Circle Maps are used to define things in context by representing them using words, signs, symbols, or drawings. Creating them helps students develop brainstorming and inferencing skills.

Bubble Maps are used to describe things with adjectives and adjective phrases. Creating them helps enrich students' abilities to identify qualities and use descriptive words.

Tree Maps are used to sort things into categories or groups. Creating them helps students develop classification skills.

Double Bubble Maps are used to identify similarities and differences. Creating them helps students develop comparing and contrasting skills.

Flow maps are used to identify stages and substages of events. Creating them helps students develop sequencing skills.

Brace Maps are used to identify the relationships between whole physical objects and their parts. Creating them helps students develop spatial reasoning skills.

Multi-Flow Maps are used to identify interrelated causes and effects of events. Creating them helps students develop analysis and prediction skills.

Bridge Maps are used to identify analogies or similarities between relationships. Creating them helps students develop their vocabulary skills.

The first frame around a thinking map is called the Frame of Reference. The Frame of Reference can be used to demonstrate point of view, prior knowledge, the source of the information, or any combination of the three.

The second frame, drawn around the Frame of Reference, is called the Frame of Understanding. This is used to list the "big picture" idea of the thinking map. It allows students to list what they learned while making the map, identify the main idea of the map, and/or identify why the information in the map is important.