Wow – The internet has the greatest tools! A free tool that you definitely will want students to take advantage of is www.bubblus.com. On this tool your students can collaboratively make connections to what they already know about the topic and then create a mind map of their ideas and connections. Following reading, students can then revise the mind map to reflect corrections, new knowledge and additional ideas. This is a quick and easy way tool for students of all ages. See the sample I have created on this tool!