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Turn your own notes into a mind map activity

Skip the blank page. DeckOwl builds an editable mind map from your lecture notes, textbook chapter, or PDF so students can explore each branch.

Create mind maps nowFree · No credit card required

Drop files here or browsePDF, DOCX, PPTX, text or photos of your notes · several files with Plus

Free account · 3 sets a month · Creates mind maps in seconds

Why a custom mind map activity works better

A mind map activity built from your own material keeps the connections your class actually covered, so students are not hunting through a generic template for ideas that never appeared in the course.

Works from PDFs, Word and PowerPoint files, plain notes, and photos of pages
Editable branches so the activity matches your lesson, not a fixed template
Explorable layout for group work, review, and self-quizzing
Free plan includes 3 generations a month with study in the browser

Example mind map branches for a photosynthesis activity

Light-dependent reactionsOccur in the thylakoid membranes · Use light energy to split water · Produce ATP and NADPH · Release oxygen as a byproduct

Calvin cycleTakes place in the stroma · Fixes carbon dioxide into sugar · Uses ATP and NADPH from the light reactions

Chloroplast structureThylakoids stacked into grana · Stroma surrounds the thylakoids · Chlorophyll sits in the thylakoid membranes

Inputs and outputsCarbon dioxide, water, and light go in · Glucose and oxygen come out

Factors that limit the rateLight intensity · Carbon dioxide concentration · Temperature

Generate the full set

Starts from your material

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain notes, or a photo of a page. The map follows the ideas your class actually covered.

Editable and explorable

Rename branches, move sub-points, and expand or collapse sections so the map fits the activity you have planned.

Study tools from the same source

Turn the same material into flashcards with spaced repetition or into a quiz with explanations once the map is done.

How it works

Upload your material

Add your PDF, notes, slides, or a photo of a handout. Text recognition reads the pages for you.

Generate the mind map

DeckOwl picks out the main topic, branches, and sub-points and lays them out as a map.

Edit and run the activity

Adjust the branches, then have students explore the map, fill in missing nodes, or explain each branch aloud.

Teachers and tutors can use the same map as a warm-up, a group task, or a review sheet. Because the branches are editable, you can cut sections that were not taught and add examples from your own lessons.

Students working alone can use the map the same way: cover a branch, try to recall its sub-points, then check the map. The structure makes gaps visible faster than rereading a page of notes.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I run a mind map activity with students?

Put the central topic on the board, then have students add one branch per main idea and fill in two or three sub-points under each. Ask them to link related points across branches, which is where most of the learning happens.

How many branches should a mind map have for one chapter?

Five to seven main branches usually covers one chapter without crowding the page. Give each branch two to four sub-points so students can recall them without memorizing the whole text.

Can I export the mind map?

The free plan lets you study in the browser with 3 generations a month. Exports to PDF, DOCX, Anki, and CSV are part of Plus, which costs $99.90/year or $9.99/month.

Do I need a credit card to try it?

No credit card is needed to start. Students get 40% off with a school email address.

Generate free mind maps

Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.