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Increasing the Value of Graphic Organizers

The visual guides work best when learning goals drive the design and students are engaged in their creation.

A group of elementary students working on graphic organizers at their desks

Graphic organizers are a helpful learning tool for students of all ages to organize, clarify, or simplify complex information—they help students construct understanding through an exploration of the relationships between concepts.

Teacher-generated organizers are a useful scaffold to support student learning. They provide students with a means to categorize cumbersome amounts of information, introduce a more refined lens to analyze a complex text, and enable students to recognize patterns and compare perspectives. However, graphic organizers can have the unintended consequence of limiting students’ thinking to just filling in the boxes, and may allow students to avoid the messy but important work of surfacing key insights or conceptual understanding.

Careful design, creation, and use of graphic organizers can provide important intellectual guardrails to guide students toward deeper understanding and learning.

Let Learning Goals Drive Design

Well-designed graphic organizers should guide students to categorize key concepts, surface the interconnection of ideas, or help students construct knowledge.

For example, if your desired learning objective is to have students explain the paradox that both an overly weak and an overly strong government can threaten individual liberty, the graphic organizer must be constructed to generate that level of thinking. The organizer should ensure that students move beyond the traditional listing of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Instead, the design should lead students to thoughtfully analyze how liberty was impacted under the British monarchy and the Articles of Confederation.

Similarly, if the goal is to determine whether an author followed or broke from traditional storytelling conventions, a graphic organizer that outlines the plot elements of a novel would be insufficient. The organizer should require students to compare plot elements from the novel to the typical rising/falling action, climax, and resolution storyline; determine where and why the author made similar or different choices; and offer a judgment regarding the deliberate craft moves.



If the goal is to have students form well-reasoned opinions, the ubiquitous Venn diagram, although a viable means to make comparisons, doesn’t automatically require students to weigh the relative strengths of the elements depicted, isolate the most significant similarities or differences, or rate or discriminate between elements that would inform a thoughtful point of view.

Unless they’re designed with the end in mind, organizers may unintentionally lead students on an intellectual scavenger hunt that generates surface understanding and thinking. The design of the graphic organizer must align with the learning goal and require that students apply the information they deconstructed in order to make meaning or develop unique insights.

Understand the Why

Imagine asking your students while they’re working on a graphic organizer, “What are you doing?” and “Why are you doing it?” It’s likely that students would be able to articulate the former (e.g., “I’m filling in this chart/table/diagram.”) but not necessarily the latter.

Students tend to view the completion of the graphic organizer as an end in itself rather than a means toward developing a more sophisticated insight. As such, be mindful to design the organizer with the end in mind: Communicate this goal to your learners, and ensure that the structure of the organizer requires students to make connections between content, achieve broader understandings, and perhaps even ask further questions.

A graphic organizer from the National Archives , for example, provides multiple prompts to help students analyze and close read historical documents, consider the author and historical context, and generate additional questions for continued research and reflection.

Make the Student the Designer

Over-scaffolding a graphic organizer means the higher-ordered skills of evaluation, determination, and judgment are used in the design stage by the teacher rather than in the instructional stage by the student.

Shift the intellectual responsibility by asking students to construct their own visual representation. In an example from an AP Biology course (see the pdf “Student Concept Maps”), the teacher provided guidelines and a blank sheet of paper for students to create their own concept maps, which offered flexibility in how they displayed their thinking. Upon reflection, students reported that the act of creating their own organizer enhanced their grasp of the concepts because they had to sift through the information in a more critical way. It also provided a visual that identified gaps in their understanding.

Concept mapping not only allows students to consolidate their thinking but also provides a formative assessment the teacher can use to check for understanding and surface misconceptions.

Design for Transfer

Graphic organizers should ultimately build a student’s capacity to draw upon what they learned in order to become independent readers, active citizens, and solvers of complex problems. If this is our goal, students need the opportunity to construct the processes to achieve those ends.

In and out of school, scaffolds are meant to be removed; educators have to be willing to remove the training wheels or temporary platforms and let students become independent learners. Students will continue to encounter text and other content outside of school without the assistance of graphic organizers. Deliberate design and implementation of graphic organizers helps students develop autonomy and complex thinking capacity.

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Graphic Organizers 101: Why and How To Use Them

An incredibly valuable tool for every student, every subject.

Collage of Graphic Organizers

Even if you’ve never heard of graphic organizers, chances are good you’ve been using them in one form or another all your life. That pros and cons list you made before making a big purchase? The family tree you’re working on? Your school’s org chart? They’re all graphic organizers. Here’s what you need to know about using this powerful tool with students of all ages.

What are graphic organizers?

A variety of graphic organizers with pens and a clipboard

Source: @thecomfortableclassroom

Put simply, graphic organizers are a way of organizing information visually to help students understand and remember it. They’re tools that let kids make connections, create a plan, and communicate effectively. A good organizer simplifies complex information and lays it out in a way that makes it easier for a learner to digest. Graphic organizers may include text and images, depending on the purpose and student’s learning style.

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How do I use them?

Graphic organizer used to help a student solve a story problem

Source: @yourteacherbestie

You can provide students with pre-printed organizers or encourage them to draw their own. Either way, teach students how to use them by modeling the behavior first. Consider making anchor charts for commonly used types so students can refer back to them as they work.

With younger students, work to help them understand how to choose certain types of organizers depending on their goals. For instance, students taking notes while they study may find a concept map most helpful. When comparing two topics, a Venn diagram or T chart is probably the best choice. Here are some ways to use graphic organizers in various subjects (and explanations of them below).

Language Arts

  • Use a story map or story mountain to diagram the characters, setting, and key plot points.
  • Try a web organizer to keep track of character relations and connections.
  • Learn vocabulary words with a Frayer model that lays out meaning, synonyms, examples, and illustrations.
  • Map out the topic, main ideas, and supporting facts of an essay before you start writing.
  • Use a story map or mountain to plan creative writing.

Math and Science

  • Use a Frayer model to define and understand terms and formulas.
  • Compare two or more concepts with a Venn diagram (like area and perimeter).
  • Create a visual representation to solve a story problem.
  • Plan an experiment with a sequence organizer.
  • Start the exploration of a new topic with a KWL organizer to understand what students already know, what they want to learn, and what they do learn.
  • Draw a timeline to understand the order of events in history.
  • Use idea webs or concept maps to keep track of information as you read and help you study.
  • Dig deeper into a topic with a cause and effect organizer.

What types of graphic organizers should I use in my classroom?

Graphic organizers come in a wide array of styles. Here are some of the most common types to try with your students.

Story Map with illustrations of the parts of the book I Wish I Were a Butterfly

Source: Mrs. Byrd’s Learning Tree

This is one of the first organizers many kids learn to use. For little ones, story maps are simple, laying out the setting, characters, and beginning, middle, and end. Older students can expand the map to take in more details.

Timeline and Sequence of Events

Sequencing organizer laying out the steps to build a snowman

Source: Growing Kinders

Here are two more common organizers kids will recognize. Timelines are generally used in history and social studies classes, though they can be helpful when reading books too. Use sequencing organizers to lay out the steps of a procedure or science experiment.

Story Mountain

Story mountain graphic organizer for Wild

Source: @goodmorningmissbagge

A story mountain is helpful both when reading and preparing to write. Students map out a story from start to finish, building up to a climax and back down to the conclusion.

Know, Want to Know, and Learn chart about trees

Source: Mrs. Kurt’s All Star Kindergarten Blog

KWL (What I K now, What I W onder, What I L earned) charts are a terrific way to help kids think about what they want to learn about a topic and hold them responsible for actually finding out that information. The first column is a list of everything they already know. The second column lists what they’d like to learn, and the third one provides new information acquired along the way.

Web graphic organizer for an alligator

Source: Krazy for Kindergarten Goes to Third Grade

When there’s a lot of information to remember about a subject, idea webs are a terrific way to organize it all. It’s a more interesting way to explore a subject than just making a list or taking notes and one that’s more likely to help kids actually remember the information.

Concept Map

Concept map graphic organizer of the solar system

Source: Evidence-Based Teaching

A concept map takes an idea web to the next level. It’s really a series of idea webs, with connections drawn between. These can get very large, so encourage older students to explore online programs that can help them create useful diagrams.

Circle Maps for ways to make the numbers 4, 5, and 6

Source: Joyful Learning in KC

Circle maps are terrific for brainstorming or thoroughly understanding a specific concept. In some cases, circles can continue to expand outward. For instance, a circle map could begin with your hometown in the middle, with a larger circle for your state, another for your country, then your continent, and so on. Inside each circle, students write info relevant to that subject.

OREO Writing graphic organizer

Source: A Learning Journey

Graphic organizers are especially useful when planning any kind of writing. OREO and Hamburger models are common, but you’ll find a lot of other options out there too. The key is to make sure the organizer helps students define their main idea, gather supporting evidence, and draw a conclusion supported by the facts.

Frayer Model (Vocabulary)

Frayer model graphic organizer for vocabulary word Metamorphosis

Source: What I Have Learned

The Frayer model has a lot of uses but is most often applied to vocabulary. The term goes in the middle, with four sections surrounding it for definition, characteristics, examples, and non-examples. Another version has sections for definition, synonym, an illustration, and using the term in a sentence.

Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer

Cause and Effect graphic organizer for Alexander's Very Bad Day

Source: Around the Kampfire

When you want students to dig deeper into the material, try a cause and effect organizer. You can use it in pretty much any subject to make connections between actions and results.

T Chart for renewable and non-renewable energy sources (Graphic Organizers)

Source: @ducksntigers13

A T chart is a very simple way to compare two related subjects. Many people use these all the time, especially when writing pros and cons lists.

Venn Diagram

Venn diagram in the shape of two overlapping apples (Graphic Organizers)

Source: Teach With Me

A Venn diagram is another way to compare and contrast material, looking for similarities and differences. The simplest version has two overlapping circles, with more overlapping circles added for more complex subjects.

Where can I find free graphic organizer printables?

While you don’t need to use a pre-printed organizer every time, they can be especially helpful with younger students as they learn how this valuable tool works. The internet is full of graphic organizer printables, both free and for purchase on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers. Here are some free options we’ve created for teachers to try.

  • Summary Graphic Organizer
  • Summarizing Graphic Organizers (Grades 2-4)
  • Predictions and Inferences Organizer
  • Scientific Method Graphic Organizer
  • Continents Graphic Organizer

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Plus, anchor charts 101: why and how to use them ..

Graphic Organizers 101: Why and How To Use Them

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The Great and Powerful Graphic Organizer

October 22, 2017

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Some of our most powerful instructional tools have been hanging around forever, just waiting for us to notice them.

One of those tools is the graphic organizer. It’s so simple—just a few shapes and lines, nothing fabulous, no bells or whistles—and yet beneath its simplicity lies an absolute dynamo, a vehicle that can cement learning more firmly than a lot of the other stuff we try, in a lot less time.

Let’s look at why graphic organizers are so powerful, explore some ways to use them that you may not have tried, and consider a few important tips for using them with the greatest impact.

concept paper using graphic organizer

Why Graphic Organizers Work So Well

According to Allan Paivio’s theory of dual coding , humans process information in both visual and verbal form. When we see the word “book,” we picture a book in our minds, because we’ve had plenty of real-life experiences with books. When we’re learning new words or concepts, it’s helpful to try to form mental images for those ideas to reinforce their meanings.

