How to Use Concept Maps

Have you ever asked yourself "why can't students connect ideas together from different lessons?".  I asked myself this for years and I think it's due to students treating every idea separately due to the fact  they're taught is different lessons.  One way that I used successfully to overcome this last year was to get students using concept maps.  

A concept map requires students getting everything they now about a concept down on a sheet of A3.  Students then need to think about a particular question (preferably long answer) and numbering the information in the order that they would need to put it in an exam question.  After students have completed this they can either use their concept map to answer questions, or more effectively, allow students to use their concept map to put together a short presentation that they can use to explain a concept to another student.

I've attached a few pictures of student concept maps below

I hope this helps

Thanks for looking