How to Organise Concept Maps With Objects and Events

A four-panel comic strip showing a student transforming a messy concept map into a clear, organised map by separating objects in circles from events in diamonds

Welcome to a simple shift that transforms messy notes into clear, organised concept maps. If your revision maps feel tangled or your explanations sound vague, you're likely mixing two fundamental elements: things and happenings. Once you separate objects from events, your ideas snap into focus.

Why Your Concept Maps Feel Messy

Most confusing concept maps share one problem: they treat everything as the same type of information. Volcanoes, eruptions, cells, and division all get identical circles or boxes. No wonder the connections feel unclear.

The fix? Recognise that your topic contains two distinct categories:

  • Objects are the things you're studying (volcano, budget, cell)
  • Events are the happenings (eruption, overspending, division)

When you mark them differently, your entire map becomes readable.

The Simple Two-Shape System

Start by creating a visual code. Try circles for objects and diamonds for events. Add this tiny key to the corner of your page.

Now, as you map your topic, pause before adding each node. Ask yourself: 'Am I naming a thing or a happening?' Label it accordingly.

Your links will suddenly read like proper sentences:

  • 'Eruption releases ash' (event to object)
  • 'Cell division creates two cells' (event to object)
  • 'Volcano produces magma' (object to object)

Clean connections emerge naturally when you've categorised your nodes correctly.

How to Link Objects and Events

Here's your practical test: choose any existing concept map or start a new one on your current topic. Pick just two shapes or two colours and create your key.

As you build your map, label each new node as either a thing or a happening. Then check your links out loud. Do they flow clearly from object to event, or event to object?

If a link feels vague or awkward, you've likely mixed categories. The solution? Rename the node or split it into separate 'thing' and 'happening' nodes.

This simple discipline keeps your thinking grounded and your explanations precise.

The Results You'll See

This straightforward split delivers immediate benefits:

  • Cuts through fuzzy notes and unclear relationships
  • Helps you plan actions and understand cause-and-effect
  • Makes your conclusions easier to justify in essays and exams

Try it with your next topic. Mark just five nodes as object or event and watch your explanations sharpen. You'll wonder how you ever studied without this clarity.

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