Unit Three- Utilizing Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
From KNILT
Main Page-Anthony Traina
Unit One- Understanding Graphic Organizers
Unit Two- Creating Graphic Organizers
Unit Three- Utilizing Graphic Organizers in the Classroom
Introduction:
- Graphic organizers can be a very powerful tool for assessing students’ (a) knowledge of the content (e.g., social studies, science), (b) thinking skills such as the ability to structure information, and (c) some habits of the mind such as creativity, and commitment to quality. No matter what grade level you teach graphic organizers can be a powerful tool in your tool box of teaching. There are Four Stages for Enabling Students to Construct Graphic Organizers. Below you will find the four stages as well as suggestions for all grade levels.
Four Stages for Enabling Students to Construct Graphic Organizers
- Stage 1: Teacher does it:
- Teacher constructs the graphic organizer, provides students a copy, and uses it when teaching the content.
- Stage 2: Class does it:
- Teacher and students co-construct graphic organizers depicting important ideas as the content is explored.
- Stage 3: Groups do it:
- Teams of students construct graphic organizers via cooperative learning and the teacher acts as a guide-on-the-side.
- Stage 4: Individuals do it:
- Students independently construct graphic organizers
(Ellis, 2004)
Here are some ways you can use graphic organizers with your students. These are from Graphic Organizers to the Rescue by Gloria A. Dye.
- Early Childhood Uses
- Here are some ways you may use graphic organizers with children at the early childhood level.
- a. Teaching children about animals and helping them classify the animals.
- b. Explaining the connection between characters in a story.
- c. Developing language skills by including pictures along with the words within the graphic organizer to explain a certain concept.
- Elementary Uses
- Here are some ways you may use graphic organizers with children at the elementary level.
- a. Helping children remember or understand the specific parts of a story.
- b. Using phonological awareness activities, teaching the children how and when to spell the various /s/ sounds, for example.
- c. Helping the children remember that states and capitals and where they are located in the United States. For example, the eastern states, the western states, and midwestern states.
- Middle School Uses
- Here are some ways to use graphic organizers with middle school students.
- a. Illustrating science concepts, such as how and when various types of clouds form.
- b. Understanding history concepts, such as the key issues leading to the Civil War.
- c. Associating the instruments in an orchestra with the particular section that instrument might be in. One section of the graphic organizer might be entitled “woodwind instruments,” with the specific instruments noted.
- High School Uses
- Here are some ways to use graphic organizers with high school students.
- a. Comparing two stories in literature.
- b. Explaining the key components from a chapter in the history text.
- c. Describing the key concepts from a chapter in the science text.
(Dye, 2000)
Unit Three- Tasks
- Teacher/Student Activity
- Using the graphic organizer that you have created, the Inspiration software, the Four Stages for Enabling Students to Construct Graphic Organizers along with the knowledge that you have obtained from this design project, have your class create their own graphic organizers. Keep in mind that this is a learning experience for both you and your students.
- Learning Journal - Please take a few minutes to write down a few thoughts you might be having about this process. The prompts below are only suggestions. This is your journal feel free to add to or subtract anything that is listed below.
- What have you learned during this unit?
- What questions do you still have about graphic organizers?
- What have you learned from this design project?
