Wendy+Delate's+Strategy

Graphic Organizers

**// "Graphic organizers are tools that help your brain think." - Kylene Beers //** __**Graphic Organizers:**__ Graphic organizers make up a variety of visual note-taking formats that show how ideas relate to each other. You can use them to help students classify ideas and communicate more effectively. Graphic organizers are used to structure writing projects, to help in problem solving, decision making, studying, planning research, and brainstorming. There are several different types of graphic organizers. Here are 3 examples of some of the most popular:

[|KWL] - A three-column chart that helps students identify what they already know about a topic, what they want to know about a topic, and what they learned about the topic after studying it.



[|Venn Diagram]- A two-circle diagram that shows how topics are similar and different. Details about how topics are similar are shown in the overlapping part of the circles and details about how they are different are on the outer part of the circles.



[|Cluster/Word Web]- A method for brainstorming everything known about a topic, particularly before writing. The number of circles/bubbles can vary greatly.



‍**__Importance:__**
====‍Graphic Organizers are important to help organize thoughts, especially in expository texts. The many different types of graphic organizers serve as a visual map used to help the learner understand the five most common patterns, such as description, sequence, comparison, cause and effect, and problem and solution.====

‍__**Benefits For Learners:**__
Graphic organizers can be used for learners with varying exceptionalities. They help students who are learning English as a second language. They are also a fun way to engage the learner in the topic being studied.

Graphic organizers are especially useful as the beginning part of the writing process. They help the writer organize thoughts into paragraphs.
Reading: Graphic organizers are also useful in comprehending reading. They can be used to compare and contrast characters in a book, to understand what the reader has read about a topic, and many more uses.

Science: Graphic organizers can help students learn what happened in an experiment (KWL) and compare topics (Venn Diagram).

As you can see, graphic organizers are an invaluable tool for teachers. They can assist in all areas of the curriculum and with all types of learners. They make learning more interesting for both the student and the teacher.
 * __Conclusion:__**