graphic organizers for writing an essay

Essay Papers Writing Online

Effective graphic organizers to help you write an outstanding essay.

In the realm of academic writing, there is a constant need to effectively convey ideas and present arguments in a coherent and logical manner. This becomes particularly challenging when faced with the daunting task of crafting an essay. However, fear not, for there exists a remarkable tool that can revolutionize your writing process: the strategic deployment of visual aids known as graphic organizers. These invaluable tools empower you to organize your thoughts, enhance the overall structure of your essay, and effortlessly guide your readers through your compelling narrative.

Unlocking the Potential of Visual Representation

Imagine a map that leads you on a journey through your essay, connecting ideas and concepts with clear and concise pathways. Graphic organizers act as this map, providing visual representations of your ideas and helping you create a well-structured and cohesive piece of writing. By utilizing various forms of graphic organizers, such as concept maps, Venn diagrams, and flowcharts, you can transform your essay into a compelling and logical narrative that captivates your readers.

Navigating the Writing Process with Ease

Writing an essay can often feel like navigating through a labyrinth of ideas, arguments, and evidence. Without a clear path to follow, you may find yourself lost in a sea of information and unsure of how to proceed. This is where graphic organizers come to the rescue. These visual tools enable you to break down complex ideas into manageable sections, identify key points, and establish connections between them. By visually representing the structure of your essay, graphic organizers provide a roadmap that guides you through the writing process with ease.

A brief overview of graphic organizers and their importance in essay writing

Essay writing is a complex task that requires careful organization of ideas and thoughts. One effective way to achieve this is by using graphic organizers. These visual tools assist writers in brainstorming ideas, organizing information, and structuring their essays.

Graphic organizers serve as a framework for writers to arrange their thoughts in a logical and coherent manner. They provide a visual representation of the essay’s structure and help writers to see how different ideas and supporting details are connected. By utilizing graphic organizers, writers can easily identify the main points they want to convey and ensure that all supporting information aligns with the essay’s central theme.

One of the key benefits of using graphic organizers is that they promote clarity and coherence in essay writing. They help writers to keep their thoughts organized and prevent them from getting lost in a sea of disorganized ideas. By using visual tools such as flowcharts, mind maps, or Venn diagrams, writers can visually map out their arguments, supporting evidence, and counterarguments, ensuring a clear and concise presentation of their ideas.

In addition to enhancing clarity, graphic organizers also facilitate the writing process by saving time and reducing the risk of missing important points. With a well-structured graphic organizer, writers can easily outline their essays and have a clear roadmap to follow. This not only helps them to stay focused and avoid digressions but also ensures that they cover all the necessary points when constructing their arguments.

Furthermore, graphic organizers can be particularly beneficial for visual learners or individuals who struggle with traditional outlining methods. The visual representation of information provided by graphic organizers allows these individuals to better understand and retain the content. By employing graphic organizers, writers can cater to different learning styles and create a more inclusive and accessible essay.

In conclusion, graphic organizers play a crucial role in essay writing by assisting writers in organizing their thoughts, promoting clarity and coherence, and saving time. By utilizing these visual tools, writers can enhance their essay-writing process and produce well-structured and compelling pieces of writing.

Mind maps are a powerful tool for organizing and structuring thoughts and ideas. They are visual representations that help to connect concepts and create associations. These diagrams can be used to brainstorm ideas, plan essays, and organize information.

When creating a mind map, start by writing down the main topic or idea in the center of the page. From there, branch out and add related subtopics and supporting details. Use symbols, colors, and images to make the mind map visually appealing and easier to understand.

Mind maps are particularly useful for essay writing as they allow you to see the relationships between different ideas and how they fit together. You can use them to outline the main arguments and supporting evidence for your essay, ensuring that your thoughts flow logically.

One of the benefits of using mind maps is that they encourage flexible thinking. They allow you to explore different ideas and connections, and you can easily rearrange and reorganize the information as needed. This flexibility can help you to generate new insights and perspectives for your essay.

Additionally, mind maps are a great tool for visual learners. They engage the visual sense and can make the information more memorable. By using images and colors, you can create a visually stimulating mind map that will help you to remember key points and ideas.

In conclusion, mind maps are a versatile and effective tool for organizing and structuring your thoughts when writing an essay. They allow you to brainstorm ideas, create associations, and visualize the relationships between different concepts. By using mind maps, you can enhance your essay writing process and create well-structured and cohesive essays.

How mind maps can help in brainstorming ideas and organizing thoughts for an essay

Mind maps are an effective tool to help students generate and organize ideas for an essay. By visually representing thoughts and connections, mind maps can aid in the brainstorming process and provide a structure for essay writing.

