A graphic organizer is a visual organizer that helps students organize ideas from text. (Miller & Veatch 2001) The purpose is to provide a framework for students to record the main idea and details that can be found within each paragraph as they read the text. It also provides a roadmap to chart the course before reading and a study guide or writing support to use after reading.
A graphic organizer is "a visual and graphic display that depicts the relationships between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task.
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Video
Video
The video above clearly defines and demonstrates the many uses of a graphic organizer. It explains how students are involved with active thinking and can connect to their learning. The drawings, maps, charts, etc. appeal to visual learners. It also is a more creative tool for teachers to assess learning.
Lesson Example
There are five basic steps for using the the organizer: 1. Select the topic The teacher introduces the lesson topic and provides students with a blank organizer. Students note the topic in the appropriate spaces on the graphic. This would most likely be the title of the reading selection. 2. Determine the main ideas Students record brief statements or words that summarize key ideas relating to the topic. 3. Discuss the details The details that are important for students to learn and remember are written on the Frame graphic in the essential details boxes. These essential details can later be ranked on the graphic according to level of importance. 4. Develop the "Big Idea" The teacher, small groups, or the whole class develop the Big Idea statement or the "So what?" idea. This statement is designed to help students understand how the topic fits with the overall context. These statements can take the form of: 5. A short summary A conclusion the student has drawn A connection to a real-world application relevant to the student Evaluate the information The teacher facilitates evaluation of the new information when it is clearly organized. Several follow-up activities can then be employed to extend students' understanding of important concepts. Such activities might include the following: Having in-depth discussions; Debating various points; Drawing conclusions; Making connections to other ideas; Forming predictions, or forecasts; and Engaging in journal writing
References
1. Miller, M., Veatch, N. (2001). Literacy in Context (LinC).: Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students Grades 5-12. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
2. Help Students Organize their Thinking by Sandy Chapman Retrieved Aug 7, 2015, from http://teaching.colostate.edu/tips/tip.cfm?tipid=176
3. http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22229/
Jim Burke explains who to teach kids from different perspectives using the main idea organizer. He shares how it promotes focus, gives an organized structure, provides quotations, and developed details. These 4 concepts help students synthesize paragraph writings or larger pieces of writing. Teachers can assess student learning by assigning summaries and evaluating the organizers for complete thoughts and details.
Lesson Example My music students would be able to take a topic such a selection of music by Mozart. They would then by able to break it down into categories such as rhythm, melody, form, and mood. Students would record brief statements in each category. Details would be discussed in small groups and then later with the whole class. Written summaries may be assigned to discuss conclusions, making connections to other pieces of music, further learning, or assess learning.
Writing Component Reading standard 2 Write informative/explanatory text to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. Students can use the graphic organizer to take organized ideas and concepts and develop them into a short written summary.