While some approaches like doodling  and the mind’s eye strategy apply this theory by having learners create physical and mental pictures of concepts, a graphic organizer keeps the words, but arranges them on a page visually so we better understand how concepts are related. Decades of research with various age groups and in different content areas has shown that in general, when graphic organizers are incorporated into instruction, student learning improves (Hall & Strangman, 2002).

Graphic organizers also help us meet the needs of all learners. Presenting information in both text and graphic formats is one of the most basic ways to make a lesson accessible to more students—the basis of  Universal Design for Learning —and graphic organizers definitely fit the bill there. In fact, much of the research on graphic organizers has focused on how powerfully they can impact the learning of students with learning disabilities and special needs (Dexter, Park, & Hughes, 2011; Douglas, Ayres, Langone, & Bramlett, 2011).

concept paper using graphic organizer

10 Uses for Graphic Organizers

1. note taking.

Have students use graphic organizers to take notes on their reading, when doing research, while watching a film, or while listening to a podcast. If you are already familiar with the content and how it’s structured, you might choose or design an organizer ahead of time for students, which research says can be more effective and efficient than having students create their own. (See the Tips section below for more information on this.)

2. Lecture Support

Instead of giving a lecture with a standard PowerPoint or an outline, present your content in a graphic organizer. This will instantly give students a way to visualize how the concepts are related to each other. If students ever give their own presentations, have them try using graphic organizers to present their information.

3. Pre-Writing

Having students use graphic organizers to plan and structure their ideas before putting them into a draft is a common practice in English language arts classes. If you’ve never tried it, it’s worth adding this into your writing process, especially if you teach a content area where writing isn’t a regular part of student work. A warning:  Do not treat the organizers as the writing piece ; have students just jot notes down in these, rather than complete sentences. The bulk of student writing time should be spent actually drafting their piece.

4. Text Illustrations

When students do expository or argumentative writing, consider having them add a graphic organizer to their finished product to illustrate a concept in their piece. In this case, the organizer would NOT be a pre-writing tool, but a supportive diagram to aid in their own readers’ comprehension. This may not work for all topics, but if a student is writing about how bees make honey, for example, a diagram that shows the process from flower to honey would go a lot further to help the reader understand than a downloaded image of a bee hovering over a flower. As students create diagrams to support their own texts, they will be more likely to pay attention to those that appear in the texts they read.

5. Pre-Reading

As students get older and are faced with more challenging texts, especially in content areas outside of English language arts, their comprehension gets a considerable boost if they are trained to identify the text structure prior to reading (Baxter & Reddy, 2007, p. 23). Some common text structures are compare and contrast, description, problem-solution, cause and effect, and sequence of events . Once the structure has been identified, students can complete a supporting graphic organizer while they read and fill in the components as they encounter them.

Another pre-reading graphic organizer is the KWL chart , which helps activate prior knowledge before reading and primes students to read with a purpose. KWL charts can work for any age group and can be used for single texts or at the beginning, middle, and end of an entire unit.

To read a comprehensive overview of research on graphic organizers as a reading strategy, see Manoli & Papadopoulou, 2012.

6. Assessment

Instead of assessing student learning with a quiz, try having students complete a graphic organizer that shows the relationships between various terms or concepts, or use this type of activity as one question on a quiz or assessment. Although this will not work for all content, it might be just right for evaluating whether a student understands the bigger picture of a body of content.

concept paper using graphic organizer

7. Thinking Tools

When we deliver content to students through lecture, readings, or video, our next step should be to have students interact with the content in some way. This can be accomplished with class discussions , lab work, or project-based learning . Another simple class activity that gives students a chance to grapple with the content is completing a graphic organizer: In groups, pairs, or even on their own, have students organize chunks of the content into graphic organizers, then compare their results to other groups. For example, if a foreign language class is studying vocabulary words for food, they could use a hierarchical organizer (like the one shown above) to organize “food” words into smaller groups, like meats, fruits, vegetables, and so on. This kind of sorting gives them more interaction with the terms and helps them work with similarities and differences, another powerful instructional strategy.

8. Unit Planning

When introducing a unit to students, show them how the parts of the unit fit together with a graphic organizer. Not only will this give them a sense of where you are in the unit at any given time, it should also help them understand why they are learning the individual parts. Bonus: Doing this exercise yourself could help you decide what concepts are most important for students to learn, and identify other things that may be “nice to know,” but aren’t necessarily vital to student understanding.

9. Classroom Management

Too often we hear “management” and think of dealing with problems, but a huge part of effectively managing a classroom is making your policies, procedures, and expectations crystal clear. Teachers often make signs listing class rules and procedures in writing, but putting the most important ones into graphic form will increase the likelihood that students will follow them.

10. Retrieval Practice

Just recently we covered the power of  retrieval practice to help students learn and retain information more effectively. One retrieval practice technique is called a Brain Dump, where students try to recall as much as they can about a given topic, without the aid of any supporting texts. After doing the dump, students are then allowed to check their texts to confirm, correct, or add to the information they retrieved. But if we added a step—having students sort their dumped information into some kind of graphic organizer, possibly even working in pairs to do so— then have them go to the text, it could further solidify the benefit of the retrieval and help them get very clear on where they have gaps in their knowledge.

Tips for Using Graphic Organizers Effectively

  • Model how to use the organizers. If students aren’t taught how to use graphic organizers through teacher modeling and guided practice, they won’t get much from them. So take the extra step and model their use.
  • Avoid complete sentences. Unless you have a very good reason to insist that students use complete sentences on their organizers, don’t do it. Complete sentences take up too much space, they take longer to write, and the effort to hold students accountable misses the whole point of the organizer. Show students how to use bullet points and sentence fragments to get ideas down and show how they are related.
  • For complex material, consider teacher-generated organizers. In a 2007 study, students who were presented with author-created graphic organizers along with reading materials produced evidence of deeper learning in less time than those who had to produce their own graphic organizers (Stull & Mayer, 2007). When you present these to students, consider filling them only partially and having students complete the rest ; this has been shown to help students recall information more effectively and teach them how to take graphic organizer notes on their own (Robinson et al., 2006).
  • Let students color outside the lines. Literally. As sketchnotes grow in popularity, educators are starting to recognize the power of doodling as a learning tool. Graphic organizers can be enhanced with small doodles and other notes that fall outside the basic structure of the organizer. As long as the student can still see the original structure and the drawings make sense to him or her, these “enhanced” organizers can reinforce concepts even more deeply.
  • Offer a variety of organizers for day-to-day use. Once students become familiar with a certain type of organizer, they may find other uses for it that you haven’t even thought of. If you make these available to them in the same way that you might provide dictionaries or pencil sharpeners, you might find that students start using them even when they haven’t been assigned.

Want Them Ready-Made?

My Graphic Organizer Multi-Pack contains 15 beautiful designs, all done on editable PowerPoints and Google Slides, so you can customize them to suit your needs. The pack also includes video tutorials that show you exactly HOW to customize them. Click here to get a pack for your classroom!

concept paper using graphic organizer

References:

Baxter, S., & Reddy, L. (2007). What content-area teachers should know about adolescent literacy. National Institute for Literacy. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/adolescent_literacy07.pdf.  PDF

Dexter, D. D., Park, Y. J., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). A meta‐analytic review of graphic organizers and science instruction for adolescents with learning disabilities: Implications for the intermediate and secondary science classroom. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice , 26 (4), 204-213.  PDF

Douglas, K. H., Ayres, K. M., Langone, J., & Bramlett, V. B. (2011). The effectiveness of electronic text and pictorial graphic organizers to improve comprehension related to functional skills. Journal of Special Education Technology, 26 (1), 43-56.  PDF

Hall, T., & Strangman, N. (2002). Graphic organizers. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved March 20, 2009. PDF

Manoli, P., & Papadopoulou, M. (2012). Graphic organizers as a reading strategy: Research findings and issues. Creative education, 3 (03), 348.  PDF

Robinson, D. H., Katayama, A. D., Beth, A., Odom, S., Hsieh, Y. P., & Vanderveen, A. (2006). Increasing text comprehension and graphic note taking using a partial graphic organizer.  The Journal of Educational Research ,  100 (2), 103-111.  PDF

Stull, A. T., & Mayer, R. E. (2007). Learning by doing versus learning by viewing: Three experimental comparisons of learner-generated versus author-provided graphic organizers.  Journal of Educational Psychology ,  99 (4), 808.  PDF

What to Read Next

concept paper using graphic organizer

Categories: Instruction , Learning Theory , Podcast

Tags: learning & memory , teaching strategies

28 Comments

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Hi! I’m very interested in using graphic organizers in my classroom. Does this approach work well in a high school science classroom?

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High school science would be a perfect place for graphic organizers! I would suggest starting with uses #2 and #7 if you haven’t used them with students before, but really, all ten would work great in high school science, so dive in!

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Hi Chelsea and Jennifer, I teach secondary school science in the UK and love using graphic organisers to help the students make notes, understand the links between different things and make comparisons. e.g. we used Venn diagrams in Year 7 (age 11/12) recently to compare two different specialised cells; and a spider web style organiser to summarise structure and properties of small covalent molecules. Sometimes I prepare graphic organisers with prompts or questions in boxes to help the students complete them ‘independently’. Thank you for your work Jennifer, I love reading your posts, and can’t wait to try out your suggestions in the classroom!

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I love your work! I work with new teachers and you have simplified the how and clarified the why. I recommend your work to everyone. I recently shared your Single-Point rubric at a state meeting. Thank you!

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Hey Jenn, Another graphic organizer tool for students to use is SmartArt in MS Word or PowerPoint. These are simple shapes preset in various arrangements, but the power is the outline pane that allows you to easily increase or decrease the number of shapes. It’s great in the context of your article because there is not a preset number of “boxes” to fill in. While the teacher can determine which SmartArt arrangement to use, this allows the student to decide how many to make use of. Thanks for the article! I especially like the idea of using a Graphic Organizer as an assessment tool. I plan to try that this week. I’ve started to refer to your weekly topic often in my department meetings. It’s proven to be a great way to start an awesome discussion! –jeff

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Jennifer, Thanks for posting this! I love graphic organizers and this is a wonderful resource. I wonder if you have come across David Hyerle’s Thinking Maps in your research on GAs? Here are a couple of links, if you haven’t. I think Hyerle has come up with something really powerful.

http://www.thinkingfoundation.org/ http://www.thebalancebetween.com/

Hyerle also has several books in print. I have no connection with Hyerle, just a big fan.

Thanks so much for these links, James. I have been referred to Thinking Maps over and over, and they seem wonderful. I have to admit, it’s been frustrating, because it’s like standing outside a beautiful store I can’t go into. Everything I’ve read about Thinking Maps indicates that the only way to learn about them is through an in-school training, and since I am no longer in the classroom, I can’t take advantage of that. I really wish they had some kind of online resources for people outside of school systems to learn. I would imagine homeschoolers must feel the same frustration! If you’re aware of how an ordinary Joe like myself can learn more, I’d love to take advantage of it. Thanks.

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I’m not a teacher in a classroom, but I’ve started drawing mindmaps in organizing my always racing brain. It really helps to see my ideas laid out in picture form in a nice, logical flowchart. I can see how this technique would be invaluable in the classroom. Thanks for sharing!

