Mind map templates

Twenty starting structures: the jobs people make mind maps for most, plus classroom graphic organisers and thinking tools. Each one comes as a blank template and a filled-in example; open either in the editor and make it yours.

Study, writing & planning

Homework inprimary school doesmore harm than goodLittle learning gainCooper 2006 review: weaklink under age 11Time better spent readingfor pleasureWidens gapsDepends on help at homeQuiet space is not equalFamily stressEvening conflictLess play and sleepCounter: builds habitsRebuttal: short readingdoes this betterConclusionReplace with daily readingEssay planStudents planning argumentative, persuasive or analytical essays.Atomic Habits(James Clear)Big ideaTiny changes compoundSystems beat goalsFour lawsMake it obviousMake it attractiveMake it easyMake it satisfyingIdentityEvery action is a voteToolsHabit stackingTwo-minute ruleHabit trackerMy takeawaysStack reading after coffeeRemove phone frombedroomBook summaryReaders, book clubs and students writing reports on novels or non-fiction.Cell biologyKey termsEukaryotic vs prokaryoticOrganelleOrganellesNucleus: DNAMitochondria: respirationRibosome: proteinsynthesisChloroplast:photosynthesisTransportDiffusionOsmosisActive transportCell divisionMitosis: growth, repairWeak spotsOsmosis practicalExam revisionStudents revising for exams who want one page per topic.Launch a schoolnewspaperGoalMonthly issue by MarchTasksRecruit writersPick layout toolSet deadlinesPrint or online?PeopleEditorPhotographerTeacher sponsorRisksWriters drop outPrinting costTimelineJan: teamFeb: pilot issueProject planTeam leads, freelancers and students running group projects.Website redesignkickoffGoalsFaster mobile pagesClearer pricingAudienceSmall business ownersDecisionsKeep current CMSLaunch before Q3ActionsSam: audit pagesPriya: draft sitemapLee: collect analyticsOpen questionsBudget for photos?Meeting notesAnyone who takes notes in meetings, lectures or interviews.Coffee cartStrengthsLow rentLoyal regularsWeaknessesWeather dependentOne baristaOpportunitiesOffice park openingOat milk demandThreatsChain store nearbyPermit costs risingActionsLoyalty card for officeparkSWOT analysisBusiness students, founders and anyone weighing a strategic choice.The lighthousekeeper’s last winterCharactersMara: wants to stay, fearsleavingTom: council inspectorSettingRock island, 1962Storm seasonConflictLight is being automatedPlotLetter arrivesStorm strands TomMara saves a ship by handShe leaves on her termsThemeLetting go of a roleStory planningCreative writing students, NaNoWriMo writers and game designers sketching a plot.Run a 10k by JuneBuild base3 runs a weekBuy proper shoesGet fasterIntervals on ThursdaysStay healthyStretch after runsSleep 8 hoursObstaclesRain: treadmill backupBusy weeks: 20-min runsMeasureMonthly 5k time trialGoal settingAnyone planning a year, a term or a personal project.Which offer should Itake?City universityPros: internships nearbyCons: high rentUnknown: housing lotteryCampus universityPros: cheaper, friendsthereCons: fewer part-time jobsUnknown: course modulesCriteriaCourse qualityTotal costDistance from homeDecision makingAnyone choosing between a few options: courses, job offers, tools, apartments.The water cycleObjectivesName the four stagesExplain what drives itStarterWhy is a puddle gone bynoon?MainLabel a diagramBag-in-a-window modelDifferentiationWord bankStretch: add transpirationAssessmentExit ticket: 3 stagesResourcesZip bags, markersLesson planTeachers, tutors and trainee teachers.

Thinking maps & organisers

is powered byhas fourpumps blood intocarriescontainstransportreturns blood throughhaveexchanges gases inCirculatory systemHeartChambersArteriesBloodRed blood cellsOxygenVeinsValvesCapillariesConcept mapScience and social-studies students, and teachers checking understanding.Frogs vs toadsOnly frogsSmooth, moist skinLong legs, leapLive near waterBothAmphibiansEggs in waterTadpole stageOnly toadsDry, bumpy skinShort legs, hopLive on land moreDouble bubble mapStudents writing compare-and-contrast paragraphs; teachers using Thinking Maps.FloodingPhysical causesHeavy rainSnowmeltHuman causesDeforestationPaved surfacesEffects on peopleHomes damagedRoads closedEffects on landSoil erosionManagementFlood wallsPlanting treesSpider diagramStudents revising case studies or planning answers; teachers making worksheets.HabitatMeaningNatural home of a livingthingSynonymsEnvironmentHome rangeExamplesCoral reefDesertRainforestNeeds it providesFoodWaterShelterIn a sentenceThe polar bear's habitat isshrinkingSemantic mapLanguage teachers, EAL/ESL learners and younger students building vocabulary.VolcanoesK: What I knowLava is hotSome are in HawaiiW: What I want toknowWhy do they erupt?Can we predict eruptions?L: What I learnedPressure from gas inmagmaSeismometers detectwarning signsMost volcanoes sit on plateboundariesKWL chartTeachers starting a unit, and students doing research projects.Oceansaltydeeptidescoral reefswhaleswavescurrentsWord webPrimary and middle-school students; writers collecting ideas.FlowerPetalsSepalsStamenAntherFilamentPistilStigmaStyleOvaryStemBrace mapStudents analysing physical objects or structures; Thinking Maps classrooms.

Brainstorming & problem solving

Move club meetingsonline?White: facts40% miss in-personmeetingsFree video tools existRed: feelingsMembers miss socialisingBlack: risksLess engagementTech problemsYellow: benefitsMembers abroad can joinNo room bookingGreen: new ideasHybrid: monthly in personBlue: next stepsTrial for two monthsSurvey afterwardsSix thinking hatsTeams making a decision, and students practising structured thinking.School book swapWho?Who donates?Who runs the stall?What?Which books are accepted?When?Lunchtime or after school?Where?Library or hall?Why?Cut costs or promotereading?How?Tokens or straight swaps?How do we advertise?StarburstingAnyone stress-testing a plan, product idea or research topic.First-year studentbuying a laptopSays"I just need it to last 4years"ThinksWorried aboutoverspendingDoesReads Reddit reviewsAsks older siblingsFeelsOverwhelmed by specsPainsJargonHidden costsGainsLight, long batteryStudent discountEmpathy mapUX designers, product teams and design-thinking students.

Choosing a template

Pick by the shape of the job. Essay plans and story plans are about order, so their branches become sections. Revision and book summaries compress information for recall. SWOT and decision maps give every option the same sub-branches so you can compare fairly. Project, goal and lesson plans break a big outcome into actions.

The classroom organisers each do one thinking job. A concept map explains how ideas relate, a double bubble map compares two things, a KWL chart frames research, semantic maps and word webs build vocabulary, and a brace map splits a whole into its parts. For decisions and design, six thinking hats, starbursting and the empathy map make you look from every angle.

No template fits? Start from a blank map, paste an outline into text to mind map, or let the AI generator draft a structure for your topic.

Questions people ask

Are these mind map templates free?

Yes. Every template opens in the free editor, with no signup. Edit it, change the layout or theme, and export to PNG, SVG, PDF, Markdown or JSON.

Can I print a mind map template?

Open the template, then Export → PDF. The map is fitted onto an A4 page. For a blank printable version, open the blank template and export it before filling it in.

Can I use a template in Word, Google Docs or PowerPoint?

Export as PNG or SVG and insert the image. SVG stays sharp at any size. Markdown export gives you the outline as text for documents and note apps.