Mind Maps

A mind map (see Figure 8.1) is essentially a visual review sheet that shows the relationships between ideas; its visual patterns provide you with clues to jog your memory. Because they are visual, mind maps help many students—particularly English language learners—remember information more easily.

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FIGURE 8.1 image Sample Mind Map

To create a mind map, start with a main idea and place it in the center. Then add major categories that branch out from the center. To these branches, add pieces of related information to form clusters. You can use different shapes and/or colors to show the relationships among the various pieces of information. You can find many apps for creating mind maps on your computer or mobile device. Figure 8.1 shows a mind map of this chapter, created by using an app called Total Recall. Other mind-map apps include MindMeister and SimpleMind.

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An Elephant (Almost) Never Forgets
Although elephants apparently do have pretty good memories, they’re like the rest of us in that they occasionally forget. Work to develop your memory by using the specific strategies in this chapter. One of the most important strategies you can use is considering the big-picture context behind bits and pieces of information.
© Shannon Burns