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Hi Jennifer! I’ve recently discovered your podcast and, as an instructional coach, have taken away great ideas/research to share with my teachers! Looking at your collection of graphic organizers on TPT, I noticed they are recommended for grades 6+. What’s the most effective way to use graphic organizers with elementary school kids? I’ve used them in the past, but always love when I can find research to back it up.

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Hi, LeeAnn!

I work for Cult of Pedagogy, and also taught at the elementary level for many years. It’s funny because I remember years ago when I kind of stopped using graphic organizers, because I just didn’t see them making much of an impact on student learning. In hindsight, I think it’s mostly because I really didn’t know how to use them with intention or with an end goal in mind. I needed to be more purposeful and direct with my teaching, helping kids understand how organizers are a tool that helps them plan their ideas, make connections, and see how concepts are related. I think I was using them just to use them, or maybe because some of them looked kinda cute. Now I’m back to graphic organizers with a whole new intention! As with any tool, and with at any age, I think as long as teachers are doing lots of modeling, direct teaching, and being really clear on how and why we use organizers, they’ll be effective. Circles, lines, words, doodles…even with the youngest of kids, are effective when used with intention. As a side note, although Jenn’s organizers say for grades 6+, I’ve used them with younger kids too. In addition to Jenn’s post , here are a few other resources that may interest you. I hope this helps! Teaching and Learning with Graphic Organizers and How to Use Graphic Organizers to Enhance Learning .

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Great resource!

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Hi Jennifer, Thanks you for this great resource, and for all the great work you do in this space on the craft of teaching! I am a late-starter to the education sector but loving it!

Something that I would like more guidance in, and I think it is related to this area, is the issue of starting an extended response (essay).

A question I often get from students is how do I start the essay, to which my standard response (based on my “How to write an introduction” model: Thesis statement; Roadmap; Glimpse of my conclusion), is to use my classic Essay starter…”This essay offers a discussion / reflection / explanation on…” (This is how I actually used to begin all of my essays at University. I know – I’m just not very creative!). Other tips I would give my students is to use key words from the actual question provided, so that the language is correct, and that they address the question right away. I never suggest that they repeat the question.

I know there isn’t a simple formulaic response but if you can point me in the right direction I would be very grateful.

Kindest regards, Tivoli

I’m thinking that an inductive learning lesson could work really well with helping kids understand what goes into an effective introduction. See what you think!

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I think this article is helpful and yet the irony is that there is no graphic organizer to show how this tool can be useful or how to develop them for your content. There are only lists and bullet ponits. Consider adding one?

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This author reminded me of the power and effectiveness of graphic organizers in helping students organize, make meaning and see the connections to the items they are learning or thinking about.

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This information was a great reminder on the power of GO’s!

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I am a very visual person and so I like to use graphic organizers a lot. Good to know it can be beneficial for the students as well.

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I teach highly gifted K2. I’m looking for a visual way to help my students (who may be smart, but don’t always like to write) organize their thoughts and get them onto paper (or digital doc)! Do you have suggestions?

If you haven’t already, take a look at the resources below and see what you think. They all offer a way for kids to visually organize and represent their thinking outside of the structure that graphic organizers typically provide.

Hexagonal Thinking: A Colorful Tool for Discussion A Simple Trick for Success with One-Pagers To Boost Higher-Order Thinking, Try Curation Note-Taking: A Research Roundup Dual Coding Strategy

Hope this helps!

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These are so useful. I love using graphic organizers (not all fit every student). I love the jotting note part instead of using it as the whole paper!

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Fantastic knowledge and reminders of how impactful graphic organizers can be for students to have as a resources to gather and collect their thoughts and ideas.

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Great reminders.

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This was such a great reminder of how powerful graphic organizers are. They are a simple tool with endless opportunities to enhance learning. I love the idea of having a student create a G.O. as a text illustration for a piece of writing that they do. This encourages reflection, metacognitive thinking, and deeper thinking.

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We’re so glad you enjoyed the post, Erica!

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What is more effective for grades 4-6, digital or paper graphic organizers. Same question for grades 6-8?

Hi Deb, Now that we have so many amazing digital resources, it can feel like we need to incorporate them into our lessons all the time. Though there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer in terms of one being more effective, teachers can still use both. Certain activities might make sense with one over the other, or if given a choice, students might demonstrate a preference. If you’re looking for ideas on making your lessons more tech-friendly, try 16 Ideas for Student Projects Using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms . And if you’re thinking about whether your tech tools are actually helping your students meet their learning goals, this article, Quality-Check Your Tech: 6 Strategies might be helpful as well.

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My students have a tendency to want to use graphic organizers as a first draft rather than a list of ideas. Do you have a strategy for teaching how to put ideas into bullet points rather than going straight to sentence writing?

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Felicia, if you haven’t already, check out the section Tips for Using Graphic Organizers Effectively at the end of this post. One simple, but effective, strategy for teaching students how to capture their ideas using bullet points is modeling and guided practice. For instance, you might consider creating a partially-generated graphic organizer to accompany a complex text. This would serve not only to scaffold the text itself, but also to provide guided practice for students in the use of graphic organizers. I hope this helps!

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Graphic Organizer Templates: A teacher's guide

August 17, 2021

Using Graphic Organizer templates for improving reading comprehension and writing skills.

Main, P (2021, August 17). Graphic Organizer Templates: A teacher's guide. Retrieved from https://www.structural-learning.com/post/graphic-organizer-templates-a-teachers-guide

What are graphic organizers?

Graphic organizers are great teaching tools because they allow students to organize information visually. They also make learning fun and engaging . But how exactly does a graphic organizer work? In this article, we'll explain why these diagrammatic strategies are such powerful educational tools and how they work. A graphic organizer is a tool that helps students organize information in their minds. Graphic organizers are extremely useful tools when teaching children how to study effectively.

Graphic organizers are visual tools that help students organize ideas and information into meaningful categories. These types of graphic organizers are commonly used in business settings but can also be useful for organizing academic papers. There are several different types of graphic organizers including mind maps, concept mapping, Venn diagrams, and tree maps. Each type of graphic organizer works differently depending on the purpose of the organization. For example, a mind map is ideal for brainstorming while a concept map is helpful for analyzing data.

Students use these visual aids to organize their thoughts before starting to work on assignments. They can then refer back to these images whenever they have trouble recalling what was covered during class. They can be used to help children understand the main idea of an essay, or it could simply be used as a way for you to get your thoughts organized before writing . Graphic organizers have been around since at least the 1950s, and they're still prevalent today.

They work well with any type of text, but we will focus on using them with essays here. Concept maps are different because they are organized visually instead of verbally. When students complete a concept map, they can look back over the map to recall the main points. Both mind mapping and concept mapping are effective teaching tools because they allow students to focus on specific areas of study rather than having to memorize large amounts of information.

Why use graphic organizers?

Although a graphic organiser can be used as a way to integrate information with others, a graphic organiser can be used individually for independent learning . This is very effective for learning or listening. It can also be a great way to show support to learners who are learning a topic. Your student should not be expected to create a graphic organiser. They can use a blank, single-page form. Choose your form to fit your needs. A very simple type of graphic organiser is a 'mind map'.

Graphic organizers do exactly what they say; they give learners an opportunity to organize their ideas. Why is this so important? Learning is facilitated by organizing information in our minds . To put it bluntly, organizing is learning. A graphic organizer is a visual representation of how knowledge is structured. In psychology, we would call this a schema , this is the foundation of how we build understanding. In this article, we are going to focus on how we would go about organizing our ideas.

Like a carpenters tool kit, each graphic organizer serves a different purpose. Part of the educator's job is to sift through collections of graphic organizers to find the most suitable one for the job. The visual organizer structure determines how we treat the information we are trying to process. We need to make sure we use the right tool for the right job. For example, if we are comparing two things, we should probably use a Venn diagram. If we are organizing information into associated categories, we might want to use the mind map .

The graphic organizer structure is essential and will determine how we eventually write about the content. If we plot historical events using a timeline, we will probably end up using timebase connectives which is central to a recount piece of writing. If students are to be truly independent, they need to understand what the task is asking them to do or, in other words, how are they being asked to organize the information. This metacognitive awareness makes choosing the right cognitive organizer easier. 

Organisers may provide information at a glance or allow learners to prepare a discussion or memory exercise. You may want a larger form than a list or list-like organiser and for information to be hand-drawn, on the back of a napkin, or as the exercise progresses . When information is displayed as a visual , it can be easier to keep track of and will give learners an image to work with. A whiteboard may also work if you are willing to supply paper. Organisers help learners focus on what's most important and work through the information as they go.

Other advantages include: Organisers can help with reflection and the creation of content which is relevant for the learners whatever their grade level. The co-creation of a graphic organizer all offers an opportunity in the learning process for discussion points. Providing opportunities for students to use a graphic organizer is seen by some as a gateway to deeper learning .

Fishbone Graphic Organizer

There are many reasons why teachers like to use graphic organizers when teaching students how to write :

1) Students learn more effectively by organizing ideas visually rather than verbally. This makes sense because our brains process visual stimuli faster than verbal ones. When students create a picture out of words, they are forced to think about what each term means individually instead of just thinking about the whole sentence . The result is that they remember the material better after creating the structure.

2) Using graphic organizers forces students to make connections between different parts of the paper. For example, if I ask my student to draw a Venn diagram showing where he/she has learned about the topic from his/her textbook, then I am forcing him/her to connect all these pieces together into one coherent piece. If I were only asking them to list everything without connecting anything, then there would not be much learning going on.

Make comparisons using a Venn diagram

3) By having students create them first, they can see exactly what needs to go where. In other words, they know exactly which part goes next to another part. Without doing this step, they may end up putting things down randomly and never really knowing where to put something until later.

4) Graphic organizers provide an opportunity for students to build knowledge. Fundamentally, they are used to aid the comprehension of students. As a reading comprehension tool, they scaffold the process of making meaning (which is fundamentally the act of organizing).

5) Visual tools promote the knowledge of students. When we use these tools we are building schema , organized packets of information that make retrieval easier. Providing an opportunity for students to get their ideas out of their head and onto paper bypasses the limitations of their relatively small working memories.

Drag and Drop Graphic Organizer

Different types of Organizer

The three most common types of graphic organiser are the hierarchical diagram, the flow chart and the connector form. A hierarchical diagram is a structure that begins with the most general information or concepts in the centre and progress through to the detail or other more specific things down a vertical or horizontal axis.

A flow chart is a diagram that shows the way in which a range of things work together. It might be time-based, for example, or the way that a spreadsheet works. A connector form is the most flexible of the graphic organisers and could be a list of different kinds of information , a specific diagram, or even just a picture. Whether you students are creating a pie chart or documenting historical events using a timeline, the visual nature of the organiser makes complex concepts more accessible.

As we mentioned, choosing the right type of organizer is a skill in itself. Many websites are offering pre-formatted graphic organizers , but simply having a large selection won't help teachers and children . The good news is that there are a few central ways to organize our ideas, and these have corresponding graphics. You don't need anything elaborate, simple black-and-white graphic organizers will do the job. We don't want to distract the learner away from the content , any extraneous load on the working memory might act as a distraction. 

How can we organize information?