• Mind maps allow for the exploration of various ideas and perspectives. They help in generating a wide range of ideas surrounding a central topic. By allowing the brain to make connections and associations, mind maps can stimulate creativity and encourage out-of-the-box thinking.
• Mind maps allow for the organization of thoughts and ideas. With the main topic at the center of the map, students can branch out and connect related ideas, subtopics, and supporting evidence. This visual representation helps students see the overall structure of the essay and ensures logical flow between paragraphs.
• Mind maps can help in identifying gaps in knowledge or areas that require further research. By visually mapping out the ideas, students can identify any missing information or weak arguments. This allows for more targeted research and a more comprehensive and informed essay.
• Mind maps can be easily modified and adjusted. As the essay writing process progresses, new ideas or connections may arise. With a mind map, students can easily add, remove, or rearrange branches and subtopics to reflect these changes. This flexibility ensures that the essay remains coherent and well-organized.
• Mind maps can serve as a reference tool during the writing process. By having a visual representation of the essay structure, students can refer back to the mind map to ensure that they are staying on track and addressing all necessary points. This prevents the essay from becoming disjointed or off-topic.

In conclusion, mind maps are a valuable tool for brainstorming ideas and organizing thoughts for an essay. They facilitate the exploration of various ideas, provide a structure for organizing thoughts, help identify gaps in knowledge, and serve as a reference tool during the writing process. By utilizing mind maps, students can enhance their essay writing process and produce more coherent and well-structured essays.

Venn Diagrams

Venn diagrams are a powerful tool for visually organizing information and identifying relationships between different concepts. These diagrams provide a clear and concise way to compare and contrast various elements, allowing writers to effectively analyze and present their ideas in an organized manner.

One of the key features of Venn diagrams is their ability to depict overlapping areas, often referred to as intersections. This element is particularly useful when discussing similarities and differences between different topics or ideas. By using Venn diagrams, writers can easily identify commonalities and distinctions, which can strengthen their arguments and provide clarity to their readers.

Venn diagrams are frequently used in academic writing, as they can help writers structure their thoughts and create logical connections between different concepts. By representing information in a visual format, these diagrams enable writers to explore relationships between various elements and make connections that might not be immediately apparent. This can lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and contribute to a more comprehensive and cohesive essay.

Moreover, Venn diagrams can also be utilized as a brainstorming tool, allowing writers to generate ideas and organize their thoughts before embarking on the writing process. By visually mapping out the different components of their essay, writers can see how various ideas relate to each other, identify any gaps or inconsistencies, and ensure that their arguments flow smoothly and coherently.

In conclusion, Venn diagrams are a valuable resource for essay writing. Whether used to compare and contrast different concepts, analyze relationships, or brainstorm ideas, these diagrams can enhance the effectiveness and organization of the writing process. By incorporating Venn diagrams into their essay planning and drafting, writers can create well-structured and cohesive essays that effectively convey their ideas to readers.

Using Venn diagrams to compare and contrast different concepts or ideas in an essay

When crafting an essay, it is often necessary to compare and contrast different concepts or ideas in order to provide a well-rounded analysis. One effective tool for visualizing these comparisons is the Venn diagram. By using a Venn diagram, you can easily identify the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, helping to organize your thoughts and enhance the clarity of your essay.

A Venn diagram consists of overlapping circles that represent different concepts or ideas. The areas where the circles overlap indicate similarities, while the areas outside of the overlapping circles represent differences. By visually representing the connections and distinctions between subjects, a Venn diagram provides a clear and concise way to compare and contrast different concepts within an essay.

One of the main advantages of using a Venn diagram is its ability to highlight both the similarities and differences between subjects. This allows the reader to easily understand the relationships between different concepts and provides a comprehensive view of the topic being discussed. Additionally, a Venn diagram can help you identify any gaps in your analysis and prompt further exploration.

When using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast different concepts or ideas within an essay, it is important to provide clear and concise explanations for each point. This will help the reader understand the connections and distinctions being made. Additionally, it is important to use accurate and relevant information to support your comparisons and contrasts.

In conclusion, utilizing Venn diagrams can be an effective strategy for comparing and contrasting different concepts or ideas within an essay. By visually representing the similarities and differences, a Venn diagram enhances the clarity and organization of your writing. Furthermore, it prompts further exploration and insight, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of the chosen topic.

Flowcharts are visual representations of processes or systems that can be used to organize and present information in a clear and concise manner. They offer a unique way to illustrate the flow or sequence of steps in a process, making it easier for the reader to understand, follow, and analyze the information presented.

Flowcharts consist of various shapes and lines that are connected to depict the steps or actions involved in a particular process. Each shape represents a specific action or decision, and the lines indicate the direction of the flow. This visual format allows for easy identification of the different components of a process and the relationships between them.

Flowcharts can be particularly useful in essay writing as they provide a framework to organize ideas and ensure logical progression. They allow writers to map out the flow of their thoughts and arguments, helping them to identify any gaps or inconsistencies in their reasoning. By visualizing the overall structure of an essay, flowcharts help writers to analyze the effectiveness of their writing and make necessary revisions.

Furthermore, flowcharts can also be used to outline different essay structures or formats, such as the traditional five-paragraph essay or more complex argumentative essays. They can serve as a guide to help writers understand the order and flow of information within each paragraph or section, ensuring a coherent and logical presentation of ideas.

Overall, flowcharts are a valuable tool in essay writing as they offer a visual representation of the flow and structure of ideas. They can enhance the clarity and organization of an essay, making it easier for both the writer and the reader to navigate and comprehend the information presented.

How flowcharts can be used to outline the structure and flow of an essay

Flowcharts are a visual tool that can be incredibly useful in outlining the structure and flow of an essay. These diagrams provide a clear and organized representation of the main ideas and supporting details, allowing writers to quickly identify the logical progression of their arguments.

