Graphic organizers are great tools to use with reading assignments or when helping students organize ideas and thought processes. When scholars are assigned text to read they should also write down key facts from the text. Graphic organizers help scholars organize information and ideas that are related to a text. Graphic organizers can also be used to help scholars with researching information. Many times students will “copy and paste” information into a research paper or project and claim their work as their own. However, to help scholars understand the researched information, writing is required. Writing helps students process the information obtained from various text. So, when they are given a graphic organizer on which to write down information they have researched, they begin to understand the information better; it also helps the teacher identify which scholars are actually researching information and which students need gentle guidance. In addition, scholars then begin using their own ideas and voices in finished research projects or papers.
Using a graphic organizer for the first time? Teachers should always make sure they model how to use a graphic organizer for their scholars before assigning it to ensure that scholars understand how to use graphic organizers correctly. Graphic organizers are a favorite tool of teachers and scholars. During a conferencing session with about 23 scholars, when asked what learning activity they liked most in class, 13 scholars mentioned they liked working with specific graphic organizers, such as the Mind Joggers (See Image 1). Mind Joggers are a great tool to use with vocabulary, content-specific terms, and even math computation. The Mind Jogger in Image 1 focused on science terms and a few check for understanding questions that were based on the text scholars read in class. So, this week try using a graphic organizer with scholars as they read text or solve math problems.
Image 1
