Kapwing Resources

10 Free Graphic Organizer Templates for Any Subject

Different lessons require different types of content to help students learn. Here are 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject.

10 Free Graphic Organizer Templates for Any Subject

Most students are returning to the classroom in Fall 2021, but everyone’s learning methods have had to change over the past two years. It’s important to adapt as an educator with new techniques , digital materials, and fresh content to keep students engaged .

For any subject, graphic organizers provide effective ways to introduce, teach, develop, and test new material. But different lessons require different types of content to help students learn best. I’m going to give you 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject – just use the Make It button to customize, label, and download your graphic organizer.

  • Venn Diagram
  • Plot Pyramid
  • Brainstorm Chart
  • Concept Map
  • 5-Paragraph Essay Outline
  • 4 Square Writing Chart

1. Flowchart

An example flowchart template.

The Flowchart is one of the most versatile and recognizable forms of graphic organizer out there, ideal for project planning and science experiments. A goes to B goes to C goes to D . With this version, you can copy and paste sections of the chart to make it as long or as short as you need, label each section with specific details, and add a title and other information for your assignment.

2. Timeline

An example historical timeline template.

The Timeline is similar to the flowchart , with events spaced out along a single path . In a Timeline, however, the intervals between the events is important to the graphic organizer as a whole. Using this template, you can drag events from one point of the Timeline to another, and add text labels for years and events.

3. Venn Diagram

An example Venn Diagram Template.

One of the most widely-used graphic organizers, the Venn Diagram provides a simple way for students to compare and contrast 2 or more distinct ideas. With this template, you can copy and recolor the Venn Diagram circles to compare any number of items with each other.

4. Plot Pyramid

An example Plot Pyramid Template.

This graphic organizer is most commonly used in elementary and middle school English, language arts, and literature classes. It’s used to identify and map the various stages of a plot arc , from exposition to conclusion. Use this template to title the Plot Pyramid and add any other relevant information you need.

5. Brainstorm Chart

An example Brainstorm Chart template.

The Brainstorm Chart is a far more freeform type of graphic organizer than most others on this list, and can be arranged almost any way you like. All it requires is a central idea or “problem” to solve, along with an array of other ideas and concepts that are connected to it, and supporting details for these connected points. The freeform nature of the Brainstorm Chart allows students to think creatively and originally on any subject.

6. Concept Map

An example Concept Map Template.

The Concept Map is similar in form to the Brainstorm Chart, but with slightly more limitations on how it’s used. It’s used to illustrate the relationships that exist between various related concepts , filling in different sections of the organizer to show how the different parts are connected. The Concept Map is perfect for introducing students to a new set of related vocabulary terms in any subject.

7. 5-Paragraph Essay Outline

An example 5-Paragraph Essay Outline template.

While some of your students may not remember the 5-paragraph essay too fondly years later, it’s an important step in developing their persuasive writing . This classic 5-paragraph planner is perfect for helping students construct their arguments, counter-arguments, supporting data, and conclusions before they put pen to paper.

8. 4 Square Writing Chart

An example 4 Square Writing Chart template.

The 4 Square Writing Chart is similar to the 5-paragraph essay outline, it gives space for looser organizational styles and more creative types of writing structure . The central area contains the main idea or argument, and the surrounding squares are filled with supporting arguments, sections of a narrative essay, personal experiences, or several sides to the same story.

9. Story Map

An example Story Map Template.

The Story Map is used for a similar purpose to the Plot Pyramid, but with a broader approach to narrative plot arcs. In the Story Map, students not only recount the plot progression of a story, but detail the setting , characters , and central problems and outcomes . There are dozens of ways to organize your own Story Map, so I recommend you use this template to include whatever areas are most important for your students to identify and analyze.

10. KWL Chart

An example KWL Chart template.

KWL Charts ask students to write on three different things before and after completing a lesson, activity, or reading: what they Know already about the topic, what they Want to learn from the lesson, and, afterward, what they Learned from the experience. It creates more of a big-picture exercise than most of the graphic organizers on this list, allowing students to identify what they gain from their lessons.

I hope these graphic organizer templates help you engage students effectively in every subject you teach. For more tips and tutorials on creating great digital content in 2021, check out the Kapwing YouTube channel or read through some related articles on education materials:

• 10 Back to School Frames for Fall 2021 • The 4 Best Ways to Learn Video Editing Online • How to Add Subtitles to a Lecture Video • How to Make a Frayer Model Online

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Teachers in 2020

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Teachers in 2020

5 Perfect Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Chemistry Teachers

5 Perfect Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Chemistry Teachers

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Students

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Students

Kapwing Logo

Free Editable Graphic Organizer for Writing Examples

A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. It uses both text and graphics to make reading comprehension and creative writing more manageable.

1. What is a Graphic Organizer for Writing

A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. Graphic organizers help students to organize information and ideas to make them easy to understand and comprehend. Graphic organizers use both visuals and text to show relationships and connections between the flow of events, concepts, and facts. Graphic organizers have many benefits, for example

  • Graphic organizers for writing help visualize and present information and ideas by breaking down complex text and ideas into smaller chunks.
  • Opinion writing graphic organizers help students participate in the learning process through a better understanding of the text.
  • Develop cognitive skills required for creative writing and comprehension, including brainstorming, critical thinking, classification and prioritizing content, idea presentation and categorization, etc.
  • Help connect and make relationships between different aspects of information.
  • Graphic organizers for writing also develop skills for note-taking, listing down essential points, analyzing information, and picking up critical issues.

2. The Graphic Organizers for Writing Examples

The following list gives you ideas of different types of graphic organizers for writing and also for opinion writing graphic organizers. You can use them in suitable conditions according to your requirements.

Different graphic organizers can be used in various grade levels depending on students' skill levels and the course requirements. These organizers are suitable for book clubs and personal reading and writing endeavors too. Let's have a look at the examples for a better understanding.

Example 1: Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

Opinion writing graphic organizer and planner is a powerful tool for opinion writing. It has the topic and both the favorable opinion and also the opposing opinion. Now, the students need to ponder on both opinions and provide reasons along with supporting information. In the end, they describe their opinion and evidence in more detail and propose an action course. It is a comprehensive document that enables the kids to think on both sides of opinion and understand the underlying reasoning without bias.

Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 2: Persuasive Writing Graphic Organizer

This opinion writing graphic organizer is also a comprehensive and detailed document that uses colors and graphics to add attraction for kids. It is a perfect template for kids to analyze a topic and present their thoughts in a precise yet well-supported manner. The organizer needs students to fill in their opinion and topic sentences supported by three persuasive details. This organizer is based on the divide and conquer strategy. The enormous task of persuasive writing is broken down into small manageable pieces.