By using flowcharts, writers can visually map out the various sections and subsections of their essays, providing a framework for their thoughts and ideas. Each box in the flowchart can represent a different paragraph or section, while the arrows indicate the direction of the flow and logical connections between the different parts of the essay.

Not only do flowcharts help writers stay organized, but they also enable them to see the overall structure of their essays at a glance. This big-picture view allows writers to ensure that their arguments flow smoothly and logically from one point to the next. Writers can easily spot any gaps or inconsistencies in their logic, helping them refine and improve their essays before they even start writing.

Flowcharts also serve as a useful tool for brainstorming and generating ideas. By visually mapping out the main points and supporting evidence, writers can easily identify any missing information or weak arguments. This allows them to fill in the gaps and strengthen their overall thesis statement.

Another benefit of using flowcharts is that they can help writers experiment with different essay structures and arrangements. By rearranging the boxes and arrows, writers can explore different ways of organizing their thoughts and arguments, allowing them to find the most effective and coherent structure for their essay.

In conclusion, flowcharts are a valuable tool for outlining the structure and flow of an essay. They allow writers to organize their thoughts and ideas, ensure logical progression, and identify any weak points in their arguments. By using flowcharts, writers can streamline the writing process and ultimately create more cohesive and compelling essays.

Concept Maps

Concept maps are visual tools that help organize and represent ideas and concepts. They are powerful tools for brainstorming, planning, and understanding complex information. Concept maps allow you to visually connect different concepts and their relationships, making it easier to track the flow of ideas and identify key connections.

Concept maps facilitate the exploration and organization of ideas, serving as a roadmap for the essay writing process. They provide a structured framework for outlining main points, supporting details, and logical connections between different ideas. By visually representing the relationships between concepts, concept maps help to create a clear and cohesive argument.

Concept maps can also be used as a study tool, aiding in the comprehension and retention of information. By visually organizing and linking concepts, they enhance understanding and promote critical thinking. Concept maps can be useful for summarizing key points, identifying gaps in knowledge, and generating new ideas.

Overall, concept maps are an effective and versatile tool for essay writing and knowledge organization. Whether used for brainstorming, planning, or studying, concept maps provide a visual representation of ideas and their relationships, helping to create a coherent and persuasive essay.

Using concept maps to visually represent the relationships between different ideas in an essay

A valuable tool in essay writing is the use of concept maps to visually represent the connections and relationships between various ideas. Concept maps provide a means of organizing and structuring information in a clear and concise manner, allowing the writer to see the overall framework of the essay and how different ideas are interconnected.

Concept maps are particularly useful when brainstorming and planning an essay, as they enable the writer to generate ideas and identify relationships between them. By visually mapping out the concepts, main points, and supporting details, a concept map can serve as a guide throughout the writing process.

Each concept in a concept map is represented by a node or box, with lines connecting the nodes to indicate the relationships between them. These connections can be labelled to show the nature of the relationship, such as cause and effect, similarities and differences, or chronological order. By visually seeing these connections, the writer can ensure that the essay is coherent and logically structured.

Furthermore, concept maps allow the writer to easily rearrange and reorganize ideas as needed. If a new connection or relationship is discovered, or if the writer decides to change the structure of the essay, the concept map can be easily modified to reflect these changes. This flexibility enables the writer to continually refine and improve the essay as they progress in the writing process.

Overall, concept maps offer a powerful visual tool for essay writing, aiding in the organization and development of ideas. By visually representing the relationships between different ideas, concept maps can enhance the clarity and coherence of an essay, making it more compelling and persuasive to the reader.

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How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

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If you’re a student, there’s no way around the inevitable: You’re going to have to write essays. Lots of essays. In fact, the five-paragraph essay is so fundamental to the high school curriculum that it’s still used on the ACTs, and knowing how to recognize the organizational structure of essays will help you score higher on the SATs.

Even though it seems like a chore, knowing how to organize and write an essay can have a lasting effect on your life, from getting into a better college to scoring a better job to performing better in that job long after your high school days are over.

Here’s a secret: Using graphic organizers for writing essays can help you write better essays faster. (And don’t count yourself out if you’re an educator—you can offer these tools to help your students succeed.) We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why use graphic organizers

When ACT graders or teachers are looking your essay, they’re looking for very specific criteria; essentially, they’re looking at how well you’ve organized your thoughts. Many students don’t take the time to outline their essay structure before writing, and that always means a lower score on a test and a lower grade on the essay in class.

Using a writing template can feel like an unnecessary step in an already complicated process. If you need extra motivation to implement these organizers into your writing routine, consider all of their benefits. Graphic organizers can help you:

• Save time by showing you where each piece of the essay “lives.”
• Have more productive brainstorming sessions, either by yourself or with a group.
• Make connections between ideas and create a more cohesive argument.
• Pinpoint holes in your arguments and either adjust the thesis or find supporting statements.
• Keep track of your research.
• Organize your thoughts and come to interesting, more compelling conclusions.
• Stay in the right direction when you feel lost in a sea of words.
• Manage anxiety by converting the fear of a blank assignment into an action plan with a clear map.

