What is a synoptic picture?

We explain what a synoptic picture is and what it is for. Why is it so useful in the educational field? Advantages and functions of these schemes.

1. What is a synoptic picture?

A synoptic chart is a graphic representation of ideas or texts (which I need to analyze) in a limited way, by using boxed and connected keywords using lines that may or may not have connectors. Graphically it is like a tree, which is born and has many branches; visually it begins in an initial word from which several others flow.

A synoptic chart is normally implemented as a strategy to organize knowledge in a simple and clear way of understanding. It contains a structure since, it is based on a particular theme and its various relationships.

The synoptic tables are very useful to analyze a topic or a theory (which is raised by different authors) because it contrasts variables by finding similarities and differences between them.

2. Synoptic table in the educational field

The synoptic tables are used in the student field as a tool to study or teach concepts or ideas in an organized and synthetic way, without giving possibility to the student to be confused since, when represented by means of the key system and take the form of A diagram , or being organized in rows and columns, enables easy reading and comprehension.

These schemes serve as mental help to memorize because, one can remember the key words that make it up and in this way he manages to develop the whole (initial) concept in himself. In sum, it is ranked according to the importance of the concepts by placing keywords in a box or writing them in a font size larger than the rest; going from the general to the particular.

3. Steps to make a synoptic chart

• First, you must read and interpret the material (which is the object of study) to get to know the subject in general and familiarize yourself with it.
• Secondly, when rereading the material, those primary (or central) ideas must be identified . In this step it is usually very useful to summarize what was read since, unconsciously, the fundamental ideas are selected, eliminating redundancies.
• Thirdly, concepts that share common characteristics in a global way should be grouped together .
• Then, the topical sentence that describes the central idea or theme of the total writing must be identified , this being the title of the painting.

In short, a relationship must be made between the elements of the text in order to organize them and identify how general they are. Likewise, a categorization of all the main ideas (which were previously identified) is done in order to sketch them in a first draft of the table (with very general ideas) where the complementary ideas and their details are then added.

In short, it is a process of reducing ideas on a specific topic , which is solved in a graphic and visual way, helping to memorize the concepts.