Persuasive Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 3: Writing a Paragraph Graphic Organizer

This PowerPoint template is a compact graphic organizer for writing. It is more suitable for young students who are just starting their writing journey. It is based on the topic of holidays. It gives four pointers to the writer to generate and present their ideas for writing. The pointers are; who do I go with? Why do I like holidays? Where should I go? And What do I like to do?

The lower part is for writing the paragraph. Once the students answer all these questions, they can develop a well-structured piece of writing.

Writing a Paragraph Graphic Organizer

Example 4: Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer

A hamburger writing graphic organizer is a visual tool for the organization of ideas while writing a creative piece. It has a place for the title of the writing, and later the rest of the blocks can be used for describing different ideas related to the topic. Small and separate blocks allow better organization of information and may result in a more defined structure. It can also be used to supplement reading exercises when the reading material is long and needs more than one session. Each block can be used in one session, and at the end of the activity, the complete structure is formed. This way, students can connect their new knowledge with the previously acquired knowledge.

Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 5: Informative Writing Graphic Organizer

This informative writing graphic organizer supports the students in structuring their creative writing through guidelines. It divides the complete body of the topic into three main parts. '

  • Introduce the topic

Here, the student will introduce the main topic. The instructions are about grabbing the audience's attention through an interesting fact, question, or a quote.

  • Develop the topic

This is the most detailed part of creative writing. The students will develop facts to support the main idea. Initially, the writer may even list the supporting vocabulary terms and definitions.

  • Write a conclusion

Last but not least, the conclusion must contain the gist of the whole write-up in a precise and focused manner.

Informative Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 6: Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer

The first paragraph of this Argumentative writing organizer contains a brief explanation of your topic and some background information. The second part is about the reasons and supporting details. With each reason, you will provide evidence to support the claims. The exciting part is to give counterclaims and provide facts or examples to refute them. The template ends with the conclusion, where you will also call for action. This is a template of an opinion writing graphic organizer.

Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer

Source: EdrawMax Online

Example 7: Details Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer

This is a graphic organizer for writing that is more suitable for the younger lot. It asks some questions related to the topic of writing exercises. The students will answer these questions to help them brainstorm and connect their information pieces, which can later be used for creative writing. The first part is about visualizing, and the following questions are who? Why? What? Feelings? Where? When? And finally, they will discuss more details.

Pre Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 8: Graphic Organizer for Writing an Essay

This graphic organizer is a very detailed essay writing aide. It consists of eight pages, with each page in a particular format. The main parts of the organizer presented in rainbow colors are

  • Topic and planning
  • Introduction
  • Main ideas 1, 2, 3
  • Final Draft

Graphic Organizer for Writing an Essay

Example 9: Writing Process Graphic Organizer

The writing process graphic organizer concisely summarized the complete writing and reading process very effectively on one screen. According to this organizer, there are three stages of the reading process, i.e., preactive, interactive, and reactive. Writing exercise has five steps, i.e., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Further details of all stages are also included in the organizer.

Writing Process Graphic Organizer

Example 10: Oreo Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

This graphic organizer for writing uses a very interesting acronym for students. It says the OREO acronym can be used for writing opinion pieces.

  • O : Opinion about a topic
  • R : Reason supporting the opinion
  • E : Example supporting the opinion
  • O : opinion restatement in conclusion.

Oreo Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 11: Writing A Summary Graphic Organizer

This graphic organizer for writing is specifically for summary writing. Students sometimes face difficulty when they cannot provide a complete summary because of the length of the text and either miss essential points or make it too long. This organizer helps them organize their thoughts and focus on the most critical details coherently.

Writing A Summary Graphic Organizer

Example 12: Graphic Organizer for Expository Writing

The graphic organizer for expository writing includes the topic in the center, and the write-up is divided into sub-topics resulting in separate paragraphs. The purpose of an expository essay is to present a balanced, objective description of a topic without proving a point or personal opinion. It allows for a clear and logical explanation of complex information.

Graphic Organizer for Expository Writing

Example 13: Graphic Organizer for Nonfiction Writing

This graphic organizer for nonfiction writing guides the students through the process by helping them to write the main idea first, followed by three key details. This is like a part of the planning process. The last feature allows students to take the critical information one by one and then develop a comprehensive piece of writing.

Graphic Organizer for Nonfiction Writing

Example 14: Letter Writing Graphic Organizer

In the world of SMS and WhatsApp, this letter-writing graphic organizer teaches the classical skill of writing letters. It is divided into main parts of the letter so that students know where they need to put what details. The use of graphics makes it attractive.

Letter Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 15: Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer

One of the narrative writing graphic organizers is like this. It has a format that is similar to a flowchart. The first box is the title box. After it, there is the box for the settings or characters of the story. The next box consists of the problem of the story. Then, there is the space for writing feelings which the reader gets after reading the story. After the feelings box, there are three subsections that illustrate the story into three events. The last box is for writing the resolution or ending of the story. This graphic organizer will enhance the thinking and writing skills of the students. They will be able to understand the stories easily and can analyze them on their own.

Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer

Example 16: Story Writing Graphic Organizer

The starting includes the beginning of the story that is the characters and setting of the story. Then three boxes represent three events that happened in the story. The specific details for each event will be written under each of the respective boxes. The first event will tell what happened at the beginning of the story. The subsequent events will be in the second box. The third box will describe the final events of the story. At last, there is one box for writing the end of the story, what happened as a result.

Story Writing Graphic Organizer

3. Online Graphic Organizer for Writing Maker

Making graphic organizers in word processing and presentation software has been a norm for a long time. Fortunately, we have access to dedicated drawing tools available online for creating different types of graphic organizers quickly and more efficiently. One such example is EdrawMax Online that can be used online, and its downloadable version is also available. You can use it for graphic organizers for writing along with 280+ different types of other drawings. The cherry on top is their vast library of templates available at templates gallery . You can use the templates right away and can also customize them according to your requirements.

EdrawMax Online

4. Key Takeaways

Learning should not be a stressful practice for both the students and teachers. Using tools in the classes such as graphic organizers for writing allow both the stakeholders to focus on the positive outcomes and the learning journey rather than the logistics of carrying out the lesson. Using an online drawing tool makes the process even more accessible and saves a lot of time and effort. You can find out more graphic organizer examples in the Template Gallery.