With all those benefits, it’s hard to ignore how useful and vital graphic organizers are to writing. And once you’ve become adept at organizing your thoughts for something like a school essay, you’ll find that skill carries with you throughout your life, whether you’re trying to become a more intelligent debater to negotiate prices. It goes beyond just the essay to becoming a better thinker. And it starts with a simple template.

We’ll walk you through several use cases for graphic organizers and provide templates for you to download and fill in when you’re ready to write.

Brainstorming graphic organizers

Brainstorming is important, not only to come up with ideas for topics but to determine what information you need to include in the essay once you’ve determined your topic. Though many think of brainstorming as just freeflow thinking, brainstorming is most productive when you work within specific parameters.

That’s why essay brainstorming graphic organizers are useful, whether you’re using one to brainstorm on your own or you’re working with a group.

In Lucidchart, our mind map shapes and templates double as brainstorming graphic organizers. Start with an essay prompt as your central shape and then fill in the shapes that branch off your prompt with topic ideas. Alternatively, you can add your selected topic to the center and start brainstorming the different ideas you need to cover in your paper.

When the template is filled in, you’ll have a clear starting point for your essay or research paper.

Research paper graphic organizers

Nothing paralyzes students with fear quite like a research paper. These long-form papers require—as the name implies—quite a bit of research, and their purpose is to teach students how to look for valid sources to support their arguments.

But keeping track of all those sources and tying them into your argument can be tricky. That’s where a research paper graphic organizer can be a student’s greatest ally.

This template lays out the writing process itself. After you come up with a general topic, like “the disappearance of honey bees,” fill in the “Research Paper Topic” box.

Then, start looking for reputable sources (Wikipedia doesn’t count) and use the five sources boxes to hold the most relevant quotes and statistics you find. Using those quotes and statistics, you can then fill out a thesis statement that is supported by the research.

Then, you’ll be able to focus your paragraphs on a single topic each that supports the thesis statement and your overarching argument. After you’ve filled out the template, the backbone of the research paper is complete: All that’s left to do is fill in the spaces between sources and arguments.

5-paragraph essay graphic organizer

When it comes to writing the five-paragraph essay, writing diagrams are key. By using graphic organizers for writing, you’re no longer staring at a giant blank piece of paper with no idea how or where to begin. Your graphic organizer is your map.

Although using writing diagrams may seem time-consuming, the fact is that taking the time to fill a graphic organizer in before writing actually saves time. If there’s a problem with the argument, it will show up on the diagram, or if there’s not enough evidence to support your argument, you’ll know before you’ve wasted time writing the paper. And, as we said before, even if your writing is terrible, if your argument is sound, you’ll still score a decent grade.

Try this 5-paragraph essay template to get you started.

Don’t feel pressured to come up with a compelling title right away. Instead, it’s more important that you come up with a thesis statement that can be supported by three solid arguments. Fill in that thesis statement and your arguments. Then, for each argument, figure out three supporting details to support your case.

That’s it! You’ve got the most essential parts of your 5-paragraph essay completed.

Now, come up with an introduction that sets the stage for your argument and a conclusion that wraps up and restates your thesis and supporting arguments in a compelling way. Now you have a solid plan for your paper and can approach it with confidence.

If you’d like a more linear graphic that exactly follows the structure of the 5-paragraph, use the writing template below and follow the same process.

Visuals, such as graphic organizers for writing, can help you better understand concepts, think creatively, and collaborate with your classmates—and there are plenty of other templates where these came from.

Lucidchart offers hundreds of templates to help you through your studies, including timelines, Venn diagrams, word maps, and more. Sign up for Lucidchart and upgrade to an Educational account for free.

Resources for teachers

Providing graphic resources to students is essential; after all, many of your students will be visual learners, so while you may beautifully explain how the process works, there will be some who won’t understand until they see a template of the essay itself.

Lucidchart has many resources for teachers, from lesson plans to writing templates. While you’re teaching your students how to write essays or research papers, it’s useful to print out the templates and fill them out together (even using a completed template as a separate assignment with a separate grade) so that your students can get a feel for properly filling out graphic organizers before attempting it on their own.

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

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Graphic Organizers 101: Why and How To Use Them

An incredibly valuable tool for every student, every subject.

Even if you’ve never heard of graphic organizers, chances are good you’ve been using them in one form or another all your life. That pros and cons list you made before making a big purchase? The family tree you’re working on? Your school’s org chart? They’re all graphic organizers. Here’s what you need to know about using this powerful tool with students of all ages.

What are graphic organizers?

Source: @thecomfortableclassroom

Put simply, graphic organizers are a way of organizing information visually to help students understand and remember it. They’re tools that let kids make connections, create a plan, and communicate effectively. A good organizer simplifies complex information and lays it out in a way that makes it easier for a learner to digest. Graphic organizers may include text and images, depending on the purpose and student’s learning style.

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How do I use them?

Source: @yourteacherbestie

You can provide students with pre-printed organizers or encourage them to draw their own. Either way, teach students how to use them by modeling the behavior first. Consider making anchor charts for commonly used types so students can refer back to them as they work.

