Digital Text-Mapping

As a fourth grade Social Studies teacher, I was introduced to an instructional tool called Text-Mapping. With text-mapping, the teacher gives students copies of text that they can annotate on and highlight key information to answer questions about a topic. The students are then given a sheet with questions created by the teacher. They must then answer the questions and state where they found their information in the text.

Recognizing that text is not only distributed in the form of paper, I decided to create a tool that keeps the same basic principals of text-mapping- only converted to a digital format. Thus is the birth of Digital Text-Mapping.

If you look below, you see a copy of the Digital Text-Mapping Answer Document. On this document, teachers can insert the topic and sources that they want the students to use to find the information. With this being a digital activity, the teacher would insertthe link(s) to some type(s) of digital resource(s) and/or paper resources for the students to use.

Next, the teacher will input the questions that they want the students to answer. They would then distribute the document to students and allow the students to do their research to answer the questions. In the middle column is where the students will input their answers. The last column is designated as a space for students to cite where they got their answers from.

Now, you may be wondering, "How can I actually use this in my class?"

This activity can be used as just a research activity or it can even be used to guide classroom discussions. After the students have completed the assignment, the teacher can use the questions and answers as an outline and the teacher can facilitate meaningful discourse amongst the students about the given topic.

The document can be distributed in a number of ways. One way is to attach the file via Google Drive into your Google Classroom. If you don't have a Google Classroom, you can create a copy for each student and share the document with them through Google Drive. Another option is to simply E-Mail the link (since it is a Google Doc) to your students. There are many other programs out there that will allow you to distribute assignments that can be utilized as well (i.e. Showbie, Drawp, etc.)

Other ways to utilize Digital Text-Mapping:

Marking up the text: Students can use an annotation app (Skitch/ Photopen) to highlight/underline/circle the answer to the question on their screenshots.

Presentations: Students can create slideshow presentations of the screenshots using Nearpod/Prezi/ Google Slides (from computer)/etc. This presentation can be used for class presentations where the students share their findings.

Digital Gallery Walk: Students can create Aurasmas for one (or more than one) of their answers. They can illustrate an image that goes along with that answer and then create the overlay that takes the viewer to their screenshot of the answer or possibly a video that discusses the topic.

Keep in mind that the original format of this document is a Google Doc, so if students are completing this on their iPads, they must download the Google Docs app. If you would like to convert it to another format, simply click on FILE -> "Download As" and select your format.

If you would like to utilize this resource, click HERE to save your own copy via Google Drive.