Related Articles

download EdrawMax

  • CORE CURRICULUM
  • LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Literature, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Literature, 6-12" aria-label="Into Literature, 6-12"> Into Literature, 6-12
  • LITERACY > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Reading, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Reading, K-6" aria-label="Into Reading, K-6"> Into Reading, K-6
  • INTERVENTION
  • LITERACY > INTERVENTION > English 3D, 4-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English 3D, 4-12" aria-label="English 3D, 4-12"> English 3D, 4-12
  • LITERACY > INTERVENTION > Read 180, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Read 180, 3-12" aria-label="Read 180, 3-12"> Read 180, 3-12
  • LITERACY > READERS > Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4" aria-label="Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4"> Hero Academy Leveled Libraries, PreK-4
  • LITERACY > READERS > HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5" aria-label="HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5"> HMH Reads Digital Library, K-5
  • LITERACY > READERS > inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5"> inFact Leveled Libraries, K-5
  • LITERACY > READERS > Rigby PM, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Rigby PM, K-5" aria-label="Rigby PM, K-5"> Rigby PM, K-5
  • LITERACY > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
  • SUPPLEMENTAL
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12" aria-label="A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12"> A Chance in the World SEL, 8-12
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Amira Learning, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Amira Learning, K-6" aria-label="Amira Learning, K-6"> Amira Learning, K-6
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > JillE Literacy, K-3" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="JillE Literacy, K-3" aria-label="JillE Literacy, K-3"> JillE Literacy, K-3
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > Writable, 3-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable, 3-12" aria-label="Writable, 3-12"> Writable, 3-12
  • LITERACY > SUPPLEMENTAL > ASSESSMENT" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ASSESSMENT" aria-label="ASSESSMENT"> ASSESSMENT
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8" aria-label="Arriba las Matematicas, K-8"> Arriba las Matematicas, K-8
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Go Math!, K-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Go Math!, K-6" aria-label="Go Math!, K-6"> Go Math!, K-6
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12" aria-label="Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12"> Into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 8-12
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Math, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Math, K-8" aria-label="Into Math, K-8"> Into Math, K-8
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math Expressions, PreK-6" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math Expressions, PreK-6" aria-label="Math Expressions, PreK-6"> Math Expressions, PreK-6
  • MATH > CORE CURRICULUM > Math in Focus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math in Focus, K-8" aria-label="Math in Focus, K-8"> Math in Focus, K-8
  • MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Classcraft, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classcraft, K-8" aria-label="Classcraft, K-8"> Classcraft, K-8
  • MATH > SUPPLEMENTAL > Waggle, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Waggle, K-8" aria-label="Waggle, K-8"> Waggle, K-8
  • MATH > INTERVENTION > Math 180, 5-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Math 180, 5-12" aria-label="Math 180, 5-12"> Math 180, 5-12
  • SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Science, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, K-5" aria-label="Into Science, K-5"> Into Science, K-5
  • SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Into Science, 6-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Into Science, 6-8" aria-label="Into Science, 6-8"> Into Science, 6-8
  • SCIENCE > CORE CURRICULUM > Science Dimensions, K-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science Dimensions, K-12" aria-label="Science Dimensions, K-12"> Science Dimensions, K-12
  • SCIENCE > READERS > inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="inFact Leveled Readers, K-5"> inFact Leveled Readers, K-5
  • SCIENCE > READERS > Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5" aria-label="Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5"> Science & Engineering Leveled Readers, K-5
  • SCIENCE > READERS > ScienceSaurus, K-8" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="ScienceSaurus, K-8" aria-label="ScienceSaurus, K-8"> ScienceSaurus, K-8
  • SOCIAL STUDIES > CORE CURRICULUM > HMH Social Studies, 6-12" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="HMH Social Studies, 6-12" aria-label="HMH Social Studies, 6-12"> HMH Social Studies, 6-12
  • SOCIAL STUDIES > SUPPLEMENTAL > Writable" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Writable" aria-label="Writable"> Writable
  • For Teachers
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Coachly" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Coachly" aria-label="Coachly"> Coachly
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Teacher's Corner" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Teacher's Corner" aria-label="Teacher's Corner"> Teacher's Corner
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Teachers > Live Online Courses" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Live Online Courses" aria-label="Live Online Courses"> Live Online Courses
  • For Leaders
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT > For Leaders > The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> The Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
  • MORE > undefined > Assessment" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Assessment" aria-label="Assessment"> Assessment
  • MORE > undefined > Early Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Early Learning" aria-label="Early Learning"> Early Learning
  • MORE > undefined > English Language Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="English Language Development" aria-label="English Language Development"> English Language Development
  • MORE > undefined > Homeschool" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Homeschool" aria-label="Homeschool"> Homeschool
  • MORE > undefined > Intervention" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Intervention" aria-label="Intervention"> Intervention
  • MORE > undefined > Literacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Literacy" aria-label="Literacy"> Literacy
  • MORE > undefined > Mathematics" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Mathematics" aria-label="Mathematics"> Mathematics
  • MORE > undefined > Professional Development" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Professional Development" aria-label="Professional Development"> Professional Development
  • MORE > undefined > Science" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Science" aria-label="Science"> Science
  • MORE > undefined > undefined" data-element-type="header nav submenu">
  • MORE > undefined > Social and Emotional Learning" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social and Emotional Learning" aria-label="Social and Emotional Learning"> Social and Emotional Learning
  • MORE > undefined > Social Studies" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Studies" aria-label="Social Studies"> Social Studies
  • MORE > undefined > Special Education" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Special Education" aria-label="Special Education"> Special Education
  • MORE > undefined > Summer School" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Summer School" aria-label="Summer School"> Summer School
  • BROWSE RESOURCES
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Classroom Activities" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Classroom Activities" aria-label="Classroom Activities"> Classroom Activities
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Customer Success Stories" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Success Stories" aria-label="Customer Success Stories"> Customer Success Stories
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Digital Samples" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Digital Samples" aria-label="Digital Samples"> Digital Samples
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Events" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Events" aria-label="Events"> Events
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Grants & Funding" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Grants & Funding" aria-label="Grants & Funding"> Grants & Funding
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > International" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="International" aria-label="International"> International
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Research Library" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Research Library" aria-label="Research Library"> Research Library
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Shaped - HMH Blog" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Shaped - HMH Blog" aria-label="Shaped - HMH Blog"> Shaped - HMH Blog
  • BROWSE RESOURCES > Webinars" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Webinars" aria-label="Webinars"> Webinars
  • CUSTOMER SUPPORT
  • CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Contact Sales" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Contact Sales" aria-label="Contact Sales"> Contact Sales
  • CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal" aria-label="Customer Service & Technical Support Portal"> Customer Service & Technical Support Portal
  • CUSTOMER SUPPORT > Platform Login" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Platform Login" aria-label="Platform Login"> Platform Login
  • Learn about us
  • Learn about us > About" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="About" aria-label="About"> About
  • Learn about us > Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" aria-label="Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion"> Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Learn about us > Environmental, Social, and Governance" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Environmental, Social, and Governance" aria-label="Environmental, Social, and Governance"> Environmental, Social, and Governance
  • Learn about us > News Announcements" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="News Announcements" aria-label="News Announcements"> News Announcements
  • Learn about us > Our Legacy" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Our Legacy" aria-label="Our Legacy"> Our Legacy
  • Learn about us > Social Responsibility" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Social Responsibility" aria-label="Social Responsibility"> Social Responsibility
  • Learn about us > Supplier Diversity" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Supplier Diversity" aria-label="Supplier Diversity"> Supplier Diversity
  • Join Us > Careers" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Careers" aria-label="Careers"> Careers
  • Join Us > Educator Input Panel" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Educator Input Panel" aria-label="Educator Input Panel"> Educator Input Panel
  • Join Us > Suppliers and Vendors" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Suppliers and Vendors" aria-label="Suppliers and Vendors"> Suppliers and Vendors
  • Divisions > Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)" aria-label="Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)"> Center for Model Schools (formerly ICLE)
  • Divisions > Heinemann" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="Heinemann" aria-label="Heinemann"> Heinemann
  • Divisions > NWEA" data-element-type="header nav submenu" title="NWEA" aria-label="NWEA"> NWEA
  • Platform Login

SOCIAL STUDIES

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Activities & Lessons

Free Graphic Organizer Templates

Jfheadshot

Help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively with these free graphic organizer templates, available for download. They can be used to structure writing projects and help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming.

