. I felt both had things in common where I could relate them to one another. This tool is called cross-linking which establishes a relationship between two different concepts within the same map. I also know a bit about the two species from previous encounters, and am well informed about their background information. Even though I did not use a focus question to help narrow down my categories, one could have easily been used. Furthermore, I will discuss the process in which I took with creating my concept map.

            One type of learning that took place was Iconic learning. By definition, it involves storage of images and sense we encounter and people we met. Back when I was 10, I ventured to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on my spring break. I can recall driving to a little active marine shop that offered swimming with the manatees. However, we were well informed that we would probably not see any due to their decreasing population. On our way to the dock, we over heard a man making some commotion down by the water. There we saw, for my first time, a giant gray floating cow, also known as a manatee. I was handed an apple to feed the little swimming cow and later preceded into the water to swim with it. I can easily recall the color of the water, the rough manatee skin, the way the manatee nibbled on the apple, and the temperature of Florida water.

            By thinking back to all this information I had stored away in my noggin, I could grab it to help me make my map. I would also connect the manatee to the Olive Ridley Sea turtle. I knew both were endangered, and I had also flown down to Costa Rica to volunteer my time saving hundreds of the critters.

            I ultimately made a parking lot –meaning a list of concepts and ideas waiting to be added- because I wanted to make sure I got all my idea down before I forgot them. After choosing a central word (My Favorite Critters) I began to branch off with the two and break off into more specific topics, or anything that I could relate to sea turtles or manatees. I found that many of my ideas were able to connect to one another, even for instance what sea turtles ate to what manatees were threatened by- fish which are a type of shark. It almost felt as if I was constructing a food chain or animal web that we used to draw in elementary days. Furthermore, by adding colors and shapes to my concept map, the main ideas were able to stand out more visible than something just in pencil. The little drawings represented my ideas that could easily be glanced at to trigger thoughts. So within this concept map, I have abstract and concrete elements!