  • Classification organizer: Grouping information into chunks/themes (e.g. Hierarchy chart step)
  • Sequencing organizer: Using time as the primary organizer - (Creating a timeline of events or sequence of events, plotting out chronological steps)
  • Causal organizer: Looking for causes and effects - (Making consequences steps)
  • Comparison organizer: Making judgements between two or more things

There are other organizer types, but the four listed above will cover most writing assignments and child encounters in the curriculum . Specialist tools include:

  • Analogy organizer
  • Problem-solving organizer
  • Organizer in presentations

SCAMPER analyses Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers as learning tools

David Hyerle created a wonderful book entitled 'Visual tools for constructing knowledge. The version that I am looking at now from 1996 looks a bit dated, but the content remains highly relevant. When your students are using a visual tool, they are indeed constructing knowledge. In other words, they are using this pedagogical tool for generating meaning.

In many cases, educators see the graphic organizer as a bridge between brainstorming and pre-writing tools . A child is effectively taking their ideas out of their head and manipulating them in a visual space. This is why tools like a concept diagram or cluster diagram are so powerful. Once a learners ideas are outside of their head, their working memory has been freed up for the essential higher-order thinking needed for generating meaning . The humble graphic organizer will always remain a vital teaching tool.

What sort of diagrams could you use in the classroom?

  • Star diagram
  • Concept diagram
  • Affinity diagram
  • Flow diagram
  • Three-part Venn diagram

Flow Chart

Why are graphic organizers important?

Using educational tools such as graphic organizers promotes critical thinking skills . Learners are not simply putting their ideas into boxes, when these challenging activities are facilitated collaboratively, students engage in many types of thinking. The map acts as a central point for a purposeful discussion activity. As the learners talk through their visual tools, they make links between ideas.

This type of creative thinking is a form of structured idea generation . The learner is effectively in a feedback loop of thinking, talking and connecting. All academic topics will have a productive way(s) of organizing the content; with practice, students can identify the main organizing principle. Even a complex topic can be broken down into several visual representations, which will help a student to build robust knowledge .

For example, when tackling a history project, you could start with a flow diagram. Students could then use a triple Venn diagram to compare the topic with two other historical events that they are familiar with. Using these popular thinking maps will enable your students to quickly get out of the starting blocks and start creating knowledge.

Adopting graphic organizers in your school

What can you do to create a graphic organiser? Mind maps and relationship charts are just a few of the different types of graphic organised. Think about the information to be presented and the concept of your course before you make a decision about a graphic organiser. It's a good idea to think about the purpose of the graphic organizers.

The goal is to show the information presented in the lesson in a visual way. A mind map provides a clear structure for your students to put ideas in order to understand them and to see how the information connects with each other. The graphic organizer is viewed as an essential tool for writing projects in many classrooms.

If you are still unsure how graphic organizers help learners with curriculum content, hop over to our extensive organizer library and see how they are categorized. Depending on the type of thinking you want to promote, you will be able to choose from a comprehensive set of effective learning tools that are free from distractive pictures and emojis. If your school is interested in developing a clear agenda for using visual tools, please do get in contact with us. We can talk about developing a strategic approach together .

5 tips for using visual tools in your classroom 

Teachers often use graphic organizers to teach students how to understand and communicate simple concepts. Whether your class are engaged in essay writing or persuasive writing, using some form of knowledge map will help them uncover the meaning within the curriculum.

Tip #1: Embed Visual Tools

Visual tools are one of the most powerful learning strategies available. If you want to improve student performance , then you need to incorporate visual tools into your lesson plans.

For example, if you want to teach students how to write a persuasive essay, then you can show them examples of persuasive essays online. Students can see these persuasive essays and decide whether they agree or disagree with the author's point of view.

This strategy works particularly well for students who struggle with reading comprehension.  

Tip #2: Make Them Easy to Understand

When you're trying to teach students how to use graphic organizers, you'll want to make sure that they understand exactly what you mean.

So, make sure that your graphic organizers are clear and concise. For example, if you want students to use a tree diagram to organize information, then make sure that the tree diagram is clearly labelled and that the labels are written in plain English.

Tip #3: Provide Multiple Examples

Students should be given multiple opportunities to practice organizing information using graphic organizers. This helps ensure that they really understand how to use graphic organizers correctly.

For example, you could ask students to create a simple tree diagram to represent a list of items. Then, you could provide them with another set of instructions asking them to create a tree diagram to represent a shopping list.

Afterwards, you could ask them to compare the two trees and explain why each item was placed where it was.

Tip #4: Give Students Time to Practice

It's important to allow students time to practice using graphic organizers. They may not grasp the concept right away. But, over time, they will become proficient at using graphic organizers.

Give students ample time to practice using graphic organization techniques. Allow them to complete several assignments using graphic organizers.

Tip #5: Be Flexible

Sometimes, students won't follow directions precisely. That's okay. Just don't let this discourage you. Instead, simply remind yourself that you've provided them with plenty of opportunities to practice using graphic organizers successfully.

Remember, you're not going to force students to master the skill overnight. Rather, you're helping them develop the ability to think critically about information.

By following these five tips, you'll be able to teach students how to organize information using graphic organizers.

concept paper using graphic organizer

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What is a Graphic Organizer and How to Use it Effectively

Janelle cox.

  • September 16, 2020

Graphic Organizer’ written on a chalkboard.

As educators, we’re always looking for new ways to help students classify and communicate their ideas more effectively. A visual guide, such as a graphic organizer, can do just that, as well as help students plan and structure their ideas in an organized manner. Here we will take a brief look at what a graphic organizer is, the different types of graphic organizers that you can use, as well as how you can use them effectively in the classroom.

What is a Graphic Organizer?

A graphic organizer is a powerful, visual learning tool that teachers like to use to help students organize their ideas. They can also be used to clarify or simplify complex concepts, help with problem solving or decision making , or be used to plan research or brainstorm ideas.

What are the Different Types of Graphic Organizers?

While there are several types of graphic organizers, each with a specific purpose, we will briefly go over the top five most popular used in the classroom.

Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram is a graphic organizer that has two interlocking circles. This type of organizer is used to identify differences and similarities. Students write details about how the topics are different in the outer parts of the circles and how they are the same in the shared inner space of circles.

Venn diagrams can be used to compare and contrast two characters. For example, students would write how each character is different in the outer spaces and how they are the same in the overlapping space in the middle. Then, students can use this graphic organizer to help them write an essay about each character.

Concept Map

A concept map is a graphic organizer that looks like a web with arrows connecting each circle. This type of map helps students identify a main concept as well as sub-concepts. It can be used to help visually organize thoughts as well as illustrate hierarchical information.

There are a variety of ways this type of organizer can be used in the classroom. Students can show relationships between specific concepts, characters in a story, or even vocabulary words. Many teachers like to use it to assess students’ prior knowledge on a topic.

A T-chart is a graphic organizer that is used to compare and contrast two different things. Students can use a T-chart to make comparisons related to a variety of topics or subjects; they can also be used in any content area or genre. For example, in social studies students can compare two different political candidates, then use the chart to help them in a class debate.

An idea web is a graphic organizer that is used for brainstorming and helps students organize ideas or concepts. Much like a concept map, an idea web is comprised of circles that are connected. This type of organizer is mainly used to help students brainstorm story ideas. For example, a topic is written in the center circle and students write in the details in the surrounding smaller circles.

A KWL chart is another popular graphic organizer, especially in the elementary classroom. This visual learning tool consists of three questions, each in their own column (‘what I K now’, ‘what I W ant to know’, and ‘what I L earned’). This is a great graphic organizer for activating prior knowledge.

This organizer is used both before and after learning a concept. Before learning, students write down “what they want to know” and “what they already know” about the topic. Then, after the concept is learned, students write down “what they learned” in the third column of the chart. This three-step process is great for developing a sense of purpose and helps students become more engaged in the topic they are learning.

How to Use Graphic Organizers Effectively

Graphic organizers can be a helpful learning tool, especially when they can guide students to a deeper understanding of what they are learning. To effectively support student learning, it’s important to always model how to use the organizer, as well as instruct students on why you choose the graphic organizer that you did for that specific topic.

For example, explain to students that you choose a Venn diagram as a starting point for an essay they will be writing because it will help them compare two characters in an organized manner before they begin writing their essay. When students understand what they are doing and why they are doing it, it will give them a sense of purpose.

Graphic organizers are great tools to meet the needs of all learners . By presenting information in a graphic format, you can easily make a lesson accessible to all students. To increase the effectiveness of a graphic organizer, always make sure to model beforehand and explain why you are using it and what you are using it for. Also, make sure that each graphic organizer that you choose is aligned with your learning goal; this will ensure that students will apply the information learned and develop a deeper understanding of the concept.

  • #GraphicOrganizer

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The Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

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Graphic organizers integrate both text and visuals. This has been scientifically proven to be an effective way of teaching and learning. Using them can be extremely useful for both teachers and students as they will make lessons more engaging as well as easily comprehensible.

We have listed below multiple types of graphic organizers you can use during various scenarios, whether you are reading, writing, doing research or studying for exams. Each tool is accompanied by a template that you can use right away.

1. What are Graphic Organizers

1.1. Benefits of graphic organizers

2. Types of Graphic Organizers

2.1. Graphic Organizers for Writing

2.1.1. 1. Persuasion map

2.1.2. 2. Sequence Chart

2.2. Graphic Organizers for Reading

2.2.1. 3. Story map

2.2.2. 4. Biography graphic organizer

2.2.3. 5. KWL chart

2.3. Graphic Organizers for Teaching

2.3.1. 6. Learning map

2.3.2. 7. Analogy graphic organizer

2.3.3. 8. Vocabulary graphic organizer

2.3.4. 9. Problem-solving organizer

2.3.5. 10. Math Graphic Organizer

2.4. Graphic Organizers for Learning

2.4.1. 11. Timeline graphic organizer

2.4.2. 12. T chart

2.4.3. 13. Hierarchy chart

2.4.4. 14. Star diagram

2.5. Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming

2.5.1. 15. Cluster diagram

2.5.2. 16. Lotus diagram

2.5.3. 17. Cause and effect graphic organizer

2.5.4. 18. Mind map

2.6. Graphic Organizers for Compare and Contrast

2.6.1. 19. Double bubble map

2.6.2. 20. Venn diagram

2.6.2.1. Add to Our List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

What are Graphic Organizers

A graphic organizer is a teaching and learning tool that is used to organize information and ideas in a way that is easy to comprehend and internalize. By integrating text and visuals, graphic organizers show relationships and connections between concepts, terms, and facts.

Graphic organizers can be used in all grade levels, and have proven to be effective learning tools for gifted children and students with special needs. And with adult learners, graphic organizers can help enable the connection between what they already know and newly acquired knowledge.

Benefits of graphic organizers

Different types of graphic organizers can be used across the curriculum for teaching, learning, and note-taking. They are easy to create and impactful in simplifying information.

  • Help visualize or present information in a way that is easier to comprehend, by breaking down larger or complex concepts or ideas into smaller and simpler parts.
  • Provide students the opportunity to actively contribute and participate in the learning process through the creation of graphic organizers.  
  • Help develop cognitive skills such as brainstorming, critical and, categorizing and prioritizing content, reflection, etc.
  • Help recall prior knowledge about a subject and quickly connect it to new information
  • Promotes self-learning. By using graphic organizers for note-taking, analyzing, studying, etc. students can familiarize themselves with a lesson far more easily.

Types of Graphic Organizers

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing.

Graphic Organizers for Writing

1. persuasion map.