Printable Graphic Organizers

Select a blank graphic organizer from the following categories depending on your curriculum needs.

Sequence of Events

  • Step-by-Step Chart
  • Sequence Chart
  • Time-Order Chart

Main Topic and Key Details

  • Garden Gate
  • Describing Wheel
  • Cluster/Word Web 1
  • Cluster/Word Web 2
  • Cluster/Word Web 3
  • Ticktacktoe
  • Four-Column Chart
  • Inverted Triangle
  • Persuasion Map
  • Ice Cream Cone

Compare/Contrast

  • Venn Diagram

essay writing graphic organizers free

Story Planning

  • Story Map 1
  • Story Map 2
  • Story Map 3
  • Planning Chart

Other Graphic Organizers

  • Sense Chart
  • Problem/Solution Chart
  • ISP Chart (Information, Sources, Page)
  • Fact and Opinion
  • Five W's Chart
  • Goal-Reasons Web
  • Observation Chart

Offer a balanced approach to literacy instruction and build a culture of growth with HMH Into Reading .

Fourth-grade teacher Toney Jackson differentiates instruction with rhymes and raps on Teachers in America.

  • Activities & Lessons

Related Reading

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week hero

2024 Happy Teacher Appreciation Week Ideas

Brenda Iasevoli Shaped Executive Editor

March 20, 2024

Summer learning activities for elementary and middle school students

15 Fun Summer School Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

March 18, 2024

Mothers Day Hero

13 Mother’s Day Celebration Ideas in School

Marcela Grillo Writer, Girls Write Now

March 12, 2024

graphic organizers for writing

How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

Lucid Content

Reading time: about 6 min

If you’re a student, there’s no way around the inevitable: You’re going to have to write essays. Lots of essays. In fact, the five-paragraph essay is so fundamental to the high school curriculum that it’s still used on the ACTs, and knowing how to recognize the organizational structure of essays will help you score higher on the SATs.

Even though it seems like a chore, knowing how to organize and write an essay can have a lasting effect on your life, from getting into a better college to scoring a better job to performing better in that job long after your high school days are over.

Here’s a secret: Using graphic organizers for writing essays can help you write better essays faster. (And don’t count yourself out if you’re an educator—you can offer these tools to help your students succeed.) We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why use graphic organizers

When ACT graders or teachers are looking your essay, they’re looking for very specific criteria; essentially, they’re looking at how well you’ve organized your thoughts. Many students don’t take the time to outline their essay structure before writing, and that always means a lower score on a test and a lower grade on the essay in class.

Using a writing template can feel like an unnecessary step in an already complicated process. If you need extra motivation to implement these organizers into your writing routine, consider all of their benefits. Graphic organizers can help you:

  • Save time by showing you where each piece of the essay “lives.”
  • Have more productive brainstorming sessions, either by yourself or with a group.
  • Make connections between ideas and create a more cohesive argument.
  • Pinpoint holes in your arguments and either adjust the thesis or find supporting statements.
  • Keep track of your research.
  • Organize your thoughts and come to interesting, more compelling conclusions.
  • Stay in the right direction when you feel lost in a sea of words.
  • Manage anxiety by converting the fear of a blank assignment into an action plan with a clear map.

With all those benefits, it’s hard to ignore how useful and vital graphic organizers are to writing. And once you’ve become adept at organizing your thoughts for something like a school essay, you’ll find that skill carries with you throughout your life, whether you’re trying to become a more intelligent debater to negotiate prices. It goes beyond just the essay to becoming a better thinker. And it starts with a simple template.

We’ll walk you through several use cases for graphic organizers and provide templates for you to download and fill in when you’re ready to write.

Brainstorming graphic organizers

Brainstorming is important, not only to come up with ideas for topics but to determine what information you need to include in the essay once you’ve determined your topic. Though many think of brainstorming as just freeflow thinking, brainstorming is most productive when you work within specific parameters.

That’s why essay brainstorming graphic organizers are useful, whether you’re using one to brainstorm on your own or you’re working with a group.

In Lucidchart, our mind map shapes and templates double as brainstorming graphic organizers. Start with an essay prompt as your central shape and then fill in the shapes that branch off your prompt with topic ideas. Alternatively, you can add your selected topic to the center and start brainstorming the different ideas you need to cover in your paper.

When the template is filled in, you’ll have a clear starting point for your essay or research paper.

Research paper graphic organizers

Nothing paralyzes students with fear quite like a research paper. These long-form papers require—as the name implies—quite a bit of research, and their purpose is to teach students how to look for valid sources to support their arguments.

But keeping track of all those sources and tying them into your argument can be tricky. That’s where a research paper graphic organizer can be a student’s greatest ally.

research paper graphic organizer

This template lays out the writing process itself. After you come up with a general topic, like “the disappearance of honey bees,” fill in the “Research Paper Topic” box.

Then, start looking for reputable sources (Wikipedia doesn’t count) and use the five sources boxes to hold the most relevant quotes and statistics you find. Using those quotes and statistics, you can then fill out a thesis statement that is supported by the research.

Then, you’ll be able to focus your paragraphs on a single topic each that supports the thesis statement and your overarching argument. After you’ve filled out the template, the backbone of the research paper is complete: All that’s left to do is fill in the spaces between sources and arguments.

5-paragraph essay graphic organizer

When it comes to writing the five-paragraph essay, writing diagrams are key. By using graphic organizers for writing, you’re no longer staring at a giant blank piece of paper with no idea how or where to begin. Your graphic organizer is your map.

Although using writing diagrams may seem time-consuming, the fact is that taking the time to fill a graphic organizer in before writing actually saves time. If there’s a problem with the argument, it will show up on the diagram, or if there’s not enough evidence to support your argument, you’ll know before you’ve wasted time writing the paper. And, as we said before, even if your writing is terrible, if your argument is sound, you’ll still score a decent grade.