With younger students, work to help them understand how to choose certain types of organizers depending on their goals. For instance, students taking notes while they study may find a concept map most helpful. When comparing two topics, a Venn diagram or T chart is probably the best choice. Here are some ways to use graphic organizers in various subjects (and explanations of them below).

Language Arts

• Use a story map or story mountain to diagram the characters, setting, and key plot points.
• Try a web organizer to keep track of character relations and connections.
• Learn vocabulary words with a Frayer model that lays out meaning, synonyms, examples, and illustrations.
• Map out the topic, main ideas, and supporting facts of an essay before you start writing.
• Use a story map or mountain to plan creative writing.

Math and Science

• Use a Frayer model to define and understand terms and formulas.
• Compare two or more concepts with a Venn diagram (like area and perimeter).
• Create a visual representation to solve a story problem.
• Plan an experiment with a sequence organizer.
• Start the exploration of a new topic with a KWL organizer to understand what students already know, what they want to learn, and what they do learn.
• Draw a timeline to understand the order of events in history.
• Use idea webs or concept maps to keep track of information as you read and help you study.
• Dig deeper into a topic with a cause and effect organizer.

What types of graphic organizers should I use in my classroom?

Graphic organizers come in a wide array of styles. Here are some of the most common types to try with your students.

Source: Mrs. Byrd’s Learning Tree

This is one of the first organizers many kids learn to use. For little ones, story maps are simple, laying out the setting, characters, and beginning, middle, and end. Older students can expand the map to take in more details.

Timeline and Sequence of Events

Source: Growing Kinders

Here are two more common organizers kids will recognize. Timelines are generally used in history and social studies classes, though they can be helpful when reading books too. Use sequencing organizers to lay out the steps of a procedure or science experiment.

Story Mountain

Source: @goodmorningmissbagge

A story mountain is helpful both when reading and preparing to write. Students map out a story from start to finish, building up to a climax and back down to the conclusion.

Source: Mrs. Kurt’s All Star Kindergarten Blog

KWL (What I K now, What I W onder, What I L earned) charts are a terrific way to help kids think about what they want to learn about a topic and hold them responsible for actually finding out that information. The first column is a list of everything they already know. The second column lists what they’d like to learn, and the third one provides new information acquired along the way.

Source: Krazy for Kindergarten Goes to Third Grade

When there’s a lot of information to remember about a subject, idea webs are a terrific way to organize it all. It’s a more interesting way to explore a subject than just making a list or taking notes and one that’s more likely to help kids actually remember the information.

Concept Map

Source: Evidence-Based Teaching

A concept map takes an idea web to the next level. It’s really a series of idea webs, with connections drawn between. These can get very large, so encourage older students to explore online programs that can help them create useful diagrams.

Source: Joyful Learning in KC

Circle maps are terrific for brainstorming or thoroughly understanding a specific concept. In some cases, circles can continue to expand outward. For instance, a circle map could begin with your hometown in the middle, with a larger circle for your state, another for your country, then your continent, and so on. Inside each circle, students write info relevant to that subject.

Source: A Learning Journey

Graphic organizers are especially useful when planning any kind of writing. OREO and Hamburger models are common, but you’ll find a lot of other options out there too. The key is to make sure the organizer helps students define their main idea, gather supporting evidence, and draw a conclusion supported by the facts.

Frayer Model (Vocabulary)

Source: What I Have Learned

The Frayer model has a lot of uses but is most often applied to vocabulary. The term goes in the middle, with four sections surrounding it for definition, characteristics, examples, and non-examples. Another version has sections for definition, synonym, an illustration, and using the term in a sentence.

Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer

Source: Around the Kampfire

When you want students to dig deeper into the material, try a cause and effect organizer. You can use it in pretty much any subject to make connections between actions and results.

Source: @ducksntigers13

A T chart is a very simple way to compare two related subjects. Many people use these all the time, especially when writing pros and cons lists.

Venn Diagram

Source: Teach With Me

A Venn diagram is another way to compare and contrast material, looking for similarities and differences. The simplest version has two overlapping circles, with more overlapping circles added for more complex subjects.

Where can I find free graphic organizer printables?

While you don’t need to use a pre-printed organizer every time, they can be especially helpful with younger students as they learn how this valuable tool works. The internet is full of graphic organizer printables, both free and for purchase on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers. Here are some free options we’ve created for teachers to try.

• Summary Graphic Organizer
• Summarizing Graphic Organizers (Grades 2-4)
• Predictions and Inferences Organizer
• Scientific Method Graphic Organizer
• Continents Graphic Organizer

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The Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

Graphic organizers integrate both text and visuals. This has been scientifically proven to be an effective way of teaching and learning. Using them can be extremely useful for both teachers and students as they will make lessons more engaging as well as easily comprehensible.

We have listed below multiple types of graphic organizers you can use during various scenarios, whether you are reading, writing, doing research or studying for exams. Each tool is accompanied by a template that you can use right away.