The persuasion map is an interactive graphic organizer that helps students familiarize themselves with the process of persuasive writing .  It assists them with outlining and preparing arguments for their essays, speeches, debates, etc.

How to use it

Step 1: Choose a topic of interest for your essay/debate. Do proper research around it to collect enough information.

Step 2: Define the claim that you want to make with your essay. Persuasive writing by writing this down first.

Step 3: Next to it, write down the reasons for making that claim.

Step 4: Then write down facts, examples, and information to back up your reasoning.

Step 5: End your persuasion map with the conclusion of your essay.

Persuasion map template

2. Sequence Chart

A sequence graphic organizer is a tool that helps visualize the order of steps of a process or a timeline of events, etc. It can also be used for note-taking, lesson planning, and essay writing.

Step 1: Identify the steps in the process or event.

Step 2: Using a sequence chart arrange these steps in sequential order.

Sequence garphic organizer template

Graphic Organizers for Reading

3. story map.

A story map can be used to identify the different elements such as characters, character plots, themes, techniques, etc. in a book students are reading. It’s a useful tool that teachers can integrate into the lesson to improve students’ comprehension.

Step 1: Read the book and understand it well.

Step 2: Discuss the different significant elements that were involved in the story. These could be the characters, setting, problem and solution, etc. You can fill the story map during the discussion.

Step 3: Once the map is complete you can discuss each element individually.

story map graphic organizers

4. Biography graphic organizer

This is a tool that assists with understanding a character from a novel, autobiography or movie or a historical figure more in-depth. It brings attention to various important factors about a person’s life.

How to create it

Step 1: Gather as much information you can about the character you are studying. You can also refer to online resources, or ask from teachers or experts.

Step 2: As you analyze the information you have gathered, isolate the facts that stand out or you think are important.

Step 3: Use your biography graphic organizer to lay out the information in a presentable way. You can add images to make it more comprehensible as well.

Biography graphic organizer

5. KWL chart

KWL chart is used for gathering information from student’s prior knowledge or experience. This 3 column chart captures the before (what the reader already knows), during (what the reader wants to learn) and after (what the reader learned) stages of reading.

Step 1: Get students to brainstorm around the selected topic and write down everything they know about it in the K column.

Step 2: Ask them to generate a list of questions about what they want to know in the W column of the chart.

Step 3: During or after reading the book/ lesson get them to answer these questions in the L column.

KWL graphic organizers - how to create a buyer persona

Graphic Organizers for Teaching

6. learning map.

Learning maps visually depict the key takeaways – skills, ideas, knowledge – students should get from a lesson. It usually provides a high-level view of the lesson/ unit/ course that is to be studied and the connection between its different components. Students can also use learning maps in the classroom for note-taking.

Step 1: At the center of the map, write down the topic (i.e. name of the lesson or unit)

Step 2: Brainstorm ideas and information related to it. Write these down on branches emerging from the center. Make sure that you place them in a way that makes sense to teach or in a logical sequence around the center.

Step 3: Add connectors between these elements and add labels to highlight the kind of relationship between them.

learning map template

7. Analogy graphic organizer

The analogy graphic organizer uses analogy to help students identify similarities and differences between a new topic and a topic that they are already familiar with.

Step 1: Select a topic/ concept that the students already know and is analogous in certain aspects to the new topic

Step 2:  Introduce the new concept and get the students to read and discuss it

Step 3: Using an analogy graphic organizer, ask the students to brainstorm and write similarities and differences between the two topics.

Step 4: Based on the completed graphic organizer, ask the students to write a brief description of  the new topic

Analogy graphic organizer -

Analogy Graphic Organizer (Click on the template to edit it online)

8. Vocabulary graphic organizer

This tool can be used to assess the vocabulary knowledge of students. You can create graphic organizers including various elements to help students learn new words, and learn antonyms and synonyms.

Vocabulary-graphic-orgnaizer

9. Problem-solving organizer

Problem-solving graphic organizers can be used to improve the problem-solving skills of the students. It helps students identify and evaluate solutions to problems.

Step 1: Identify the problem and write it in the problem box

Step 2: Ask students to then write down why they think it is a problem in the first place

Step 3: Get them to brainstorm all possible solutions along with the pros and cons relates to them.

Step 4: Once they select the best possible solution, ask them to list down all its possible consequences

Step 5: Students can then make suggestions to improve the selected solution further

Problem Solution Graphic organizer

10. Math Graphic Organizer

Math graphic organizers are used to describe math concepts graphically to students. It helps with simplifying and solving complex math problems.

Step 1: Select the math problem you want to identify and a relevant graphic organizer that you can use to solve it.

math graphic organizer

Graphic Organizers for Learning

11. timeline graphic organizer.

Timeline diagrams are a type of graphic organizer that shows a sequence of events in chronological order.

They come in handy when studying history as you can use it to display major historical events that occurred during a period of time along with important details such as dates and locations in which they took place.

In addition, timeline charts can also be used to show the progress of something (i.e. growth of a business) or changes.

Step 1: Identify the different events and the sequence of order in which they took place.

Step 2: Use a research on your target audience to arrange them chronologically

Step 3: Include significant details such as dates, locations and other additional information as needed.

timeline diagram template

12. T  chart

T charts allow students to study two facets of a topic. For example, disadvantages and advantages, pros and cons, differences and similarities, etc.

Step 1: Draw a T chart and write down the two areas you want to brainstorm around on each column head.

Step 2: Write down facts on each column as you carry out your brainstorming.

T-chart graphic organizers

13. Hierarchy chart

Hierarchy charts visualize the elements of a system, organization or concept from its highest position to the lowest. Students can use this tool to understand the superordinate and subordinate categories of a topic and the relationship between them.

Step 1: Identify the most important element under the topic you are studying. Write this down at the top of the hierarchy chart.

Step 2: List down the second layer of sub-elements stemming from the first component you have identified. Add a third and fourth as necessary.

Step 3: Connect these with lines to show how they are connected to each other.  

Hierarchy chart template

14. Star diagram

Star diagrams are used to organize the characteristics of a chosen topic. It can also be used to brainstorm around new topics.

Step 1:  Select the topic you want to study and write it down in the center of the star diagram .

Step 2: Write down the characteristics or attributes related to the central topics on each point of the star. Adjust the points of the star depending on how many traits you write down.

start diagram template

Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming

15. cluster diagram.

Cluster diagrams can be used to facilitate a brainstorming session or structure idea generation and even to help with exploring new topics.

Step 1: Pick your topic of interest to explore. This should be placed in the middle of the diagram.

Step 2: Brainstorm around this main idea and come up with sub-topics related to it. Place them around the center.

Step 3: Brainstorm around each of the sub-topics and write down related ideas around them.

Step 4: Add as many layers as you want. However, use color-coding to emphasize each branch of thought. This will make it easier for you to read and understand the cluster diagram .

Cluster diagram template

16. Lotus diagram

Lotus diagram is an analytical tool that can be used to breakdown broader and more complex topics into smaller components for easy understanding. It can be used for brainstorming and studying new topics.

Step 1: Draw a 3×3 grid in the center. On the square in the center, write down the main topic to be explored.

Step 2: Write down the related sub-topics around it as you brainstorm.

Step 3: Draw 8 more 3×3 grids around the one in the center. Each of these can be used to write down facts that you brainstorm around each subtopic.

Lotus diagram template

17. Cause and effect graphic organizer

This type of graphic organizer shows the causes and effects of an event. The cause is the reason why something has happened, and effect is the result of what has happened. Visualization helps clearly understand the different cause and effect relationships.  

Using a cause and effect graphic organizer , identify the causes and effects related to the problem you are studying or writing about. There could be several models of cause and effect events, such as one cause leading to one effect or multiple effects, or multiple causes leading to one effect or multiple effects.

  • One cause leading to several effects
  • Several causes leading to one effect (You can use a fishbone diagram here)
  • Each cause having one related effect
  • One cause triggering another cause that leads to another

Fishbone diagram template

18. Mind map

A mind map is a tool that helps capture the free flow of thought and is widely used for brainstorming around topics. Additionally, it can also be used to organize and group information about a topic.

Step 1: Write down the topic you are brainstorming around in the center.

Step 2: On branches emerging from the middle, write down brainstormed ideas/ thoughts.

Step 3: Expand each sub idea with more facts. You can keep on adding more information to your mind map until you have enough.

Mind map template

Graphic Organizers for Compare and Contrast

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing. Best of all you can use our Compare and Contrast Chart Maker to draw them.

19. Double bubble map

The double bubble map is one of the popular thinking maps. It is much like a Venn diagram and is used to identify similar and different qualities between two things.

How to use it?

Step 1: Write down the two ideas/ topics you are comparing in the two bubbles in the center.

Step 2: As you brainstorm and analyze the topic, write down the differences in the bubbles radiating from the center.

Step 3: Write down the similarities in the bubbles that are common to both topics.

double bubble template

20. Venn diagram

Another graphic organizer that helps you visually represent a comparison of differences and similarities between two subjects, is the Venn diagram. What makes it different from the is that it can include more than two topics and one common area.

It works similar to the double bubble map.

Step 1: Write down the topics being compared on the top of each circle.

Step 2: Writ down the differences or unique characteristics inside its own sector avoiding the overlapping area.

Step 3: List the similarities in the common area.

Venn diagram template

Add to Our List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

Although we have covered 19 types of graphic organizers in this post, there are plenty more that can be useful to our users. Know more? Mention in the comments section below to keep expanding the list of ultimate graphic organizers.

FAQs About list of Graphic Organizer

When selecting a graphic organizer for a specific project, you should consider the type of information you need to organize and the purpose of the project. Here are some tips on how to select the right graphic organizer:

Identify the type of information: Before selecting a graphic organizer, consider the type of information you need to organize.

Determine the purpose of the project: Consider the purpose of the project and what you want to achieve.

Consider the audience: Think about who the audience is for the project. If the audience is young children, a simpler graphic organizer like a picture web might be more appropriate. If the audience is adults, a more complex graphic organizer like a timeline or a chart could be suitable.

Evaluate the effectiveness of different graphic organizers: Try out different graphic organizers and see which ones work best for you. Creately has different graphic organizer editable templates that you could use to create your graphic organizer based on the purpose.

Be creative: Don’t be afraid to create your own graphic organizer or adapt an existing one to meet your needs. Graphic organizers are flexible tools that can be customized to fit different projects and purposes.

Avoid these common mistakes that you make to ensure that your organizer is effective in conveying information.

Avoid overcomplicating the design of your graphic organizer: It should be easy to read and understand, therefore avoid using too many colors, fonts, or shapes which make the organizer confusing and difficult to read.

Consistency is important in creating a graphic organizer. Use the same formatting, color scheme, and font throughout the organizer to ensure that it is easy to follow and understand.

The purpose of a graphic organizer is to simplify and organize information. Including too much information can defeat the purpose and make the organizer overwhelming. Stick to the most important information and use the organizer to highlight key concepts and relationships.

Use clear and appropriate labels for each section of the organizer. Avoid using labels that are too vague or unclear, as this can cause confusion and make it difficult to understand the relationships between the different elements.

Consider who the audience is for the graphic organizer and use appropriate language and images. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to the audience.

Test your graphic organizer to ensure that it effectively conveys the intended information. Ask for feedback from others and make revisions as needed.