Try this 5-paragraph essay template to get you started.

essay planning and writing

Don’t feel pressured to come up with a compelling title right away. Instead, it’s more important that you come up with a thesis statement that can be supported by three solid arguments. Fill in that thesis statement and your arguments. Then, for each argument, figure out three supporting details to support your case.

That’s it! You’ve got the most essential parts of your 5-paragraph essay completed.

Now, come up with an introduction that sets the stage for your argument and a conclusion that wraps up and restates your thesis and supporting arguments in a compelling way. Now you have a solid plan for your paper and can approach it with confidence.

If you’d like a more linear graphic that exactly follows the structure of the 5-paragraph, use the writing template below and follow the same process.

essay sequence plan

Visuals, such as graphic organizers for writing, can help you better understand concepts, think creatively, and collaborate with your classmates—and there are plenty of other templates where these came from.

Lucidchart offers hundreds of templates to help you through your studies, including timelines, Venn diagrams, word maps, and more. Sign up for Lucidchart and upgrade to an Educational account for free.

Resources for teachers

Providing graphic resources to students is essential; after all, many of your students will be visual learners, so while you may beautifully explain how the process works, there will be some who won’t understand until they see a template of the essay itself.

Lucidchart has many resources for teachers, from lesson plans to writing templates. While you’re teaching your students how to write essays or research papers, it’s useful to print out the templates and fill them out together (even using a completed template as a separate assignment with a separate grade) so that your students can get a feel for properly filling out graphic organizers before attempting it on their own.

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

Related articles

essay writing graphic organizers free

Check out how Annika, a recent English graduate of the University of Michigan, used mind mapping in Lucidchart to develop her honors thesis.

Bring your bright ideas to life.

or continue with

Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and Research

hero-img

Ask any student – essay writing is one of the most despised tasks of their educational career. Perhaps there is so much displeasure associated with the task because it’s perceived as too linear – there isn’t enough visual and creative appeal. But if you use graphic organizer for writing essays then you can make writing enjoyable – or at least less terrible.

Not only enjoyable but graphic organizers (or diagrams) can make the writing process a snap. They’ll help you think outside the box, draw conclusions you wouldn’t normally observe, and make the entire process faster and more efficient.

Why Use Graphic Organizers for Writing

The phrase “graphic organizer” is just a fancy way of saying “diagram” or “visual aid.” Basically, they are a visual representation of the information you’ve acquired in the research process. There are quite a few reasons why you should use them when writing essays or summaries.

  • Helps you visualize your research and how elements connect with each other
  • Enhance your essays, summaries and research papers with visual elements
  • Track correlations between your thoughts, observations, facts or general ideas

When it comes to essay writing, the most common graphic organizers are webs, mind maps, and concept maps .

Using Webs for Brainstorming

Webbing is a great way to see how various topics are interrelated. This graphic organizer is particularly useful during the brainstorming step of the writing process.

A web can sometimes get a bit messy. Usually, there are lots of arrows to connect overlapping ideas. However, even with lines crisscrossing every which way, it is still a great way to visualize your thoughts. If you’re using an online diagramming software like Creately you can overcome some of this because we automatically arrange the object for you.

Once you’ve created a map to document all your ideas and establish connections, you can easily transition to other forms of diagramming to better organize the information.

For example if you’re writing a research paper about the food web of the Australian bushes you can start creating a food web diagram similar to the one below. This way you can easily visualize the web while writing the paper. This is a simple example but graphic organizers become even more important when the subject gets complex.

Food Web - Graphic Organizers for Writing

Although simple this example shows the importance of using graphic organizers for writing summaries. A comprehensive diagram pretty much does the summation for you.

Using Mind Maps as Graphic Organizers

Mind maps are a great way to depict a hierarchy. What is hierarchical organization ? The concept is simple: a singular topic dominates with each subsequent idea decreasing in importance.

Usually, the mind map starts with the thesis (or main idea) at the center.  From there, you can branch out with your supporting evidence.

Use this process to replace your traditional note taking technique – note cards, outlines, whatever. You’ll quickly realize a mind map is a great way to formulate the structure of your essay. The thing to note here is that the nature of the mind maps force you think about sub topics and how to organize your ideas. And once the ideas are organized writing the essay become very easy.

A mind map is a useful graphic organizer for writing - Graphic Organizers for Writing

Above is a mind map of a research proposal. Click on it to see the full image or you can see the fully editable template via this link . As you can see in this mind map the difference areas of the research proposal is highlighted. Similarly when your writing the research paper you can use a mind map to break it down to sub topics. We have more mind map templates for you to get started.

Concept Maps

A concept map will help you visualize the connection between ideas. You can easily see cause and effect – how one concept leads to another. Often times, concept mapping includes the use of short words or phrases to depict the budding relationship between these concepts.

If you look closely you can see that its very similar to a mind map. But a concept maps gives more of a free reign compares to the rigid topic structure of a mind map. I’d say it’s the perfect graphic organizer for writing research papers where you have the license to explore.

By creating a concept map , you can also see how a broad subject can be narrowed down into specific ideas.  This is a great way to counter writers block.  Often, we look at the big picture and fail to see the specifics that lead to it.  Identifying contributing factors and supporting evidence is difficult. But with a concept map, you can easily see how the smaller parts add up to the whole.

Concept map as a graphic organizer - Graphic Organizers for Writing

Why Bother With Graphic Organizers?

If you already detest the writing process, adding another step might seem insane. However, there really are several advantages of using them.  If you haven’t already accepted the benefits of each individual diagram style, here are some more perks of graphic organizers in general:

  • Quality essays are based on detail. No one is going to accept your opinions and reasoning just because you say so. You’ll need proof. And organizing that proof will require attention to detail. Graphic organizers can help you see that detail and how it contributes to the overall concept.
  • Graphic organizers are flexible. You don’t need one of those giant pink erasers. You don’t need to restructure your outline. All you have to do is draw a few arrows and bam – the relationship has totally changed.
  • No matter what you are writing about, a graphic organizer can help. They can be used to structure an essay on the Great Wall, theoretical physics, or Spanish speaking countries.
  • If you write an outline, can you easily see how point A influences point X? Probably not. But if little thought bubble A is sitting out there all by itself, you can visualize the way it ties into point R, T and X.
  • Some of us find it difficult to put our opinions, thoughts, and ideas into writing. However, communicating our feelings with little doodles and sketches is far less threatening.
  • As a writer, our brain often feels like a 2-year-old’s toy box – a big jumbled mess. Taking that mess and putting it onto paper with some semblance of organization is challenging. Rather than trying to take your thoughts from total chaos to a perfectly structured list, just try to get them out of your brain and onto paper in the form of a diagram.
  • A graphic organizer helps you establish validity and relevance. You can easily nix the ideas that don’t support or enhance your thesis.

The next time you are faced with a writing project, take a few minutes to explore the efficiency of graphic organizers. You can find a wealth of templates here.

