Material Detail

Submitter : Nancy J. Pelaez

Seeing reason is an online tool (1) for mapping cause-and-effect relationships, (2) to help students analyze complex systems and (3) to communicate understanding visually and promote collaborative work.
Analyzing cause-and-effect relationships is important in understanding complex systems such as traffic patterns or destruction of animal habitat. The Seeing Reason resource promotes cause-and-effect thinking through visual mapping. Students create visual representations of the factors and relationships in a cause-and-effect investigation. These maps making thinking visible and promote collaborative refinement of understanding. At the heart of Seeing Reason is an interactive mapping tool that helps students map relationships and construct models of their understanding. The tool is easy to use and supports investigation of causal factors and relationships across grade levels and subject areas. Student maps are saved online in a project workspace set up by the teacher. The tool and related resources are available for free, from any computer that is connected to the Internet. Students may work on their lists at home or at school, and can even compare their ideas with students located in distant classrooms. This URL provides the following: Overview and Benefits; Project Examples; Instructional Strategies; Teacher Workspace.

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