1. What are Graphic Organizers

1.1. Benefits of graphic organizers

2. Types of Graphic Organizers

2.1. Graphic Organizers for Writing

2.1.1. 1. Persuasion map

2.1.2. 2. Sequence Chart

2.2. Graphic Organizers for Reading

2.2.1. 3. Story map

2.2.2. 4. Biography graphic organizer

2.2.3. 5. KWL chart

2.3. Graphic Organizers for Teaching

2.3.1. 6. Learning map

2.3.2. 7. Analogy graphic organizer

2.3.3. 8. Vocabulary graphic organizer

2.3.4. 9. Problem-solving organizer

2.3.5. 10. Math Graphic Organizer

2.4. Graphic Organizers for Learning

2.4.1. 11. Timeline graphic organizer

2.4.2. 12. T chart

2.4.3. 13. Hierarchy chart

2.4.4. 14. Star diagram

2.5. Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming

2.5.1. 15. Cluster diagram

2.5.2. 16. Lotus diagram

2.5.3. 17. Cause and effect graphic organizer

2.5.4. 18. Mind map

2.6. Graphic Organizers for Compare and Contrast

2.6.1. 19. Double bubble map

2.6.2. 20. Venn diagram

2.6.2.1. Add to Our List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

What are Graphic Organizers

A graphic organizer is a teaching and learning tool that is used to organize information and ideas in a way that is easy to comprehend and internalize. By integrating text and visuals, graphic organizers show relationships and connections between concepts, terms, and facts.

Graphic organizers can be used in all grade levels, and have proven to be effective learning tools for gifted children and students with special needs. And with adult learners, graphic organizers can help enable the connection between what they already know and newly acquired knowledge.

Benefits of graphic organizers

Different types of graphic organizers can be used across the curriculum for teaching, learning, and note-taking. They are easy to create and impactful in simplifying information.

• Help visualize or present information in a way that is easier to comprehend, by breaking down larger or complex concepts or ideas into smaller and simpler parts.
• Provide students the opportunity to actively contribute and participate in the learning process through the creation of graphic organizers.  
• Help develop cognitive skills such as brainstorming, critical and, categorizing and prioritizing content, reflection, etc.
• Help recall prior knowledge about a subject and quickly connect it to new information
• Promotes self-learning. By using graphic organizers for note-taking, analyzing, studying, etc. students can familiarize themselves with a lesson far more easily.

Types of Graphic Organizers

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing.

Graphic Organizers for Writing

1. persuasion map.

The persuasion map is an interactive graphic organizer that helps students familiarize themselves with the process of persuasive writing .  It assists them with outlining and preparing arguments for their essays, speeches, debates, etc.

How to use it

Step 1: Choose a topic of interest for your essay/debate. Do proper research around it to collect enough information.

Step 2: Define the claim that you want to make with your essay. Persuasive writing by writing this down first.

Step 3: Next to it, write down the reasons for making that claim.

Step 4: Then write down facts, examples, and information to back up your reasoning.

Step 5: End your persuasion map with the conclusion of your essay.

2. Sequence Chart

A sequence graphic organizer is a tool that helps visualize the order of steps of a process or a timeline of events, etc. It can also be used for note-taking, lesson planning, and essay writing.

Step 1: Identify the steps in the process or event.

Step 2: Using a sequence chart arrange these steps in sequential order.

Graphic Organizers for Reading

3. story map.

A story map can be used to identify the different elements such as characters, character plots, themes, techniques, etc. in a book students are reading. It’s a useful tool that teachers can integrate into the lesson to improve students’ comprehension.

Step 1: Read the book and understand it well.

Step 2: Discuss the different significant elements that were involved in the story. These could be the characters, setting, problem and solution, etc. You can fill the story map during the discussion.

Step 3: Once the map is complete you can discuss each element individually.

4. Biography graphic organizer

This is a tool that assists with understanding a character from a novel, autobiography or movie or a historical figure more in-depth. It brings attention to various important factors about a person’s life.

How to create it

Step 1: Gather as much information you can about the character you are studying. You can also refer to online resources, or ask from teachers or experts.

Step 2: As you analyze the information you have gathered, isolate the facts that stand out or you think are important.

Step 3: Use your biography graphic organizer to lay out the information in a presentable way. You can add images to make it more comprehensible as well.

5. KWL chart

KWL chart is used for gathering information from student’s prior knowledge or experience. This 3 column chart captures the before (what the reader already knows), during (what the reader wants to learn) and after (what the reader learned) stages of reading.

Step 1: Get students to brainstorm around the selected topic and write down everything they know about it in the K column.

Step 2: Ask them to generate a list of questions about what they want to know in the W column of the chart.

Step 3: During or after reading the book/ lesson get them to answer these questions in the L column.

Graphic Organizers for Teaching

6. learning map.

Learning maps visually depict the key takeaways – skills, ideas, knowledge – students should get from a lesson. It usually provides a high-level view of the lesson/ unit/ course that is to be studied and the connection between its different components. Students can also use learning maps in the classroom for note-taking.

Step 1: At the center of the map, write down the topic (i.e. name of the lesson or unit)

Step 2: Brainstorm ideas and information related to it. Write these down on branches emerging from the center. Make sure that you place them in a way that makes sense to teach or in a logical sequence around the center.

Step 3: Add connectors between these elements and add labels to highlight the kind of relationship between them.

7. Analogy graphic organizer

The analogy graphic organizer uses analogy to help students identify similarities and differences between a new topic and a topic that they are already familiar with.