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To get a deep understanding of how graphic organizers are constructed, it’s useful to try to create some. Creating one or more graphic organizers will also give you a chance to try out some of the resources that are available for creating them.  You can do this by hand or ask colleagues at school to show you how they use tech tools to design graphic organizers. 

First decide what you want to teach (or reinforce) by using the graphic organizer. It might be a new concept, a sequence of events, or the causes of an event. Choose something relatively simple.

Next select a type of graphic organizer that works well to teach what you are planning to teach. 

Concept Maps : are for connecting ideas to a new concept. 

S tory Maps:  are for analyzing the features of a story. 

F ishbone Diagrams: delineate the multiple causes of an event. 

F low Charts: show the steps in a process 

concept paper using graphic organizer

Then search the Internet for illustrations of this type of graphic organizer. 

F ind templates to help you

Also look for tools to help you develop that type of graphic organizer. The tools might be a template or an actual on-line design program. 

You can generally find templates by using two search terms: the name of the graphic organizer (e.g., “fishbone”) and the word “template.” 

You can generally find development tools by using the name of the graphic organizer and the word “generator.” 

Word and Google have templates for graphic organizers built into their systems too.

Canva is a great resource if you know how to use it. 

REMEMBER You can simply draw it out too!

Create the graphic organizer using the template or other tool. Perhaps show it to your supervising teacher or another paraprofessional with whom you work and ask for feedback. If you are pleased with how the graphic organizer turned out and it fits with what students are studying, share it with one or more students.

  • What was rewarding about the process of creating a graphic organizer?
  • What was frustrating or difficult about the process of creating a graphic organizer?
  • How might your own learning be enhanced through the use of graphic organizers?
  • What did you learn about the specific type of graphic organizer by creating it?
  • What other types of graphic organizers are you interested in developing?
  • How will you use them with students you are teaching?

Module: Helping with Instruction

  • Introductory Scenario
  • Content: Instructional Cycle Interview
  • Content: Alternate Modes of Instruction
  • Links for More Information
  • Content: I do, we do, you do= modeling
  • Content: Scaffolding for Fluency
  • Content: Using Advance Organizers
  • Content: Learning Target Rubrics
  • Slide Show 1. Improving Study Skills
  • Slideshow 2: Multiple Intelligences
  • Content: Study Environment Checklist
  • Introductory Scenarios
  • Content: Metacognitive Strategies
  • Content: Finding Infographics
  • Content: Test Taking HELP
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The Ohio Partnership for Excellence in Paraprofessional Preparation is primarily supported through a grant with the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Ohio Department of Education or Offices within it, and you should not assume endorsement by the Ohio Department of Education.

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What Is It?

Mind Map describing aspect of conceptual mapping

  • Mind-Mapping (Software) A mind map is a visual diagram used to organize concepts or information, showing how different elements are related to one another. For example, a mind map about the topic "software" might show that word in the center, with lines pointing toward different aspects, such as development, maintenance, training, marketing, and distribution. In turn one of these subsidiary topics might have arrows radiating out that further break it down to subtopics. For example, "distribution" might include sub-topics such as traditional stores, digital downloads, subscription services, and so on. Other "connectors" might show more complicated ways in which elements interact, such as how training might benefit marketing. From Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology.

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Use this database to understand basic concepts taught in your courses. It's also a great database for the first step in your research process. It contains short articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and other reference sources on a wide range of subjects. Get started on your assignment or research project by learning about key people, places, dates, events, concepts, and ideas related to your topic.

Application

  • Concept Map - from the ABL Connect Active Learning Strategy Database Concept maps are graphic organizers that display relationships among concepts. In drawing a concept map, students actively construct their understanding of a topic.
  • Concept Maps: Using Concept Maps to Measure Learning ( Academic Development Centre, Univeristy of Warwick, UK) As our comprehension and understanding of a topic develops we increase the number of concepts and ideas that we have about the subject and develop more links between them creating a mental network. Concept maps are representations of this conceptual understanding. A concept map should show the way in which we organise knowledge, ideas and concepts and the hierarchy of concepts within our mental map. It should also show how we relate and link the concepts together.
  • Posters: Using a Poster to Assess Learning ( Academic Development Centre, Univeristy of Warwick, UK) Posters are screen-based, paper-based, or virtual objects which represent ideas and / or research findings. Designed to communicate from a distance, they often incorporate images, figures and graphs and so illustrate what is known. As a visual medium they best lend themselves to topics where data visualisation, visual imagery and narrative are essential elements of student work. They can be used to disseminate research, demonstrate understanding of content knowledge, or document process (after the fact).
  • Using Mind Maps To Teach Social Problems Analysis (ERIC FullText, PDF) This paper identifies five difficulties in teaching the analysis of social problems, and proffers "mind maps," a concept that refers to the ways in which students create a visual representation of their thinking patterns, as a possible solution. Some of the benefits of mind maps are that they require active learning, improve memory and learning skills, encourage creative thinking and problem-solving, and honor different learning styles. This paper presents the results of using mind maps at Columbus State Community College, as well as several mind map projects. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (48th, San Francisco, CA, August 20-22, 1998).
  • Ch.3: Concept Care Maps: Grouping Clinical Data in a Meaningful Manner From the eBook: Concept Mapping A Critical-Thinking Approach to Care Planning, 2nd edition. eBook Collection (EBSCO)

Diagram of a concept map

  • Visual Thinking (Ebner & Bruff, 2010) Visualizations in the form of diagrams, charts, drawings, pictures, and a variety of other ways can help students understand complex information. A well-designed visual image can yield a much more powerful and memorable learning experience than a mere verbal or textual description. Ebner, M. & Bruff, D. (2010). Visual Thinking. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.
  • Showing What it Looks Like: Teaching students to use diagrams in problem solving, communication, and thinking (Manolo, 2020) Students should be able to not only employ verbal representations but also visual representatons such as diagrams to enable effective organization, understanding, and communication of information. However, despite this acknowledge importance, instruction in diagram is rarely provided to students. From Manalo, E. (2020). Deeper Learning, Dialogic Learning, and Critical Thinking : Research-based Strategies for the Classroom. Routledge. eBook Collection (EBSCO)
  • Understanding the Value of Artistic Tools such as Visual Concept Maps in Design and Education Research (2004) Art and design creative techniques are increasingly used in educational and social sciences research as means to complement narrative qualitative research methodologies. Less known is the means by which art and design students may use collage, concept mapping or other artful visual tools to understand narrative in qualitative research. This article aims to demonstrate how artful methods can be combined with more traditional qualitative methodologies to uncover meaning in research texts during data analysis. The authors aim to show how both the phenomenon used and the method applied to data analysis offers a creative way to allow for meaning to emerge, while situating the research firmly in a phenomenological perspective of lived experience of the researcher through a collaborative conversation. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education. Dec2004. Education Research Complete (EBSCO)
  • Concept Maps: Active Learning Assessment Tool in a Strategic Management Capstone Class Teaching a business program capstone class presents a double challenge, requiring the educator to integrate different functional areas of business and evaluate student learning. This paper discusses concept maps as an active learning assessment tool in teaching a strategic management capstone course. Concept maps are used to meaningfully depict knowledge and present illustrations of relationships between concepts in a particular course. This study reviews 54 individual and 19 group concept maps collected over three semesters. The analysis affirms that concept maps are a powerful pedagogical tool that requires students to reflect on the knowledge gained during a course. College Teaching. Oct-Dec 2018. Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)
  • Visualization of Knowledge with Concept Maps in a Teacher Education Course (2021) The use of concept mapping strategies has implications in teaching and learning to improve visual literacy. This study examined pre-service teacher education students' experiences and perspectives in relation to concept map creation and their use in education to promote visual literacy. The data analyzed for this study consisted of concept maps created by students and their written online portfolio reflections. Findings revealed that students found concept maps helped organize and present information visually relating to a specific topic. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning. Sep 2021. Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)

A giant database that covers a wide range of topics. Use it to find peer-reviewed scholarly articles, as well as articles from trade journals, newspapers, and magazines.

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graphic organizer

7 types of graphic organizers for education

Reading time: about 7 min

Think about the last time you got a new phone or downloaded an app. Did you spend some time organizing your screen in a way that makes sense to you? When you think about it, your smartphone is a graphic organizer.

Students of all ages can retain what they have learned for a much longer time if the information is organized visually in a manner that makes sense to them. There are many different types of graphic organizers for students and teachers—web graphic organizers can help students and teachers organize information, ideas, and concepts in a visual way. Let's dig into a few of the more common graphic organizers that can help you, or your students, better organize and asborb information. 

Note for teachers: Many of the templates in this article also offer a black-and-white printable version that you can use for assignments. Just click the image of the template you want to use to open in Lucidchart.

Types of graphic organizers

A KWL chart  is a graphic organizer tool that lets students illustrate what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned. This chart is very easy to use and encourages students to track their learning. These charts can be used individually, in groups, or by the entire class.

KWL chart example

The process for using a KWL chart is simple:

  • Students brainstorm and write down what they currently know about a given subject.
  • Students write down what they would like to learn about the subject.
  • Students record what they have learned about the subject.

Use a KWL chart before, during, and after a lesson to measure how much students progress. You will be surprised by how much students are learning.

Venn diagram

A Venn diagram shows the similarities and differences between two or more items. The diagram is made up of a series of shapes, typically circles, with edges that overlap. Each shape represents a different item. The characteristics shared by each item are represented by the overlapping intersections of each shape.

2-set Venn diagram example

Venn diagrams are typically used in scientific and engineering presentations, in computer applications, in theoretical mathematics, and in statistics. But you can use a Venn diagram as a graphic organizer in any situation where you want to find a direct comparison among different categories or concepts.

For example, younger students may have fun using Venn diagrams to discover what they have in common with their classmates. A very simple diagram can ask students to find out who has a dog, who has a cat, and who has both.

Double bubble map

A double bubble map is an educational graphic organizer that students and teachers can use to compare and contrast things such as people, characters, places, and events. Double bubble maps help students develop logical thinking skills as they organize similar data in one place and contrast it with unique data. Plus, saying “double bubble” is kind of fun.  

Unlike a Venn diagram, the shapes in a double bubble map don’t intersect where the items share common characteristics. Instead, additional shapes are placed between the two shapes that represent the items being compared. The shapes that represent the contrasts of the items being compared are placed on the left and right of the items being compared.

double bubble map

In the example above (which you can open in Lucidchart and use as a template), the orange shapes in the center shapes tell us what apples and bananas have in common: They are both types of food, they are both fruits, and they are both tasty, depending on who you ask. The shapes on the outside edges describe the contrasts: Apples are red, crisp, and full of Vitamin C, while bananas are yellow, soft, and full of potassium.

Cluster/word web

The cluster/word web is a graphic organizer for teachers to help students sort out their thoughts before they start writing an essay, a research paper, or another writing project. This organizer is pretty straightforward: Students write a topic or theme in the middle of the cluster/word web, similar to a mind map. Then they write their main points in the second level of circles, followed by supporting details in the third level of circles.

cluster word web version 1

Learn about additional graphic organizers for writing essays.

A storyboard uses simple artwork on static panels to convey a series of events without too much detail. The idea is to present a quick and easily understood overview of what you want to do. You might think of a storyboard as a tool used by filmmakers to visually outline the sequence of the story that their movie will follow. But a storyboard can translate educational settings as well.

