Bubble map template: free printable
A bubble map puts one topic in the center circle and surrounds it with bubbles of describing words, usually adjectives. Print the free bubble map template below or save it as a PDF, write the topic in the middle, add one describing word to each of the six outer boxes and back each word up with a fact or an example on the lines beneath it.
Prints on one A4 or Letter page without the website around it. Pick "Save as PDF" in the print dialog to get a PDF.
Example: bubble map describing Macbeth
From a lecture file, StudyPDF makes an interactive mind map like this one that you can zoom and expand. Make a mind map from my materials
How to use it
- 1
Print the blank sheet or save it as a PDF. Write your name, class and date at the top.
- 2
Write the topic in the center circle: a character, a person, a place or a concept. One or two words are enough.
- 3
Think of six words that describe it. Adjectives work best: brave, ambitious, fragile, fast. Write one in the heading of each outer box.
- 4
On the lines under each word, add the proof: a quote, an event, a number or an example from your notes or the text.
- 5
Cross out any word you cannot back up and replace it with one you can.
- 6
Turn the map into writing. Each box becomes one point in your paragraph or essay, with its evidence already listed.
A bubble map puts one topic in the center circle and surrounds it with bubbles of describing words, usually adjectives. Print the free bubble map template below or save it as a PDF, write the topic in the middle, add one describing word to each of the six outer boxes and back each word up with a fact or an example on the lines beneath it.
The bubble map is one of the eight Thinking Maps used in many schools, and it has one job: describing. A character, a place, a cell, a historical figure. That makes it a good first step before an essay paragraph or a character analysis, because each bubble becomes a point and each line under it becomes evidence.
Pick the right map for the task. A circle map collects everything you know about a topic, a double bubble map compares two things side by side, and a mind map breaks a topic into branches and sub-branches. When you need to show how ideas cause or depend on each other, a concept map fits better.
Put adjectives in the bubbles, not facts: brave, guilty, ruthless. Then prove each one on the lines. Six describing words with real evidence beat twelve without.
Or let StudyPDF fill it
StudyPDF does not draw bubble maps, but its Mind map works from the same idea. Upload your document, slides or class notes, press New material and pick Mind map. You get an interactive map of the topic, built from your own material, that you can pan, zoom and expand. Ask Bo about any branch and the answer cites the page. You can export the map as a PDF.
Questions and answers
What is a bubble map?
A graphic organizer for describing one thing. The topic sits in a center circle and the bubbles around it hold describing words, usually adjectives. Students use it to plan character analyses, descriptive writing and science descriptions.
What is the difference between a bubble map and a circle map?
A circle map is for defining or brainstorming: you write everything you know about a topic inside a big circle around it. A bubble map is for describing: each outer bubble holds one quality of the topic.
What is a double bubble map?
Two bubble maps joined to compare two things. Bubbles linked to both centers show what they share, the outer bubbles on each side show what is different. It is a common planning step for compare and contrast essays.
Is a bubble map the same as a bubble chart in Excel?
No. A bubble chart is a data chart that plots values as circles of different sizes. A bubble map is a thinking tool for describing one topic. You do not need Excel or any app for it, just this sheet and a pen.
