Graphic organizers can help students to actively isolate, process, and reorganize key information. Tools such as these can support self-regulated learning – students are assigned the independent role of deconstructing and making sense of information. Thankfully, the wealth of available resources helps to ease differentiation in the classroom, and you can always modify or create your own graphic organizers based on the needs of your students!
• They help students better understand how things are ordered and connect
• They help to improve students’ memory of the information
• They act as a visual tool that helps to differentiate learning for students’ learning needs
• They provide a guide for the writing process – helping to improve the published piece!
• They can be used across the curriculum in a variety of ways to assist students’ learning
To ensure that students use graphic organizers (GOs) effectively, teachers must be sure to MODEL!
Before Instruction:
Use GO to provide a visual structure for the presentation of new material
Model the relations between the information presented and explicitly explain how to organize text into the GO
Create anchor charts that expand on the purpose of the GO by deconstructing the text and define characteristics – for example, label important details using arrows
GO Links and Resources
ABC Teach – several resources for KWL forms, Venn diagrams, and web organizers
Education Oasis – 58 graphic organizers (PDF) for cause and effect, narratives, compare and contrast, events and sequencing, concept and vocabulary development
Exploratree – ready-made thinking guides that help students to map their ideas, solve problems, explore, analyze, and represent different perspectives (also available in Welsh)
Education Place Classroom Resources -- graphic organizers for writing projects, problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research and brainstorming (also available in Spanish)
Enchanted Learning – a variety of graphic organizers aimed at the junior and intermediate levels
Freeology – 100 FREE, printable graphic organizers for use across the curriculum
Graphic Organizer Index – a variety of resources for printable graphic organizers
Graphic Organizer Templates – a variety of GOs that can be used for instructional and assessment purposes – they can be adapted for your students’ needs and re-saved
Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers – 38 GOs (PDF) that include teaching notes with lessons and tips on how to use graphic organizers in the classroom
Houghton Mifflin EduPlace – a variety of GOs (PDF) that help to support the ordering of ideas and notes
Smart Sheets – research based teaching tools based on fundamental learning strategies that can be downloaded and purchases online
Super Teacher Worksheets – printable GOs for that support reading and writing in the classroom
TeAchnology – includes a list of general GOs, as well as subject and process specific organizers
Teacher Vision Graphic Organizers -- collection of FREE, ready-to-use GOs are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas
The Graphic Organizer – provides GOs, concept mapping and mind mapping tools, as well as a teacher’s guide for effective implementation in the classroom
Thinking Maps – offers visual thinking tools that correspond with fundamental thinking processes, and can be used in various combinations to form a Common Visual Language for students and teachers at all grade levels, in all subjects