Step 1: Select a topic/ concept that the students already know and is analogous in certain aspects to the new topic

Step 2:  Introduce the new concept and get the students to read and discuss it

Step 3: Using an analogy graphic organizer, ask the students to brainstorm and write similarities and differences between the two topics.

Step 4: Based on the completed graphic organizer, ask the students to write a brief description of  the new topic

Analogy Graphic Organizer (Click on the template to edit it online)

8. Vocabulary graphic organizer

This tool can be used to assess the vocabulary knowledge of students. You can create graphic organizers including various elements to help students learn new words, and learn antonyms and synonyms.

9. Problem-solving organizer

Problem-solving graphic organizers can be used to improve the problem-solving skills of the students. It helps students identify and evaluate solutions to problems.

Step 1: Identify the problem and write it in the problem box

Step 2: Ask students to then write down why they think it is a problem in the first place

Step 3: Get them to brainstorm all possible solutions along with the pros and cons relates to them.

Step 4: Once they select the best possible solution, ask them to list down all its possible consequences

Step 5: Students can then make suggestions to improve the selected solution further

10. Math Graphic Organizer

Math graphic organizers are used to describe math concepts graphically to students. It helps with simplifying and solving complex math problems.

Step 1: Select the math problem you want to identify and a relevant graphic organizer that you can use to solve it.

Step 2: Invite your students or colleagues to collaborate as you wish.

Graphic Organizers for Learning

11. timeline graphic organizer.

Timeline diagrams are a type of graphic organizer that shows a sequence of events in chronological order.

They come in handy when studying history as you can use it to display major historical events that occurred during a period of time along with important details such as dates and locations in which they took place.

In addition, timeline charts can also be used to show the progress of something (i.e. growth of a business) or changes.

Step 1: Identify the different events and the sequence of order in which they took place.

Step 2: Use a research on your target audience to arrange them chronologically

Step 3: Include significant details such as dates, locations and other additional information as needed.

12. T  chart

T charts allow students to study two facets of a topic. For example, disadvantages and advantages, pros and cons, differences and similarities, etc.

Step 1: Draw a T chart and write down the two areas you want to brainstorm around on each column head.

Step 2: Write down facts on each column as you carry out your brainstorming.

13. Hierarchy chart

Hierarchy charts visualize the elements of a system, organization or concept from its highest position to the lowest. Students can use this tool to understand the superordinate and subordinate categories of a topic and the relationship between them.

Step 1: Identify the most important element under the topic you are studying. Write this down at the top of the hierarchy chart.

Step 2: List down the second layer of sub-elements stemming from the first component you have identified. Add a third and fourth as necessary.

Step 3: Connect these with lines to show how they are connected to each other.  

14. Star diagram

Star diagrams are used to organize the characteristics of a chosen topic. It can also be used to brainstorm around new topics.

Step 1:  Select the topic you want to study and write it down in the center of the star diagram .

Step 2: Write down the characteristics or attributes related to the central topics on each point of the star. Adjust the points of the star depending on how many traits you write down.

Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming

15. cluster diagram.

Cluster diagrams can be used to facilitate a brainstorming session or structure idea generation and even to help with exploring new topics.

Step 1: Pick your topic of interest to explore. This should be placed in the middle of the diagram.

Step 2: Brainstorm around this main idea and come up with sub-topics related to it. Place them around the center.

Step 3: Brainstorm around each of the sub-topics and write down related ideas around them.

Step 4: Add as many layers as you want. However, use color-coding to emphasize each branch of thought. This will make it easier for you to read and understand the cluster diagram .

16. Lotus diagram

Lotus diagram is an analytical tool that can be used to breakdown broader and more complex topics into smaller components for easy understanding. It can be used for brainstorming and studying new topics.

Step 1: Draw a 3×3 grid in the center. On the square in the center, write down the main topic to be explored.

Step 2: Write down the related sub-topics around it as you brainstorm.

Step 3: Draw 8 more 3×3 grids around the one in the center. Each of these can be used to write down facts that you brainstorm around each subtopic.

17. Cause and effect graphic organizer

This type of graphic organizer shows the causes and effects of an event. The cause is the reason why something has happened, and effect is the result of what has happened. Visualization helps clearly understand the different cause and effect relationships.  

Using a cause and effect graphic organizer , identify the causes and effects related to the problem you are studying or writing about. There could be several models of cause and effect events, such as one cause leading to one effect or multiple effects, or multiple causes leading to one effect or multiple effects.

• One cause leading to several effects
• Several causes leading to one effect (You can use a fishbone diagram here)
• Each cause having one related effect
• One cause triggering another cause that leads to another

18. Mind map

A mind map is a tool that helps capture the free flow of thought and is widely used for brainstorming around topics. Additionally, it can also be used to organize and group information about a topic.

Step 1: Write down the topic you are brainstorming around in the center.

Step 2: On branches emerging from the middle, write down brainstormed ideas/ thoughts.

Step 3: Expand each sub idea with more facts. You can keep on adding more information to your mind map until you have enough.

Graphic Organizers for Compare and Contrast

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing. Best of all you can use our Compare and Contrast Chart Maker to draw them.

