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Graphic Organizers
What are Graphic Organizers ?
A graphic organizer is a visual communication tool that uses visual symbols to express ideas
and concepts, to convey meaning. A graphic organizer often depicts the relationships between
facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task. It is often referred to as a "map" because it can
help teachers and students "map out" their ideas in a visual manner. There are many similar
names for graphic organizers including: knowledge maps, concept maps, story maps, cognitive
organizers, advance organizers, or concept diagrams.
What is its purpose?
The main purpose of a graphic organizer is to provide a visual aid to facilitate learning and
instruction. Most graphic organizers form a powerful visual picture of information and allow the
mind 'to see' undiscovered patterns and relationships. Although they have been applied across
a range of curriculum subject areas, reading is by far the most well practiced application.
Science, social studies, language arts, and math are more recent areas in which graphic
organizers are being applied.
How do I do it?
In 1992, Jay McTighe in his book Graphic Organizers: Collaborative Links to Better Thinking
outlined three main ways teachers may use graphic organizers in their teaching and a number
of ways that students can use them to aid in the learning process.
 Before instruction, teachers may use a graphic organizer to attempt to provide structure
for the presentation of new material while indicating relations between ideas. Teachers
can elicit information from students by creating a graphic organizer on the blackboard to
get an accurate idea of students’ prior knowledge
 During instruction, graphic organizers can help students to actively isolate, process and
reorganize key information. This is because graphic organizers allow students to
approach subjects cognitively because they assist thinking. The student must take an
active role in learning while processing and reorganizing information. Modifying an
organized structure of information gives students an opportunity to learn from their own
mistakes. It also allows students to construct maps that are appropriate to their individual
learning styles.
 After instruction, students can construct their own organizers using the full text to isolate
and organize key concepts. This summarization technique is a tool to see if students can
interpret what was being taught and state it in concise, accurate terms. Post-instruction
graphic organizers also encourage elaboration. If a student can connect prior knowledge
with what was learned and identify relationships between those ideas, they are actively
learning.
When introducing students to a new graphic organizer, you should describe its purpose,
model its use, and provide students with opportunities for guided practice. Once
students become comfortable with using the organizer, more independent applications
are appropriate. In the end, you should encourage and assist students to create their
own organizers.
How can I adapt it?
Early Childhood Adaptations
 Teaching children about animals and helping them classify the animals
 Explaining the connections between characters in a story

Developing language skills by including pictures along with the words within the graphic
organizer to explain a certain concept
Elementary Adaptations
 Helping children remember or understand the specific parts of a story
 Using phonological awareness activities, teaching the children how and when to spell
the various /s/ sounds, for example.
 Helping children remember the provinces and capitals and where they are located in
Canada. For example – the Maritime Provinces, the Eastern Provinces, the Western
Provinces.
Middle Years Adaptations
 Illustrating Science concepts, such as how and when various types of clouds form
 Understanding history concepts, such as the key issues leading to the Civil War.
 Associating the instruments in an orchestra with the particular section that instrument
might be in. One section of the graphic organizer might be entitled “woodwind
instruments,” with the specific instruments noted.
Assessment and Evaluation Considerations
The way that you evaluate graphic organizers depends a great deal on the graphic organizer
being evaluated. A generic rubric for evaluating student and teacher made graphic organizers
might be a useful tool for evaluating the effectives of a specific graphic organizer type.
If you wish to evaluate the effect that using a specific graphic organizer had in students reaching
a learning goal or objective, then other assessment tools and techniques will be needed.
Teacher Resources
 Graphic Organizers (Grades K-8), Karen D’Angelo Bromley , Linda Irwin-Devitis , Marcia
Modlo, 01 January, 1999 ISBN: 0590489283
 Graphical Organizers as Thinking Technology - an article by James McKenzie
 Graphic Organizers from NCREL - gives specific examples of graphic organizers such
as K-W-L-H (Know, Want, Learn, How), Anticipation Reaction Guide, Spider Map, Series
of Events Chain, Continuum Scale, Compare/Contrast Matrix, Problem/Solution Outline,
Network Tree, Human Interaction Outline, Fishbone Map and Cycle.
 Graphic Organizer Printables from Teacher-Vision.com - These graphic organizers will
help you and your students organize ideas and concepts.
