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Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are useful tools for students at any grade level and with multiple abilities. They come in a variety of styles and are often given specific names according to the information they present (e.g. Story Map, Concept Wheel). A graphic organizer is a way to organize information pictorially. Graphic organizers aid students in arranging their ideas visually as they gather data and/or through the planning process of a task.

Here is an on-going list of graphic organizers to use with your students:

Concept Wheel

Fact and Opinion

5 W’s Chart

KWL Chart

Story Map

Story Web

Venn Diagram

Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer

A Venn Diagram is a useful graphic organizational tool that compares and contrasts the characteristics of two things (people, places, ideas, etc.). Younger students and those needing visual representation benefit by using Venn diagrams. Venn diagrams consist of two curves–each one featuring specific attributes. The overlapping portion represents characteristics that are shared.

Story Web Graphic Organizer

This simple story web offers young students a place to organize a story. The story can be a personal one they are developing or a story that was already read. Elements of this graphic organizer include the “main idea” and space for four supporting ideas. Space is provided for students to add additional ideas to the web. It can be used with a variety of genres and subjects.

Story Web Graphic Organizer

KWL Chart Graphic Organizer

The KWL Chart is also known as the “Know, Want to Know, and Learned” Chart. It is a type of graphic organizer that is typically used throughout a unit of study. By asking the questions featured in this chart, students are encouraged to think critically as their background knowledge about the topic is accessed and their new knowledge is applied. This type of graphic organizer can be used with multiple subjects.

KWL Chart Graphic Organizer Worksheet

Fact and Opinion Graphic Organizer

This type of graphic organizer assists students in sorting information when considering if it is a fact or opinion. It can be used with multiple subjects.

Fact and Opinion Graphic Organizer Worksheet