This document discusses Mindscaping, an interactive technique for teaching history and geography. It defines Mindscaping as using colors, images, and symbols along with words to record ideas. Several Mindscaping tools are described, including mind maps, flow charts, and Venn diagrams. The document outlines the advantages of Mindscaping for both teachers and students, such as making content easier to understand and reducing information processing demands. It provides examples of how to introduce Mindscaping in the classroom and includes activities for teachers to practice using Mindscaping tools and planning Mindscaping activities for their own lessons.

1. Mindscaping: An Interactive Way to
Teach History & Geography
Teachers Convention-November 2015

2. Content
 Objectives
 What is Mindscaping?
 Tools of Mindscaping
 Introducing Mindscaping in the Classroom
 Advantages of Mindscaping
 Key Questions

3. Objectives
 By the end of the session participants will be able to:
1. define the term mindscaping
2. identify and describe the mindscapping tools
3. analyze the advantages of mindscaping
4. employ the mindscaping technique in their lessons

4. Ice-Breaker: Self Portraying
 On a sheet of paper with coloured markers or crayons draw
your portrait/important events or milestones in your life
 Writing sentences or paragraph is not allowed!
(Time: 7min)

5. What is Mindscaping?
 The landscape of thoughts, a reification of the domain of
imaginary entities, memories, feelings, ideas or any other
object in the mind
 Systems for using color, images, drawings, cartoons and
symbols as well as words and phrases for recording ideas

6. Tools for Mindscaping
Mindscaping
Venn
Diagram
Spider
Web
Flow
Chart
T-ChartY-Chart
Fishbone
Mapping
Mind
Mapping
Cont……

7. Tools for Mindscaping
Mindscaping
Illustrated
Timelines
KWL Chart
Annotated
Maps
Attributes
Chart
Cause and
Effects
Diagram
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ents

8. Introducing Mindscaping in the Classroom
setting up
material
motivating
students
showing
sample work
bringing
uniformity and
familiarity
highlighting
important points

9. Video – Discussion

10. Activity 1- Group Work
 In groups discuss the advantages of using mindscaping in the
classrooms both for teachers and students
 On a flip chart organize your thoughts using one of the
organizers mentioned in the handout. (You can create your
own organizer)
 Volunteer group(s) to present

11. Advantages of Mindscaping
Content is easier to
understand and learn
• Information is more
precise and less
fuzzy
• Helps students
separate what is
important fro what
is non essential
information
Reduced information
processing demands
• Don’t need to process
semantic information
to understand
• Easier to understand
the info if its structure
is readily apparent
• As a result content
can be addressed at a
more sophisticated or
complex level
Students become
more strategic
learners
• Reading and writing
skills
• Communication
skills
• Analytical, critical
and creative
thinking skills

12. Key Questions ……..
Is there research supporting use of
graphic organizers/mindscaping?
Isn’t this harder that it looks?
Who benefits from graphic
organizers -- aren’t they for visual
learners?
Do graphic organizers raise test-
scores?

13. Guiding Principles for Using Graphic Organizers
Clear and straightforward, limited ideas, focus on
important concepts, include clear labels
Keep them Simple
Explicit instructions, implement in creative and engaging
ways and in cooperative learning, allow students to make
their own
Teach to and with
them
Establish a routine, incorporate them in all types of
instructionsUse them often

14. Activity 2- Think Pair Share
1. In pairs think when can you use the mindscaping
technique in a lesson
2. List the topics and the mindscaping tool(s) you can
use to make your lesson interactive

15. Samples from Notebooks

16. Activity 3- Micro-Teaching
Group Work
 Choose a lesson from the book (history or geography)
 Select mindscaping tool(s) for explaining the lesson and
present