 Online Graphic Organizer Generators
 Various Graphic Organizers
 Graphic Organizers from Education Place - PDF's of many graphic organizers
 WriteDesign On-Line - Graphic Organizers - explains the five main types of organizers
with examples
 Learning Resources: Graphic Organizers
 ABC's of the Writing Process - Specific Graphic Organizers Links
 Graphic Organizers from Houghton Mifflin
 Graphic Organizers for Content Instruction - from ESL net
 Graphic Organizers from Scholastic.com
 Graphic Organizers from Enchanted Learning
 Free Graphic Organizers
o it?
y McTighe in his book Graphic Organizers: Collaborative Links to Better Thinking
ee main ways teachers may use graphic organizers in their teaching and a number
students can use them to aid in the learning process.
re instruction, teachers may use a graphic organizer to attempt to provide
cture for the presentation of new material while indicating relations between ideas.
chers can elicit information from students by creating a graphic organizer on the
kboard to get an accurate idea of students’ prior knowledge
ng instruction, graphic organizers can help students to actively isolate, process
reorganize key information. This is because graphic organizers allow students to
oach subjects cognitively because they assist thinking. The student must take an
e role in learning while processing and reorganizing information. Modifying an
nized structure of information gives students an opportunity to learn from their own
akes. It also allows students to construct maps that are appropriate to their
idual learning styles.
instruction, students can construct their own organizers using the full text to
te and organize key concepts. This summarization technique is a tool to see if
ents can interpret what was being taught and state it in concise, accurate terms.
-instruction graphic organizers also encourage elaboration. If a student can
nect prior knowledge with what was learned and identify relationships between
e ideas, they are actively learning.
n introducing students to a new graphic organizer, you should describe its
ose, model its use, and provide students with opportunities for guided practice.
e students become comfortable with using the organizer, more independent
cations are appropriate. In the end, you should encourage and assist students to
te their own organizers.
adapt it?
ood Adaptations
ching children about animals and helping them classify the animals
aining the connections between characters in a story
eloping language skills by including pictures along with the words within the
hic organizer to explain a certain concept
Adaptations
ing children remember or understand the specific parts of a story
g phonological awareness activities, teaching the children how and when to spell
various /s/ sounds, for example.
ing children remember the provinces and capitals and where they are located in
ada. For example – the Maritime Provinces, the Eastern Provinces, the Western
inces.
s Adaptations
rating Science concepts, such as how and when various types of clouds form
erstanding history concepts, such as the key issues leading to the Civil War.
ociating the instruments in an orchestra with the particular section that instrument
ht be in. One section of the graphic organizer might be entitled “woodwind
uments,” with the specific instruments noted.
nt and Evaluation Considerations
at you evaluate graphic organizers depends a great deal on the graphic organizer
ated. A generic rubric for evaluating student and teacher made graphic organizers
useful tool for evaluating the effectives of a specific graphic organizer type.
o evaluate the effect that using a specific graphic organizer had in students
earning goal or objective, then other assessment tools and techniques will be
sources
phic Organizers (Grades K-8), Karen D’Angelo Bromley , Linda Irwin-Devitis ,
cia Modlo, 01 January, 1999 ISBN: 0590489283
phical Organizers as Thinking Technology - an article by James McKenzie
phic Organizers from NCREL - gives specific examples of graphic organizers such
-W-L-H (Know, Want, Learn, How), Anticipation Reaction Guide, Spider Map,
es of Events Chain, Continuum Scale, Compare/Contrast Matrix, Problem/Solution
ne, Network Tree, Human Interaction Outline, Fishbone Map and Cycle.
phic Organizer Printables from Teacher-Vision.com - These graphic organizers will
you and your students organize ideas and concepts.
ne Graphic Organizer Generators
ous Graphic Organizers
phic Organizers from Education Place - PDF's of many graphic organizers
eDesign On-Line - Graphic Organizers - explains the five main types of organizers
examples
ning Resources: Graphic Organizers
's of the Writing Process - Specific Graphic Organizers Links
phic Organizers from Houghton Mifflin
phic Organizers for Content Instruction - from ESL net
phic Organizers from Scholastic.com
phic Organizers from Enchanted Learning
Graphic Organizers