Building Your Portfolio

BUILD YOUR

EXPERIENCE 1 2 3 4

4 BUILDING YOUR
PORTFOLIO

The Big Picture This chapter introduces a reading strategy called mapping as a visual tool for getting the “big picture” of what you are preparing to read. Mapping a textbook chapter can help you quickly recognize how different concepts and terms fit together and make connections to what you already know about the subject. A number of ways of mapping, including wheel maps and branching maps, are described in this chapter. You might also use other types of maps, such as matrixes, to compare and contrast ideas or show cause and effect, a spider web to connect themes, or sketches to illustrate images, relationships, or descriptions.

  1. Look through your course syllabi and identify a reading assignment that you need to complete in the next week.
  2. Begin by previewing the first chapter of the reading assignment.
  3. Practice mapping the chapter by creating your own map using the drawing toolbar in Microsoft Word.
  4. Save your map in your portfolio or in the Cloud.

See an example of this exercise here.

Reading a textbook efficiently and effectively requires that you develop reading strategies that will help you to make the most of your study time. Mapping can help you to organize and retain what you have read, making it a good reading and study tool. Writing, reciting, and organizing the main points, supporting ideas, and key details of the chapter will help you recall the information on test day.