For example, a history teacher can create a storyboard to outline important events from history to help their students remember and recall details that they may not remember if the information is presented in words alone.

blank storyboard template

A storyboard should have more pictures than words. Blank lines can be included below the graphic panels for any text that may be necessary. For example, in a storyboard for an event in history, you may want to write down important dates and names as they relate to the graphics.

Storyboards can also be useful for helping students memorize step-by-step processes, visualize concepts, or for helping students who speak English as a second language.

Persuasion map

A persuasion map is used to visually map arguments that you want to use in a debate or in persuasive writing. Writing to persuade can be as simple as an email asking for help on a project or as complex as a scientific paper describing a new theory.

persuasion map worksheet

The mapping process for this classroom graphic organizer is simple and straightforward, and it can help students stay on topic as they organize their persuasive arguments.

  • Introduce the goal or objective in the top box.
  • List three reasons to support why the goal or objective needs to be met.
  • Summarize important points and state once again what you want your audience to do or believe.

Concept map

A concept map , or concept diagram, is another type of educational graphic organizer that students can use to diagram suggested relationships between concepts. By making a concept map , students visually think about concepts more easily than they can with simple lists or notes.

A concept map uses shapes such as boxes or circles to represent ideas and information. Shapes are connected by arrows labeled with linking phrases such as “due to,” “can be avoided by,” “contributes to,” “requires,” and so on.

concept map

Why should you be using concept maps?

  • To help students organize new information
  • To help students brainstorm ideas
  • To help students make meaningful connections between main ideas and other information
  • To improve student understanding and increase knowledge retention
  • To give students an easy and flexible way to map out any concept or idea

To create a concept map, follow these simple steps:

  • Identify a topic you need to study.
  • Brainstorm about the facts, ideas, themes, and questions that come to mind as you think of the selected topic.
  • Start drawing your shapes. We recommend that you place the shape representing your main topic at the top and link to other shapes in a downward hierarchy. The more important the idea or concept, the closer it should be to the main topic in the hierarchy.
  • Connect the ideas and concepts you brainstormed to the main topic and to each other.

concept map templates

See more concept map templates and examples.  

How can Lucidchart help?

As you can see from the templates throughout this article, Lucidchart has a huge selection of different types of graphic organizers for education. With an Educational account, students and teachers can use these resources to organize ideas, plan assignments, evaluate learning, and more.

Lucid for Education

Want to fully invest in bringing 21st-century learning to your classroom? Try Lucid for Education and create assignments that enable critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. 

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

concept paper using graphic organizer

If you’re a student, there’s no way around it: You’re going to have to write essays. But there is an easier way to brainstorm, structure, and write the perfect essay. Learn how graphic organizers can help and get started with templates from Lucidchart.

concept paper using graphic organizer

A KWL chart is a simple graphic organizer that empowers students to own their learning and helps teachers curate the most engaging lessons. Learn how you can incorporate KWL charts into your classroom.

Bring your bright ideas to life.

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Initial Thoughts

Perspectives & resources, is it the responsibility of teachers to teach study skills strategies (opinion question: no resources), which study skills strategies can improve students’ academic performance.

  • Page 1: Introduction to Study Skills

Page 2: Graphic Organizers

  • Page 3: Comprehension Strategies
  • Page 4: Mnemonics
  • Page 5: Note-taking
  • Page 6: Materials Organization
  • Page 7: Time Management
  • Page 8: Self-Regulation
  • Page 9: References & Additional Resources
  • Page 10: Credits

bubble chart

  • Organize information
  • See the relationships between ideas
  • More easily understand, remember, and apply information

Douglas Dexter, whose primary research interest is successful inclusion practices for adolescents with LD, has focused much of his attention on the effectiveness of graphic organizers. Listen as he describes three reasons that graphic organizers are effective for students with learning difficulties (time: 2:02).

Douglas Dexter

Douglas Dexter, PhD Assistant Professor of Special Education The Pennsylvania State University

View Transcript

Transcript: Douglas Dexter, PhD

The good news about graphic organizers and in such content enhancements, they really benefit everyone. This isn’t just a tool for my students with high-incidence disabilities. This is a tool that’s going to really help everyone in the classroom. Why are graphic organizers so effective? We have three big ideas that we can focus on. The first one, graphic organizers make information extremely explicit and clear. The spatial arrangement of the main concepts or information on the graphic organizer make it very clear for the students how those facts or concepts are related. It makes those relationships very apparent. And when I talk about relationships, those can be temporal, having to do with time, spatial, semantic, sequential, hierarchical, or comparative. The second big idea for why graphic organizers are effective is because they serve as a bridge between new information and prior knowledge. So as a teacher if I present very general ideas of a new concept and compare that to a concept that I have previously taught my students, it’s going to better allow my students to understand that information and link it to their prior knowledge, which is critical for students to learn new information. This is much more effective than giving an introductory lecture or a text introduction to a new subject. And finally the third big idea for why graphic organizers can be so effective for students with LD and ADHD is because graphic organizers really minimize the stress on the working memory. Students with LD and ADHD, they have difficulty identifying those main ideas and supporting details. They have those issues with identifying and ignoring extraneous information. If we can cut that out for our students, really cut the fluff so to speak, we can really minimize the stress on the working memory, which is going to allow the students to learn much more about the subject.

Research Shows

  • The results of two research syntheses and one meta-analysis suggest that graphic organizers increase comprehension for students with learning disabilities across all grade levels. (Dexter & Hughes, 2011; Gajria, Jitendra, Sood, & Sacks, 2007; Kim, Vaughn, Wanzek, & Wei, 2004)
  • Graphic organizers, proven effective for students with and without learning disabilities across all grade levels, can improve reading comprehension and writing skills and increase learning in content areas. (Ellis & Howard, 2007)
  • Students with learning disabilities and ADHD who used graphic organizers outperformed those who did not use graphic organizers on a test of conceptual understanding of linear equations. This suggests that graphic organizers are effective tools for learning higher-level mathematics. (Ives, 2007)
  • A meta-analysis shows that middle and high school students with disabilities who used graphic organizers to learn science content displayed increased vocabulary knowledge and comprehension. (Dexter, Park, & Hughes, 2011)

Because there are many kinds of graphic organizers, teachers should carefully select those that will best convey the information and relationships they wish for their students to learn. The table below lists several of the most common types of graphic organizers and the purposes for which they can be used. Click on them to learn more as well as to see completed versions of each (when the link is clicked, the content will open underneath the table).

Cause and effect chain

Students can use this type of graphic organizer to clarify the relationship between specific events and the outcomes deriving from them, thus illustrating the concepts of consequences , inevitability , and causality .

ss2_02_link_01_ce_1_light

Problem and solution map

problem and solution

Cause Longer than usual period without rain

Cause Population growth increases demand for water

Problem Citywide water supply shortage

  • Fine residents for overuse of water
  • Purchase water from neighboring states
  • Offer subsidies to farms and industry to limit water use
  • Create program to encourage homeowners to use water more responsibly

Fishbone diagram

Also called an Ishikawa diagram (after its inventor), this type of graphic organizer can be used to show a range of complex causes and interactions that lead to specific events.

fishbone diagram.  a way of organizing data that resembles the layout of a fish skeleton

Description

This fishbone graphic organizer illustrates the various primary causes of World War I: Competition Among Nations, Diplomatic Errors, Complex Alliances, and Foreign Policy Events. Secondary causes of the war branch out from each primary cause. The secondary causes that fall under Competition Among Nations are Arms Race and Territorial Disputes. The secondary causes falling under Diplomatic Errors are Delayed Communications and Assumption of Bad Faith. The secondary causes that fall under Complex Alliances are Franco-Russian and Dual Alliance. Finally, the secondary causes falling under Foreign Policy Events are Balkan Wars and Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

Students can use a web to categorize or classify items.

semantic web

In this web graphic organizer, the central term “literature” is divided into a pair of major categories: “fiction” and “nonfiction.” These categories, in turn, are broken into more specific units. “Nonfiction” leads to “autobiography,” “essay,” and “history.” “Fiction,” meanwhile, spreads out to “novels,” “short stories,” and “poetry.” The term “novels” becomes more specific yet, breaking down to genre categories like “fantasy,” “science fiction,” and “mystery.”

Classification table

Students can use this simple organizer to sort or classify information or objects into different categories.

Venn diagram

Named after their creator, Venn diagrams are a type of graphic organizer used to show the overlapping relationships between various categories of ideas, things, events, mathematical expressions, or logical concepts.

The primary nations that made up the Central Powers of World War I and Axis alliance of World War II

Venn Diagram

Compare-contrast matrix

Students can use this type of graphic organizer to clarify what is the same and what is different about the selected people, places, or objects.

Word webs are graphic organizers that help students to better understand a key vocabulary term by connecting it to related terms.

Word Web Diagram

This vocabulary graphic organizer depicts different aspects of a word. In the center of the graphic organizer Today’s Word is listed. Today’s Word is “happy.” Under the word is the definition of happy: “having, displaying, or marked by pleasure or joy, adj.” Under the definition of happy are three examples of Today’s Word in sentences. The first example is “When I am happy, I smile.” The second example is “Winning at checkers makes me happy.” The third example is “The happy birds were singing a cheerful song.” To the left of Today’s Word are three synonyms for happy. The synonyms are “glad,” “pleased,” and “joyful.” To the right of Today’s Word are three antonyms for happy. The antonyms are “sad,” “miserable,” and “gloomy.”

Frayer Model

This type of graphic organizer is used to help students develop more comprehensive vocabulary skills by offering not only a definition and examples of what a given person, place, event, or thing is but also a definition and examples of what those things are not .

ss2_02_link_09_fm

Semantic map

Teachers can use semantic maps to help students to better understand the ways in which words, categories, and concepts are related to one another. This organizer is a type of web that allows students to add in descriptive information about the content.

Semantic map, see description

A semantic map illustrates some of the ways in which words, categories, and concepts are related to one another. In this version of such a map, the key term “vertebrates” is surrounded by a number of specific examples: “amphibians,” “reptiles,” “fish,” “mammals,” and “birds.” Descriptive information has been added beside each of these examples. For example, “amphibians” has been annotated to read “cold-blooded, born in water, no scales.” “Reptiles” reads “cold-blooded, scales, born on land.” “Fish” says “only live in water, have gills and fins.” “Mammals” reads “warm-blooded, babies drink milk, hair on body.” Finally, “birds” is annotated “feathers.”

This common type of graphic organizer breaks down the important steps in a process or sequence and can be used to solve problems or clarify multipart procedures.

Flow chart background

Series of events chain

Similar to a timeline of events, this type of graphic organizer can be used to demonstrate how a linear sequence leads to a specific outcome.

ss2_02_link_12_se

This variety of graphic organizer can help students to more fully comprehend series of events or phenomena that take on recurrent patterns.

cycle

This simple and familiar type of graphic organizer arranges events in chronological order to help students better grasp the relationship between historical occurrences or developments.

Timeline:  1765 - Stamp Act, 1770 - Boston Massacre, 1773 - Boston Tea Party, 1774 - First Continental congress, 1776 - Declaration of Independence.

This timeline graphic is shaped like a double-headed arrow and is divided into single-year increments, a few of which are labeled with some of the major events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. Beginning with 1765, the timeline highlights the Stamp Act then proceeds to similarly spotlight the Boston Massacre in 1770, the Boston Tea Party in 1773, the First Continental Congress in 1774, and the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Douglas Dexter discusses the importance of consistently using the same graphic organizer for similar tasks (e.g., comparing and contrasting), what he refers to as the “verbal structure” of the lecture or text (time: 2:06).

