Inquiry Research template.

Name___________ Grade: ____Date: Water Pollution.: Report Planner

(1) Write the big inquiry question in the box.

2 Plan your research using the KWHL chart below.

What I already know about water pollution(K)

(2) Write three of four facts that you already know about water pollution.

3 What I want to know about water pollution. (W)

(3) Write three or four inquiry questions on what you want to know about water pollution.

4 How will I know? (H)

(4) List three or four sources for you to do your research on water pollution.

5 What I have learnt about pollution. (L)

(5)Write three or four facts that you’ve learnt about water pollution.

6 Write an informational report text on water pollution to summarize what you’ve

learnt.
(6) Type your informational report using the outline below.

You can insert pictures or diagrams to make your report more informative.
Title: Introduction/Beginning.
Main idea one.
Main idea two
Main idea three.
Conclusion/Ending.

10 Mind Mapping Strategies For Teachers

by Andrea Leyden,

The adoption of Mind Maps in teaching has grown recently due to the benefits of using Mind Maps to
learn and the availability of free online mind mapping software.

Teachers have recognized the value of using Mind Maps to engage students, encourage creativity and,
most importantly, teaching how to learn rather simply memorizing content. Mind Maps have even
been integrated into emerging teaching techniques such as the Flipped Classroom and Design Thinking
as outlined in the Mind Map on the right.

How do teachers harness the full power of Mind Mapping? Below is some ideas on how teachers and
student can use Mind Maps both in and out of the classroom.

Mind Mapping Strategies for Teachers

Pre-class:
1. Planning: Whether its lesson plans, design of your class curriculum for the school year or planning
an assignment timeline, Mind Maps give you a clear and visual overview of what needs to be
covered.
2. Organizing: If you’re the type of person who regularly jots down ideas and thoughts, Mind Maps are
the perfect tool to create structure and organization of a topic.

In-class:
3. Teaching: Online Mind Maps can be used in class to brainstorm and generate discussions. This will
encourage students to participate but also to fully understand a topic and its nuances by creating
connections between ideas.

4. Hand-outs: Mind Maps that have been created online can easily be printed and shared with
students. Notes in the Mind Map can built on by students in class.

5. Presentations: A brilliant way to develop student’s communication skills is through presentations.

However, students can easily become bored listening to others present. Mind Maps act as visual
information providers and encourage the audience to engage with the material that is being
presented. Easily create an interactive Mind Map online with this free Mind Mapping tool, ExamTime.

6. Creativity: Essentially a Mind Map is a blank canvas; why not have some fun in your classroom? Get
the creative juices flowing by throwing your students a silly idea and asking them how this can be
achieved. Not only will this exercise encourage creativity, but it will also help students think for
themselves and have some fun with it!

7. Learning: Mind Maps have been embraced in the realm of education as a learning tool which help
students reinforce knowledge by making connections between different areas and delving in-depth
into an area.

Outside class:

8. Collaboration: The new generation of “Digital Citizens” are highly adaptable to change and expect
to use technology as part of their education. Students can easily work together on group projects or
assignments using free online study tools such as ExamTime where you can share your Mind Map with
friends or a group of people.

9. Assessment: A great way to use Mind Maps for assessment is to ask students to express their ideas
about a topic in a Mind Map before and after a class. Students will retain the information better and
it will also reassure teachers that students remember and understand the knowledge.

10. Comprehension: Analyzing study material by reflecting on what you have learned is key to fully
comprehending new information. Encourage students to delve into the material and see how far they
can go – a Mind Map can develop into several ideas which can branch out into new Mind Maps from
each node.

With the availability of online Mind Mapping tools, it’s now even easier to capitalize on the
opportunities discussed above. Remember, students have grown up with technology more so than
you so introduce them to the technology and let the possibilities fly!
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6 Steps to better critical thinking

Rationale’s interface has been designed to provide a path for critical thinking. From gathering
research, to weighing up evidence to formulating a judgement, Rationale will assist you.
Take a look at these 6 critical thinking steps with examples to demonstrate the path to better
outcomes.
Step 1: ORGANISE INFORMATION
We have no difficulty in locating information. The key is that the information is selected and structured
appropriately. With Rationale’s grouping maps you can drag information from the web onto your
workspace via the scratchpad and include colour, hyperlinks and images. The structured, pyramid like
maps provide a guide for students to structure the information in such a way that reveals the
connections between the main topic and its various themes or categories.

Step 2: STRUCTURE REASONING

Many people provide opinions but rarely provide supporting reasons for their view.
Rationale’s reasoning maps encourage people to support their responses and to consider
different opinions. It uses colour conventions to display reasoning – green for reasons, red for
objections and orange for rebuttals. It also includes indicator or connecting words so that the
relationship between statements is clearly understood.
Step 3: CONSIDER EVIDENCE
A test of a solid argument is how good the evidence is that underpins the claims. Rationale’s
basis boxes provide a means to identify the basis upon which a statement is given. The icons
provide a visual guide as to the range of research utilised and the strength of the evidence that
is provided.
Step 4: IDENTIFY ASSUMPTIONS
We often talk about analysing arguments. This can mean a few things including looking at
the logical structure of the argument to ensure it is valid or well formed and also identifying
assumptions or co premises. For those who require higher levels of analysis, Rationale
provides the analysis map format to show the relationships between main premises and co
premises.
Step 5: EVALUATE ARGUMENTS
Once arguments for and against an issue have been logically structured, they need to be
evaluated. Rationale provides a visual guide for the evaluation of claims and evidence – the
stronger the colour, the stronger the argument while icons designate acceptable or rejected
claims. While learning this process of evaluating arguments, the colour and icons provide
immediate undertanding and communication of the conclusion.
Step 6: COMMUNICATE CONCLUSION
Presenting ideas orally or in writing is crucial and is often the distinguishing feature between
good results and average ones. Rationale has essay and letter writing templates to build skills
and confidence. Templates provide instruction and generation of prose. When exported, there
is a structured essay plan with detailed instructions to assist understanding of clear and
systematic prose.