Have you ever used a graphic organizer to structure an essay? How did it go? Do you have a diagram suggestion for the writing process that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know!

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

More Related Articles

The Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

These are awesome guest posts contributed by our users and technology enthusiasts. Do you have something interesting to share? Want to get exposed to a massive tech audience? Check out our Guest Posting Guidelines to how to proceed.

Persuasion Map

Persuasion Map

About this printout

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Examples of persuasion surround our lives, and the ability to persuade others is a powerful asset. We can persuade people to act in our favor, help them to see our point of view, and sway their opinion to that of our own. The power of persuasion is far reaching, and it is a technique that students will use throughout their lives. This tool helps students formulate ideas for a persuasive argument by helping them determine their goal or thesis, identify three reasons to support it (with three facts or examples to support each reason), and restate the thesis in a conclusion statement. Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, “Sixth Grade is the Best Grade” or “Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer”). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process  aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students’ completed maps prior to having them continue with the persuasion assignment. This will provide you with an opportunity to check students’ understanding of persuasion and help those who need extra instruction.

  • Have students analyze a persuasive piece (for example, an advertisement or editorial in a newspaper or magazine) by filling in the map and discussing the authors’ strategies of persuasion.
  • Encourage older students to create propaganda-based assignments by having them incorporate deceptive language in some of the “reasons” or “examples” on their maps. (Propaganda is a form of persuasion that uses deceptive language to exaggerate, distort, or conceal information.) Upon completion, have students read their maps orally and/or display them for their peers. Have students identify the deceptive language in their peers’ maps to create a class list of the examples used. As an additional follow-up, students can view and read advertisements, newspaper editorials, and other text that contain propaganda to search for use of the examples on the class list and to add additional ones.
  • Have students complete two maps based on the same goal but with two different targeted audiences in mind. Attention to audience is an essential element of effective persuasion. For example, students might create maps to market a particular children’s toy; one map could target children as the audience, and the other could focus on parents as the audience. After they have completed their maps, have students read them to the class without identifying the intended audience. Ask the rest of the class to determine the intended audience and identify the specific clues that prompted their deductions. Finally, as a class, compare and contrast the language and words used for each intended audience.
  • Lesson Plans
  • Student Interactives
  • Strategy Guides

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

  • Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

  • Kindergarten K

This Reading Mama

Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer {FREE}

By thisreadingmama 1 Comment

As a private reading tutor, one of the things I noticed was that while many of my upper grade students could comprehend fiction texts well, nonfiction was more difficult. Some of this had to do with the lack of exposure to nonfiction, but the majority of the problem came from the way that nonficiton text is organized .

I created a little graphic organizer called Cookie Comprehension to do some basic introductions in the organization of nonfiction paragraphs. These past couple of weeks, ALuv {3rd grade} has been using it to learn about the typical format associated with descriptive writing.

Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer {FREE} - This Reading Mama

*This post contains affiliate links.

Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer

This past August, I was pleased when WriteShop asked if I’d use their curriculum with my 3rd grader. We have LOVED it. It is SO flexible and allows me to teach writing as a craft, which is priceless to me.

One of the genres that we have explored is descriptive writing. I was going through my old tutoring files and came across Cookie Comprehension and was so excited to see how well it fit in with our descriptive writing unit. So, I tweaked it a bit, added a few extra pages, and created a Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer Pack {free download at the end.}

The first thing I did was introduce descriptive writing using the Cookie Comprehension & Composition graphic organizer. I highlighted the important parts so he could clearly see the format of a descriptive paragraph. {Side note: I was careful to say that not all descriptive writing is organized this nicely in a package. But as with teaching any new concept, it’s good to start at a concrete level with simple examples.}

Descriptive Writing Together

Then, following WriteShop’s advice, we picked an object that he could see, touch, feel, etc. and wrote about the object together. Having something that kids can actually touch and see makes it easier for kids to describe.

writing about our gingerbread house together

He picked our gingerbread house. We reviewed the cookie format while writing (opening sentence,supporting details, and closing sentence). While I did all the writing, he helped give me ideas for our descriptive writing.

Independent Writing Time

The next day, he did his own descriptive writing. I let him draw a picture of the object first, as he’s my little artist {he makes all the clip art for our K-2nd Poetry Packs.} Then, he used the template seen below to write his paragraph.

Cookie Composition - descriptive writing template

Do you have to use the template with your child? Absolutely not. Feel free to use any kind of paper your child needs to do his/her writing.

Are we finished with descriptive writing? Nope! There is more practice to be had and extensions to learning about descriptive writing. I have a fun idea up my sleeve for him using our Photo Stacking Blocks and am excited to share it soon.

Download our Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer Pack HERE .

More writing activities for elementary kids.

  • Adding Adjectives to Your Writing
  • Simple Writing Lessons {12 weeks of writing lesson ideas for K-2nd grades}
  • Writing Simple Sentences & Writing Silly Sentences
  • Writing Longer Sentences
  • How to Write a Friendly Letter

Enjoy! ~Becky

Want MORE Free Teaching Resources?

Join thousands of other subscribers to get hands-on activities and printables delivered right to your inbox!

' src=

December 15, 2014 at 1:36 pm

Non-fiction is hard for many kids, and that is mainly what they are tested on. Thanks for the great resource

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Super Teacher Worksheets

Addition (Basic)

Addition (Multi-Digit)

Algebra & Pre-Algebra

Comparing Numbers

Daily Math Review

Division (Basic)

Division (Long Division)

Hundreds Charts

Measurement

Multiplication (Basic)

Multiplication (Multi-Digit)

Order of Operations

Place Value

Probability

Skip Counting

Subtraction

Telling Time

Word Problems (Daily)

More Math Worksheets

Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension Gr. 1

Reading Comprehension Gr. 2

Reading Comprehension Gr. 3

Reading Comprehension Gr. 4

Reading Comprehension Gr. 5

Reading Comprehension Gr. 6

Reading & Writing

Reading Worksheets

Cause & Effect

Fact & Opinion

Fix the Sentences

Graphic Organizers

Synonyms & Antonyms

Writing Prompts

Writing Story Pictures

Writing Worksheets

More ELA Worksheets

Consonant Sounds

Vowel Sounds

Consonant Blends

Consonant Digraphs

Word Families

More Phonics Worksheets

Early Literacy

Build Sentences

Sight Word Units

Sight Words (Individual)

More Early Literacy

Punctuation

Subjects and Predicates

More Grammar Worksheets

Spelling Lists

Spelling Grade 1

Spelling Grade 2

Spelling Grade 3

Spelling Grade 4

Spelling Grade 5

Spelling Grade 6

More Spelling Worksheets

Chapter Books

Charlotte's Web

Magic Tree House #1

Boxcar Children

More Literacy Units

Animal (Vertebrate) Groups

Butterfly Life Cycle

Electricity

Matter (Solid, Liquid, Gas)

Simple Machines

Space - Solar System

More Science Worksheets

Social Studies

Maps (Geography)

Maps (Map Skills)

More Social Studies

St. Patrick's Day

More Holiday Worksheets

Puzzles & Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers

Logic:  Addition Squares

Mystery Graph Pictures

Number Detective

Lost in the USA

More Thinking Puzzles

Teacher Helpers

Teaching Tools

Award Certificates

More Teacher Helpers

Pre-K and Kindergarten

Alphabet (ABCs)

Numbers and Counting

Shapes (Basic)

More Kindergarten

Worksheet Generator

Word Search Generator

Multiple Choice Generator

Fill-in-the-Blanks Generator

More Generator Tools

Full Website Index

Printable Graphic Organizers

Help your students organize their writing with venn diagrams, story maps, and more.  Your kids can use the writing webs, chronological order charts to improve the organization of their writing.