/wp-content/uploads/module_media/ss2_media/audio/ss2_audio_02_dexter_b.mp3

I think it’s very important that teachers pick out graphic organizers based on the verbal structure of their lecture or their text. It doesn’t matter which one you pick. The big idea is as long as you are making those relationships very clear and very explicit, just keep using that same organizer time after time. Then you’re optimizing your instructional time because the students—after you’ve modeled it for them for a while and they’ve gotten some practice with it—they can do that much more independently. And so you’re going to get a lot more time to cover the content, and the students are going to be able to absorb that content again through their working memory. They’re able to encode this information much more efficiently if they are using organizers that they understand. What’s going to happen after several months of using these in the classroom, the students then become much more independent. They become self-reliant, and they become self-regulators, and what we see is they can effectively pick out, and they know which organizer to use. So they can see a text structure, and they can say, “Okay, I see what’s happening here, and this is the organizer that we’ve been using in my class, so I will pick that out.” And the good news here is it’s never too late. Of course it would be wonderful if we got our students thinking in this way even before middle school, but even if I’m teaching an eleventh grade English class or twelfth grade English class, if I introduce this to my students, they’re going to be able to get this and it’s going to benefit them for a very long time. In my longitudinal research, what I find is even when students leave the classrooms that we are in and move up in grades, move up from middle school to high school, they’re going to other classes, and they’re using these same graphic organizers because it really cuts across all of the content areas. And getting students to think this way—and especially our students with learning disabilities and ADHD—really will give them a great benefit and a leg up in being very successful in the secondary level.

Regardless of the graphic organizer the teacher selects, it must clearly demonstrate the relationship between pieces of information.

three girls composing graphic organizer

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For this example, we chose to use a compare-contrast matrix to compare and contrast the information in the students’ graphic organizers. The information included highlights some of the main differences, though it should not be seen as all inclusive.

*U.S. National Park Service. (2007). Fact sheet #2: How do sand dunes move?

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Learning Disabilities Association of America

Graphic Organizers

What is a graphic organizer.

Graphic organizers are visual thinking tools that make pictures of your thoughts. The pictures demonstrate relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas, and guide your thinking as you design the map or diagram.

People who have learning disabilities are often visual learners and thinkers. That means they understand and remember information better when ideas, words, and concepts are associated with pictures, diagrams, charts, and maps.

Why use graphic organizers?

Graphic organizers can help to visualize and construct ideas, organize and/or sequence information, plan what to write, increase reading comprehension, brainstorm, organize problems and solutions, compare and contrast ideas, show cause and effect, and more. The ability to color-code thoughts in a picture can help significantly in understanding and remembering the information.

Graphic organizers can be created for something as simple as a shopping list or as complicated as structuring business components or writing a thesis.

Different types of graphic organizers

There are many different types of graphic organizers. Some are made based on the specific goal, like showing overlapping relationships or visualizing a process. There are literally thousands of free templates available online – just search for “free graphic organizers.” The following are samples of only a few types of graphic organizers.

Venn Diagrams

Venn Diagrams show how different things or ideas can overlap to show a compare/contrast relationship.

Concept Maps

Concept Maps are good for organizing information, brainstorming, visualizing ideas, and planning what you want to write.

Mind Maps are used to visually represent hierarchical information that includes a central idea surrounded by connected branches of associated topics. They work well for brainstorming ideas, solving problems, and showing relationships and/or components in a process.

Flow Charts

Flow charts are graphic organizers that show how steps in a process fit together. This makes them useful tools for communicating how processes work and for clearly documenting how a particular job is done. Mapping a process in a flow chart format can help clarify the process, and show where the process can be improved.

Resources for Graphic Organizers

To learn more about graphic organizers

  • National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials

Free graphic organizer websites (not a complete list)

  • Worksheet Works

Free graphic organizer apps (not a complete list)

  • Popplet Lite

Teacher Resources for Further Reading:

  • How Teachers Can Help Students with Learning Disabilities
  • What Teachers Can Do to Support Writers with Learning Disabilities
  • Successful Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities

concept paper using graphic organizer

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Concept Map Graphic Organizer Template

Concept Map Graphic Organizer Template

The Concept Map is one of the broadest, most flexible forms of graphic organizers out there. 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.

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IMAGES

  1. Graphic Organizers

    concept paper using graphic organizer

  2. What is A Graphic Organizer with Examples

    concept paper using graphic organizer

  3. Graphic Organizer Template: Concept Web Worksheets

    concept paper using graphic organizer

  4. Writing Mini Lesson #14- Graphic Organizers for Narrative Writing

    concept paper using graphic organizer

  5. Main Idea Graphic Organizer Examples & Templates

    concept paper using graphic organizer

  6. Free Editable Graphic Organizer for Research Paper

    concept paper using graphic organizer

VIDEO

  1. Business concept paper UKM

  2. काश! सब मेरी तरह होशियार होते🫣 How to make organizers at home? #shorts #diy /pari choudhary

  3. how to make a organizer with waste paper #trendingshorts #trending #wastematerialcraft #organizer

COMMENTS

  1. Increasing the Value of Graphic Organizers

    Graphic organizers are a helpful learning tool for students of all ages to organize, clarify, or simplify complex information—they help students construct understanding through an exploration of the relationships between concepts. Teacher-generated organizers are a useful scaffold to support student learning.

  2. How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

    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

  3. PDF Graphic Organizers: Guiding Principles and Effective Practices

    Sometimes referred to as concept maps, cognitive maps, or content webs, no matter what name is used, the purpose is the same: Graphic organizers are meant to help students clearly visualize how ideas are organized within a text or surrounding a concept. Through use of graphic organizers, students have a structure for abstract ideas.

  4. Graphic Organizers 101: Why and How To Use Them

    Put simply, graphic organizers are a way of organizing information visually to help students understand and remember it. They're tools that let kids make connections, create a plan, and communicate effectively. A good organizer simplifies complex information and lays it out in a way that makes it easier for a learner to digest.

  5. Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and ...

    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.

  6. PDF Using Graphic Organizers to Improve Reading Comprehension Skills for

    Using graphic organizers gives students alternatives to these ... Zooming in and out - concept graphic organizer allows students to delve deeper into a mo re complex concept. There is a box in the middle of the page for the concept; then there are five other boxes branching out from the middle, and zooming in and out ... piece of paper into two ...

  7. The Great and Powerful Graphic Organizer

    4. Text Illustrations. When students do expository or argumentative writing, consider having them add a graphic organizer to their finished product to illustrate a concept in their piece. In this case, the organizer would NOT be a pre-writing tool, but a supportive diagram to aid in their own readers' comprehension.

  8. Graphic Organizer Templates: A teacher's guide

    Graphic organizers are visual tools that help students organize ideas and information into meaningful categories. These types of graphic organizers are commonly used in business settings but can also be useful for organizing academic papers.

  9. PDF Graphic Organizers for Research Papers

    A graphic organizer (also referred to as a research matrix) is a useful tool for compiling detailed notes during the research process. These types of note-taking systems can take a long time to assemble, so they're geared toward long-term papers, such as graduate research or capstone projects.

  10. What is a Graphic Organizer and How to Use it Effectively

    A concept map is a graphic organizer that looks like a web with arrows connecting each circle. This type of map helps students identify a main concept as well as sub-concepts. It can be used to help visually organize thoughts as well as illustrate hierarchical information.

  11. The Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

    What are Graphic Organizers 1.1. Benefits of graphic organizers 2. Types of Graphic Organizers 2.1. Graphic Organizers for Writing 2.1.1. 1. Persuasion map 2.1.2. 2. Sequence Chart 2.2. Graphic Organizers for Reading 2.2.1. 3. Story map 2.2.2. 4. Biography graphic organizer 2.2.3. 5. KWL chart 2.3. Graphic Organizers for Teaching 2.3.1. 6.

  12. 15 Different Types of Graphic Organizers for Education [2021]

    Type #1: Circle Map Graphic Organizer Type #2: Spider Map Graphic Organizer Type #3: Idea Wheel Graphic Organizer Type #4: Idea Web Graphic Organizer Type #5: Concept Map Graphic Organizer Type #6: Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer Type #7: Tree Chart Graphic Organizer Type #8: Organizational Chart Graphic Organizer

  13. PDF SHORT ARTICLE A Review of Studies on Graphic Organizers and ...

    In its basic form of a graphic organizer, readers draw a concept or word in the middle of a piece of paper or a screen and add related information and words to this concept, leading to a graphical representation of knowledge (see Figures 1 and 2). Table 1 presents a list of online graphic organizers. Figure 1.

  14. Activity: Creating a Simple Graphic Organizer

    Procedures. First decide what you want to teach (or reinforce) by using the graphic organizer. It might be a new concept, a sequence of events, or the causes of an event. Choose something relatively simple. Next select a type of graphic organizer that works well to teach what you are planning to teach. For connecting ideas to a new concept ...

  15. Using Graphic Organizers, Mind Maps, Templates

    Concept maps are graphic organizers that display relationships among concepts. In drawing a concept map, students actively construct their understanding of a topic. ... This paper presents the results of using mind maps at Columbus State Community College, as well as several mind map projects. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the ...

  16. Free Graphic Organizer Maker Online (Free Examples)

    Students can use a graphic organizer for writing an essay, creating a story map, or studying a scientific concept. Teachers can also create a graphic organizer to discuss the main topic or guide students through a lab procedure. In the workplace, graphic organizers help teams identify the beginning, middle, and end of a sequence or brainstorm ...

  17. Types of Graphic Organizers for Education

    A KWL chart is a graphic organizer tool that lets students illustrate what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned. This chart is very easy to use and encourages students to track their learning. These charts can be used individually, in groups, or by the entire class. KWL Chart Template (Click on image to modify online)

  18. IRIS

    Graphic organizers, sometimes called webs or concept maps, can help these students more easily process information. More specifically, these tools allow students to: Organize information. See the relationships between ideas. More easily understand, remember, and apply information. Douglas Dexter, whose primary research interest is successful ...

  19. Graphic Organizers

    Graphic organizers can help to visualize and construct ideas, organize and/or sequence information, plan what to write, increase reading comprehension, brainstorm, organize problems and solutions, compare and contrast ideas, show cause and effect, and more. The ability to color-code thoughts in a picture can help significantly in understanding ...

  20. Using Graphic Organizers for Clinical Judgment

    In pre-licensure nursing programs, graphic organizers can be used to enhance learning and/or critical thinking, especially skills needed to make appropriate and safe clinical judgments. Depending on the type of graphic organizer, advantages of these learning tools include: Allows students to construct knowledge.

  21. Concept Paper Using Graphics to Understand the Paper More

    CONCEPT PAPER USING GRAPHICS school calulut integrated school (shs) jomar macapagal teacher teaching week semester quarter (week sy 1st detailed lesson plan in. ... Present a novel concept or proj ect with accompanying visuals/graphic aids. Q1-10. D. Objectives. At the end of the session, 1. Identify the ways on how to dev elop a concept paper; 2.

  22. Concept Map Graphic Organizer Template

    The Concept Map is one of the broadest, most flexible forms of graphic organizers out there. 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. Concept Map Graphic Organizer Template