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Graphic Organizers
Chapter 10
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Reflecting on What I Know
- How do you know that students understand a concept?
- In what ways can you depict student misconceptions of key information?
- How can students capture and transfer brainstorming ideas into written thoughts?
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Examining Graphic Organizers
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How Graphic Organizers Support Critical Thinking
| Brainstorm ideas | Highlight important ideas |
| See connections, patterns, and relationships | Improve reading comprehension skills and strategies |
| Develop vocabulary | Outline for writing process activities |
| Develop, organize, and communicate ideas | Classify or categorize concepts, ideas and information. |
| Comprehend the events in a story or book | Improve social interaction between students, and facilitate group work |
| Collaboration among peers | Guide review and study |
| Assess and share prior knowledge | Facilitate recall and retention (p. 38) |
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Useful Digital Graphic Organizers
- Inspiration
- SmartDraw
- FreeMind (http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page)
- View your Mind (http://sourceforge.net/projects/vym/)
- Cmap Tools (http://cmap.ihmc.us/)
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Circular | Circular or cycle organizers are used to show the events of a process or phenomena that occur in a repeated pattern. The circular model identifies the main events and components that are related to the event. The links representing the cycle are typically curved, whereas associated events can branch off of the main ideas with non-curved links. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Fishbone | The fishbone is used to show details of a complex topic. The design of a fishbone uses attached “bones” to show a series of ideas or information that are related to each other as well as to the main idea. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Flow Chart | A flow chart uses a set of distinctive shapes to show the steps of a process and normally has a beginning and multiple ending points. The chart includes decision points “along the way” to the end. Common shapes used in a flow chart are as follows: Circle – shows the beginning and ending points Arrows – show direction of movement Squares/Rectangle – used to present information about a process Diamonds – represent questions or decision points |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Matrix | A matrix or chart is created with the table tool in word processors, in a spreadsheet, or with a graphic organizer application. They are excellent for comparing/contrasting information and for grouping information under key traits. A popular matrix in K-12 classes is the KWL Chart, where the K = what I Know; the W = What I Want to know or What I Wonder; L = what I Learned. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Series | Series or chain models show the steps, stages or sequence of events. They are different from the cycle model because they represent a linear rather than a cyclical process. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Spider | Spider maps are similar to the fishbone map in that they are developed around one key topic. The “legs” of the spider are used to describe attributes related to or different from the main idea. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Star | Star maps are similar to the spider map, but use a star shape as the key framework. They are organized around a key theme with multiple aspects that can be described. Stars can have multiple points and also with flower petals or other shapes as extensions. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Timeline | Graphic organizer software is an excellent tool for creating a timeline. Timelines are used to show key events over time. The timeline can be linear, curved, or embedded into a graphic image or photo. Timelines typically include a beginning and end point and indicators of events during that timeframe. Most timelines use labels to show the passage of time, such as days, years, minutes, or hours. Graphic images and descriptions are added to portray the “story” of the timeline. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Venn | Venn diagrams consist of two or more overlapping circles. Each circle represents a set, such as ideas, concepts, people, or things. The overlapping areas of the circles show commonalities or interrelationships between and among the representative sets in the circles. John Venn (1880), a mathematician from London, created the Venn diagram in the late 1800’s. |
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Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
| Type | Description/Purpose |
| Web or Cluster | Web or cluster designs are non-linear models used to portray various aspects of one or more central topics. They are often used to record student-brainstorming sessions. Cluster diagrams can also be used to depict a hierarchy and compare – contrast models. |
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Designing an Integrated Lesson Using Graphic Organizers
| ELEMENTARY | ||
| Standards | Example Problem Statement | Example Student Product |
| Language Arts/English | ||
| Curriculum Standard 3: Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. NETS-S: 1.a. Creativity and Innovation: Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. | When people read the same book, is their understanding of the story is the same? | Each student creates a concept map depicting the key events of a story and compares it with those created by other students. |
| Mathematics | ||
| Curriculum Standard: (Pre-K-2) Students connect number words and numerals to the quantities they represent, using various physical models and representations. NETS-S: 1.a. Creativity and Innovation: Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. | Today you are going on an animal safari to see if you can discover photos of animals that are in groups of two, three, four, five and six and a photo of just one animal. | Students create a graphic organizer that has clusters for the numbers 1 through 6. Each cluster will include the numeral, number word, and at least one animal photo representing the number. |
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Designing an Integrated Lesson Using Graphic Organizers
| ELEMENTARY | ||
| Standards | Example Problem Statement | Example Student Product |
| Science | ||
| Curriculum Standard: Elementary (K-4) Life Science: Organisms and environments NETS-S: 1.c. Creativity and Innovation: students use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. | In what ways do the feet of birds differ based on the environments in which they live? | Students create a concept map that shows through the use of photos and video, how bird feet are adapted to their environment. |
| Social Studies/History | ||
| Curriculum Standard 2A: The student examines local architecture and landscape to compare changes in function and appearance over time. NETS-S: 3.b. Research and Information Fluency: locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. | What is different about the buildings in our town center today as compared to the buildings that were there 100 years ago? | Students create a compare/contrast map that shows “Then” and “Now” photos of the bank, grocery store, post office, drug store, and doctor’s office with descriptions of what is different. |
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Designing an Integrated Lesson Using Graphic Organizers
| MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL | ||
| Standards | Example Problem Statement | Example Student Product |
| Language Arts/English | ||
| Curriculum Standard 9: Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. NETS-S: 1.c. Creativity and Innovation Students use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. | How does the structure of sentences differ across cultures? | Students create a concept map that depicts basic structure for a sentence written in English as compared to Spanish, French, German, and Greek. |
| Mathematics | ||
| Curriculum Standard: In grades 6–8 all students should– develop, analyze, and explain methods for solving problems involving proportions. NETS-S: 1.c. Creativity and Innovation: Students use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. | What decisions are made to solve a problem involving proportions? | Students create a decision tree that includes audio descriptions for each step required to solve a problem involving proportions. |
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Designing an Integrated Lesson Using Graphic Organizers
| MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL | ||
| Standards | Example Problem Statement | Example Student Product |
| Science | ||
| Curriculum Standard: Physical Science Standards (9-12) Chemical Reactions NETS-S: 4.d. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: students use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. | Create a map that shows the similarities and difference between an organic vs. an inorganic chemical reaction. | Students create a map that depicts an organic reaction and an inorganic reaction and shows how they are similar and how they are different. |
| Social Studies/History | ||
| Curriculum Standard: Era 2 Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763) – Standard 2:How political, religious, and social institutions emerged in the English colonies NETS-S: 1.a. Creativity and Innovation: Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. | How did the political structure of the English colonies change over time? | Students create a timeline with graphics, photos, and audio descriptions that depict the changes in the political structure of the English colonies between 1585 and 1763. |
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NTeQ Lesson Plan
The key components of the NTeQ model, as marked with a star in the figure that specifically a teacher needs to address when creating lesson plans that have students using graphic organizers as a learning tool.
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Closing Thoughts
- Provide an example of how student use of a graphic organizer can result in students going beyond memorization to deeper understanding and learning.
- Discuss how a student-generated graphic organizer can assist you in identifying student misconceptions of key content, concepts, and processes. Expand this to show how a student can also use graphic organizers to identify his or her misconceptions.