Printable Graphic Organizers - Reading

Writing a Paragraph

Multiple Versions Available

Logged in members can use the Super Teacher Worksheets filing cabinet to save their favorite worksheets.

Quickly access your most used files AND your custom generated worksheets!

Please login to your account or become a member and join our community today to utilize this helpful feature.

Members can add this to their file cabinet

Persuasive Writing

Common Core

Venn Diagrams

Column organizers, concept wheels, relationship trees, question words.

Practice basic writing skills with these writing worksheets.

Printable timeline graphic organizers and timeline comprehension worksheets.

Sample Worksheet Pictures

Graphic Organizer Worksheets

PDF with answer key:

PDF no answer key:

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types.

  • Rating Count
  • Price (Ascending)
  • Price (Descending)
  • Most Recent

Free writing-expository graphic organizers

Preview of Poetry Writing Process Templates: Types & Elements of Poetry Graphic Organizers

Poetry Writing Process Templates: Types & Elements of Poetry Graphic Organizers

essay writing graphic organizers free

4 SET NO PREP FINISH THE PICTURE (132 open ended drawing & writing prompts)

essay writing graphic organizers free

2nd Grade Reading + Phonics Bingo Game! 90 Unique Boards - Level 2 Words!

essay writing graphic organizers free

Reading Comprehension Strategies MEGA Bundle + Differentiated Reading Passages!

essay writing graphic organizers free

FREE Halloween Paragraph Writing - Prompts for Opinion, Informative, & Narrative

essay writing graphic organizers free

  • Easel Activity

Preview of Cause and Effect Text Structure: Paragraph Analysis with Graphic Organizer

Cause and Effect Text Structure: Paragraph Analysis with Graphic Organizer

essay writing graphic organizers free

FREE Thanksgiving Paragraph Writing- Prompts for Opinion, Informative, Narrative

Preview of Lined Writing Paper with Picture Boxes | Opinion Writing FREEBIE

Lined Writing Paper with Picture Boxes | Opinion Writing FREEBIE

essay writing graphic organizers free

FREE Christmas and Hanukkah Paragraph Writing Prompts - Fun Holiday Activities!

Preview of Biography Graphic Organizer

Biography Graphic Organizer

essay writing graphic organizers free

It's Time to Be Kind | Step by Step Paragraph Packet | Procedural Writing | FREE

essay writing graphic organizers free

Informational Writing: 3 paragraph essay. Grades 4, 5, 6. NO PREP

essay writing graphic organizers free

5 Sentence Paragraph Graphic Organizer

essay writing graphic organizers free

Hamburger Graphic Organizer

essay writing graphic organizers free

Expository & Personal Narrative Writing Graphic Organizers: STAAR Aligned!!

essay writing graphic organizers free

FREE First Grade Weekly Writing Space (opinion, narrative, informative)

essay writing graphic organizers free

Paragraph Writing Planning Template FREEBIE

essay writing graphic organizers free

Free Brainstorming Writing Ideas Template EDITABLE

essay writing graphic organizers free

How to Catch a Monster Freebie

essay writing graphic organizers free

Informative/Expository Writing Graphic Organizer

essay writing graphic organizers free

  • Word Document File

Preview of Bugs & More {FREEBIE}

Bugs & More {FREEBIE}

essay writing graphic organizers free

Animal Reports - Quick Facts Blank for ALL Research Projects - Print n Go!

essay writing graphic organizers free

Lap Book: Revolutionary War | Biography Genre Literacy Unit Freebie

essay writing graphic organizers free

Hamburger Paragraph Organizer and Anchor Chart FREEBIE

essay writing graphic organizers free

Paraphrasing and Summarizing Practice Activity | Digital

essay writing graphic organizers free

  • Google Drive™ folder

Preview of Free Writing Activity- 1st Grade Informative Explanatory Writing Lesson

Free Writing Activity- 1st Grade Informative Explanatory Writing Lesson

essay writing graphic organizers free

How to Cook a Turkey FREEBIE

essay writing graphic organizers free

Multiple Paragraph Graphic Organizer for Expository Writing

essay writing graphic organizers free

  • We're hiring
  • Help & FAQ
  • Privacy policy
  • Student privacy
  • Terms of service
  • Tell us what you think

Terrific Teaching Tactics

Make Learning Fun

Free Writing Graphic Organizers

Need some graphic organizers for students K-3rd grade? Grab my free writing graphic organizers to help students get started writing!

FREE writing graphic organizers how to writing procedure procedural

What’s Included?

This freebie contains 12 different graphic organizers! There are three levels of organizers for each type of writing genre. If you teach kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or third grade, there is an organizer for you! So, keep reading to find out more about this FREE resource!

FREE writing graphic organizers for kindergarten 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade

I made these free writing graphic organizers for opinion, narrative, informational, and procedural writing pieces. All the prompts feature sections to guide learners through the writing process.

Each graphic organizer has a variety of options for the development of your writers. For example, in the opinion organizer section, the first page has 2 boxes-one for the opinion and one for the reason. Then, the second page has a section for an opinion, 3 reasons, and a conclusion. Lastly, the final page features an area for the opinion, 3 reasons, 3 examples, and a conclusion.

I designed these organizers to work for a variety of academic levels that may be present in your classroom! Get your learners started on their writing journey by printing these pages today!

Need these free writing graphic organizers? Click here to get them now!

FREE writing graphic organizers planning page pre write worksheet

Grab the FREE writing graphic organizers here ! You get both printable and digital versions with this free download!

free writing graphic organizers

Have a terrific day,

essay writing graphic organizers free

P.S. If you need some Opinion Writing Prompts for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, or fourth grade, check out my  post here for more info!

Sharing is caring!

Reader Interactions

' src=

March 3, 2024 at 4:58 pm

I love your SOR and Graphic Organizers for Informative Writing.

