Thinking Maps® (Visual Tools) | Osseo Area Schools

Osseo Area Schools educators at a NUA professional development collaborating on inductive sequencing with a Thinking Map Flow Map.

NUA Mentor modeling Thinking Map Bridge Map (analogies) with a phonics lesson in a primary classroom with teachers observing.

Osseo Area Schools educators at a NUA professional development collaborating on inductive categorization with a Thinking Map Tree Map.

Thinking Maps^® (Visual Tools)

Thinking Maps image below and click on to enlarge.

Thinking Maps^®, created by David Hyerle, are consistent visual patterns linked directly to eight specific thought processes. By visualizing our thinking, we create concrete images of abstract thoughts to reach higher levels of critical and creative thinking individually and collaboratively. Thinking Maps establish a consistent language for thinking and problem solving. The goal is to have the students work independently choosing the cognitive process of a Thinking Maps^® that best supports their thinking.

The language of Thinking Maps^® is a language of eight fundamental cognitive skills. These eight cognitive skills, as shown on the next page, are based on a synthesis of cognitive science research, models of thinking developed for psychological testing and educational programs, and a transformation of Dr. Upton’s early work with Designs for Thinking. This model is neither linear nor hierarchical. The eight cognitive skills are defining in context, describing attributes, comparing and contrasting, classification, part-whole spatial reasoning, sequencing, cause and effect reasoning, and reasoning by analogy. Each of the eight processes additionally can have a Frame of Reference to further expand information, schema and thinking. This language is not a comprehensive view of thinking; it identifies the coherence and interdependency of the eight fundamental cognitive skills that ground thinking and learning.

LA area first graders talking schema and Thinking Maps.

NYC area teachers and students reflecting and modeling on Thinking Maps.

NYC area fourth grade students reflecting on using Thinking Maps for Test Prep.

My Story

The Who Am I guide uses all eight Thinking Maps to explore My Story, My Community, My Ancestors and My Inspirations. The guide has a sequence Flow Map on each page to guide the classroom of doing the Thinking Map from the Cognitive Process of each map to using the Frame of Reference with each Thinking Map. Download the Guide.