Students map their existing knowledge about a theme or topic, either individually, in groups, or together as a whole class.
They write down what they know and create an overview of their knowledge.
This method supports students in activating and reflecting on their prior understanding, making it easier to build on their knowledge in the next phases of their work.
Introduce the topic and explain to the students that they will be mapping their knowledge.
Each student writes keywords or sentences about what they already know about the topic. You can optionally provide categories to help guide their mapping, for example:
What have you heard/read/seen?
What experiences do you have?
What do you know for certain?
What do you think you know?
Students can use the Category Development method to organise their knowledge into self-named categories.
They can share their knowledge with a partner or in groups – and together identify gaps in their understanding.
This method can be combined with the Knowledge Wall method, allowing groups or the whole class to create a visual overview of their current knowledge.
Students can carry out knowledge mapping as a whiteboard session, a walk-and-talk, a post-it note brainstorm, or a digital collection of knowledge.
Optionally, use a worksheet like the one from Astra and Engineering in Schools to support students’ mapping process.
Consider incorporating visual elements (drawings, symbols, colours) to make the mapping more engaging and inspiring.
The method can also be linked to a discussion about how previous experiences and existing knowledge may influence students’ perspectives on the topic.
Knowledge mapping can be repeated at different stages of a project to make students’ learning progress visible over time.
This method is used in activity XXX
| Engage |
Paper /post-its
Writing materials
Optionally tablet / computer