' src=

March 4, 2024 at 2:03 am

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Teacher Instagram

essay writing graphic organizers free

TPT Seller Instagram

Save 10% on your first purchase! Use the coupon code TERRIFIC10 at checkout. Dismiss

We noticed you're visiting from Australia. We've updated our prices to Australian dollar for your shopping convenience. Use United States (US) dollar instead. Dismiss

COMMENTS

  1. 10 Free Graphic Organizer Templates for Any Subject

    Brainstorm Chart. Concept Map. 5-Paragraph Essay Outline. 4 Square Writing Chart. Story Map. KWL Chart. 1. Flowchart. The Flowchart is one of the most versatile and recognizable forms of graphic organizer out there, ideal for project planning and science experiments.

  2. Free Graphic Organizer Maker Online (Free Examples)

    A graphic organizer is an incredibly versatile teaching tool. For example, students can use graphic organizers when writing an essay or recording observations during experiments. They can use a graphic organizer to identify the beginning, middle, and end of a story plot or to create a vocabulary matrix.

  3. Free printable graphic organizer templates to customize

    1,139 templates. Create a blank Graphic Organizer. Concept Map Graphic Organizer. Graphic Organizer by Innovation Station. Orange Pastel Feminine Essay Writing Graphic Organizer. Graphic Organizer by meliorastudio. Pastel Minimalist KWL Chart. Graphic Organizer by Cardio Studio.

  4. Free Editable Essay Graphic Organizer Examples

    Example 1: 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organzier. The most common type of essay writing format is a 5-paragraph essay. Essay graphic organizer for writing helps organize all those 5 paragraphs and insert valuable information inside them. It includes the first paragraph section in which the writer inserts the topic sentence and at least three thesis statements.

  5. Free Editable Graphic Organizer for Writing Examples

    Example 4: Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer. A hamburger writing graphic organizer is a visual tool for the organization of ideas while writing a creative piece. It has a place for the title of the writing, and later the rest of the blocks can be used for describing different ideas related to the topic. Small and separate blocks allow better ...

  6. Free Graphic Organizer Templates

    Jordan Friedman. January 20, 2021. 2 Min Read. Help your students classify ideas and communicate more effectively with these free graphic organizer templates, available for download. They can be used to structure writing projects and help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming.

  7. 25 FREE Google Drawings graphic organizers

    25 FREE Google Drawings graphic organizers — and how to make your own. Using Google Drawings to create graphic organizers can help students gather their thoughts and customize to their needs. S ometimes, we just need some help organizing our thoughts — students AND educators. Paper versions of graphic organizers can do a nice job of that.

  8. How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

    Visuals, such as graphic organizers for writing, can help you better understand concepts, think creatively, and collaborate with your classmates—and there are plenty of other templates where these came from. Lucidchart offers hundreds of templates to help you through your studies, including timelines, Venn diagrams, word maps, and more.

  9. Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and Research

    Helps you visualize your research and how elements connect with each other. Enhance your essays, summaries and research papers with visual elements. Track correlations between your thoughts, observations, facts or general ideas. When it comes to essay writing, the most common graphic organizers are webs, mind maps, and concept maps.

  10. How to Use Graphic Organizers for Writing Better Essays

    3 Types of Graphic Organizers for Writing Better Essays. Let's take a closer look at three graphic organizers—flowcharts, Venn diagrams, and essay organization charts—and how you might use these graphic organizers for writing your paper. ... or use a free online template. Essay organization charts. An essay organization chart is just that ...

  11. PDF Writing an Essay: Graphic Organizer

    Writing an Essay: Graphic Organizer. Use this graphic organizer to plan your analytical/persuasive essay. The introduction should start with a broad statement and end with your thesis statement, which "zooms in" on the points you will explore in more depth. The body paragraphs must contain evidence to support your thesis.

  12. Essay Map

    Grades. Launch the tool! Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master. This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarizes ...

  13. Persuasion Map

    The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate. Students begin by determining their goal or thesis. They then identify three reasons to support their argument, and three facts or examples to validate each reason. The map graphic in the upper right-hand ...

  14. Persuasion Map

    Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, "Sixth Grade is the Best Grade" or "Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer"). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students' completed maps ...

  15. Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer {FREE}

    One of the genres that we have explored is descriptive writing. I was going through my old tutoring files and came across Cookie Comprehension and was so excited to see how well it fit in with our descriptive writing unit. So, I tweaked it a bit, added a few extra pages, and created a Descriptive Writing Graphic Organizer Pack {free download at ...

  16. Free Printable Graphic Organizers for Writing by Grade Level

    Kindergarten and 1st Grade Graphic Organizers. In kindergarten and 1st grade, your students are just beginning to be introduced to the world of language arts and writing.They don't quite have the skills to formulate and organize a complete piece of writing on their own, but they do have original thoughts and ideas that they can start to express on paper.

  17. Free writing-essays graphic organizers

    This FREE Personal Narrative Graphic Organizer uses guided brainstorming writing prompts to help your middle school students organize and brainstorm their narratives with ease. (This graphic organizer worksheet is a free sample from my PERSONAL N. Subjects: English Language Arts, Writing, Writing-Essays. Grades:

  18. Free Blank Printable Five-Paragraph Essay Organizer

    Teachers give students this sheet, and students proceed to fill it in. Once this sheet of essay notes has been completed, students use it to create a five-paragraph essay. This sheet is especially useful with students who have little or no experience with formal writing. Terrific free printable graphic organizer for teachers and students. 100% ...

  19. Printable Graphic Organizers

    Hamburger Paragraph Writing. Version 3. This is yet another version on the hamburger writing activity. This organizer has the hamburger parts spread out. If you'd like to print this worksheet in full-color, use the "Alt" button below. 2nd and 3rd Grades. View PDF. Writing a Paragraph - Flower (no lines) FREE.

  20. Free 6th grade writing graphic organizers

    This FREE Personal Narrative Graphic Organizer uses guided brainstorming writing prompts to help your middle school students organize and brainstorm their narratives with ease. (This graphic organizer worksheet is a free sample from my PERSONAL N. Subjects: English Language Arts, Writing, Writing-Essays.

  21. Free writing-expository graphic organizers

    Use this graphic organizer to help students with the structure of a complete paragraph while writing. Includes a topic sentence, 3 detail sentences and a concluding sentence. 6 different colors included. Subjects: Writing, Writing-Essays, Writing-Expository. Grades: K - 4 th. Types: Worksheets, Graphic Organizers.

  22. Graphic Organizers

    Free printable Graphic organizers and graphic organizer templates for kids. Teachers can use our PDF graphic organizing writing template to help students to compare and contrast, outline cause and effect, and create story maps. Our simple graphic organizer printables will help your students organize their writing into beginning-middle-end story sequences, and provide a framework for building ...

  23. Free Writing Graphic Organizers

    I made these free writing graphic organizers for opinion, narrative, informational, and procedural writing pieces. All the prompts feature sections to guide learners through the writing process. Each graphic organizer has a variety of options for the development of your writers. For example, in the opinion organizer section, the first page has ...