Focusing on Instructional Strategies

COLOR CODING
THINKING MAPS

Chapter 5
Pages 269 - 277
 Focusing on Color Coding
Objective:
•To use color for a purpose with Thinking Maps

Examples of Application of
Welcome
Color Coding Color Coding
and
Suggestions Maps for a
Agenda
for all 8 TM’s Purpose

Planning Closure and A Language for

time for expectations Learning
classroom for sharing
applications. student work Chapter 5
Pages 269-277
THINKING MAPS AND COLOR CODING

When Creating Thinking Maps,

Use Color for a Purpose.

Ask yourself, what connections or

relationships do I want my students to see?
To Match the Color to the Source

Textbook
Doctor
3 feet = 1
Use tape
yard
measure
10 cm = 1 meter

Uses Socket
scales Measurement wrenches
to come in
weigh different
me sizes
Measure
ingredients you
when cook

Parents
To Show the Work or Ideas of Each Student

Bob
Joe

2+3
4+1 100-95

5
1000-995 25 -5 -10 -5

Charlie
To Show Prior Knowledge and What We Learned

What we Learned

Cube
Shapes

Cone
Geometry
Cylinder

Rectangle
Square

What we Know
To Show Point of View (or Fact vs Opinion)
 Stephanie’s
Ponytail by
Robert Munsch Cute

Popular

Stephanie

Clever

To Emphasize the Word that BEST DESCRIBES

To Emphasize Similarities and Differences
To Emphasize Differences
To Show the Connection of Types of Details
To Emphasize Different Categories
To Emphasize the 100
Relationship of the
Parts and Subparts
300 100
100
342 10
40 10
10
10

2 1
1
 To Show the Pattern of Whole to Parts

Pint
Quart
Pint
Half Gallon
Quart Pint
Pint

Gallon
Quart Pint
Pint
Half Gallon
Quart Pint

Pint
 Color-code the steps in one color and the
work in another color in a parallel Flow Map.
 Color-code to emphasize the relationship
between the step in the process and the
actual work or to emphasize the beginning,
middle and end of any process.
To Differentiate Between the Causes and the Effects
To Emphasize the Most Important Cause or Effect

Hunger

Need
food to
Animals Body uses
stay alive Eat food to make
Food energy
 To Indicate Long Term Causes or Effects
Teacher and
class shaved
their heads.
The teacher
Stephanie and class did
told her not trust
Stephanie
class she Stephanie
anymore.
was going laughed.

to shave Stephanie
her head. didn’t shave
her head.

Stephanie
was chased by
the class.
To Show the Relationship of Each Pair

USA PTA
AS
Parent Teacher
United States
Association
of America

Relating Factor: _________________

Is the abbreviation for
To Focus on the Top or Bottom of Each Pair
 CLOSURE
Take some time to meet by grade level or
department in order to plan how you
and your students might use color for
a purpose with all 8 Thinking Maps.

Save your students’ work and be

prepared to share their examples at
our next follow-up session.