Learning how to make a story map is a smart way to organize your thoughts graphically, and teachers are beginning to realize how story maps can aid in learning. Continue reading to understand what a story map is, its benefits, and how you can teach your students to make a good story map.
What Is a Story Map?
A story map is a method that helps aid learning by graphically organizing the critical elements of a story or a book. Students will have to pay attention while reading a story and identify the story’s plot, the main characters, their characteristics, the moral of the story, etc. Then, they will need to organize them graphically.
Beginners’ story maps only focus on the beginning, middle, and end of the story, while intermediate-level story maps prompt students to think about the plot, setting of the story, characters’ traits, etc.
How Do Story Maps Help In Learning?
Thinking through the story and reflecting on the plot and the characters helps develop critical thinking. Attentive reading improves students’ comprehension, and students learn to analyze literature and identify key elements of stories. Graphic organizers help students compartmentalize their thoughts and help them think efficiently.
How To Make Story Maps
If your students are just beginning to read literature, this is the perfect time to help them learn how to make story maps.
You can begin by providing a blank story map organizer to each student and then fill it in with them the first time to give them a model. Then, after you finish a new story, discuss components, such as characters, setting, plot, and theme, with your students.
After discussing, ask them to fill out their story maps. Check and provide feedback if they miss something crucial and discuss ways of improvement.
Story Maps For Second Language Learners
Making story maps is a technique that helps all students. It benefits not just students who are performing well academically, but it also helps second language learners, as well. Here are some ways you can modify story maps so that they would help such students.
First, do not give advanced maps to students who have just begun to learn English. Use the easy beginning-middle-end format with them.
Make it easy for your students by guiding their thought process. Give them prompts and questions. Who are the main characters? What is the story about? What is the setting of the story?
Initially, begin with easy stories and clear instructions to get into the practice of thinking, organizing their thoughts, and making story maps.
Concluding Thoughts
Story maps are an effective way to teach students how to reflect on texts, analyze the critical elements of the stories they read, and graphically organize their thoughts. This method assists in learning, so it must be better incorporated into the classroom.
