Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers, Mind Maps, Concept Maps are a pictorial or graphical way to organize information and thoughts for understanding, remembering, or writing about. Graphic organizers, mind maps and concept maps are powerful tools that can be used to enhance learning and create a foundation for learning.

• Graphic Organizers are visual representations of knowledge that structure information by arranging important aspects of a concept or topic into a pattern using labels. the relationships among facts and concepts
• Organize ideas
• Store and recall information.

 Graphic Organizers are particularly important in the social studies when you want to teach students:

• Cause and effect Relationships (Fishbone, cycle diagram, flow charts, matrix
• Comparison and Contrast (Parallel Lists, Venn diagram, t-charts

Graphic Organizers help to break down complex pieces of information into more manageable pieces which is useful for students in special learning population.

How can you implement Graphic Organizers in order to effectively meet the diverse learning needs of students?

In addition to the suggestions on the Graphic Organizer link, these organizers can be incorporated with the Unit Study Organizer which is a graphic organizer in itself. The back of the Organizer can be a template for an organizer that the teacher plans to use during the course of the unit being taught.