19. Double bubble map

The double bubble map is one of the popular thinking maps. It is much like a Venn diagram and is used to identify similar and different qualities between two things.

How to use it?

Step 1: Write down the two ideas/ topics you are comparing in the two bubbles in the center.

Step 2: As you brainstorm and analyze the topic, write down the differences in the bubbles radiating from the center.

Step 3: Write down the similarities in the bubbles that are common to both topics.

20. Venn diagram

Another graphic organizer that helps you visually represent a comparison of differences and similarities between two subjects, is the Venn diagram. What makes it different from the is that it can include more than two topics and one common area.

It works similar to the double bubble map.

Step 1: Write down the topics being compared on the top of each circle.

Step 2: Writ down the differences or unique characteristics inside its own sector avoiding the overlapping area.

Step 3: List the similarities in the common area.

Add to Our List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

Although we have covered 19 types of graphic organizers in this post, there are plenty more that can be useful to our users. Know more? Mention in the comments section below to keep expanding the list of ultimate graphic organizers.

FAQs About list of Graphic Organizer

When selecting a graphic organizer for a specific project, you should consider the type of information you need to organize and the purpose of the project. Here are some tips on how to select the right graphic organizer:

Identify the type of information: Before selecting a graphic organizer, consider the type of information you need to organize.

Determine the purpose of the project: Consider the purpose of the project and what you want to achieve.

Consider the audience: Think about who the audience is for the project. If the audience is young children, a simpler graphic organizer like a picture web might be more appropriate. If the audience is adults, a more complex graphic organizer like a timeline or a chart could be suitable.

Evaluate the effectiveness of different graphic organizers: Try out different graphic organizers and see which ones work best for you. Creately has different graphic organizer editable templates that you could use to create your graphic organizer based on the purpose.

Be creative: Don’t be afraid to create your own graphic organizer or adapt an existing one to meet your needs. Graphic organizers are flexible tools that can be customized to fit different projects and purposes.

Avoid these common mistakes that you make to ensure that your organizer is effective in conveying information.

Avoid overcomplicating the design of your graphic organizer: It should be easy to read and understand, therefore avoid using too many colors, fonts, or shapes which make the organizer confusing and difficult to read.

Consistency is important in creating a graphic organizer. Use the same formatting, color scheme, and font throughout the organizer to ensure that it is easy to follow and understand.

The purpose of a graphic organizer is to simplify and organize information. Including too much information can defeat the purpose and make the organizer overwhelming. Stick to the most important information and use the organizer to highlight key concepts and relationships.

Use clear and appropriate labels for each section of the organizer. Avoid using labels that are too vague or unclear, as this can cause confusion and make it difficult to understand the relationships between the different elements.

Consider who the audience is for the graphic organizer and use appropriate language and images. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to the audience.

Test your graphic organizer to ensure that it effectively conveys the intended information. Ask for feedback from others and make revisions as needed.

Join over thousands of organizations that use Creately to brainstorm, plan, analyze, and execute their projects successfully.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

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13 Different Types of Graphic Organizers and How to Use Them to Improve Student Writing

In addition to using graphic organizers to increase reading comprehension , they are great for improving students’ writing skills. In this post, I’ll share my love for these handy visual displays by discussing the different types of graphic organizers and how to use them to improve student writing. Learn all about it below!

Why are Graphic Organizers Important for Writing Instruction?

Graphic organizers are the most important step in the writing process because of the following reasons:

• Graphic organizers help students get their thoughts in order before they begin to compose a written piece.  
• During the pre-writing stage of the writing process, they can help young writers generate ideas and plan out what will be written.
• They allow students to organize information into logical patterns such as sequence, cause and effect, and problem – solution.  
• Many children become frustrated when they make errors in their writing and need to erase their work. It makes the task feel overwhelming. Graphic organizers decrease the need to erase because writers approach the task with a plan.
• When students use a graphic organizer as a prewriting activity they are able to produce a more coherent and focused text.

13 Different Types of Graphic Organizers

Below are 13 different types of graphic organizers, which are all included in my elementary writing graphic organizer resource .

• Word choice charts
• Visualizing organizers
• Sequencing organizers
• Summarizing organizers
• Character webs

Main Idea and Details

Fact and opinion charts.

• Two-column notes

Can, Have, Are Charts

• Venn diagrams

How to Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Student Writing

Graphic organizers are tools for writing and just like the tools in a hardware store each serves a different purpose. Below are the 13 different types of graphic organizers I’ve used most often with my students and a brief explanation of how to use each graphic organizer to improve your students writing in specific areas.

Word Choices Charts

These charts help writers brainstorm strong vocabulary specific to the subject of their story or report.

Visualizing Organizers

These graphic organizers enable the students to gather and plan sensory details which makes their writing more descriptive.

These are the perfect tool for planning the key elements of their writing. It reminds them to think through the story and determine who will be their characters, where the story will take place, and identify the problem and the solution.

Sequencing Organizers

These help children to put the events of their story in a logical order. They can be structured as beginning, middle and end or as first, next, then, and finally. These organizers are typically used for narrative writing, but are also great for process writing as well.

Summarizing Organizers

These work much like the sequencing organizers. Teachers and students can determine which best meets their needs.

Character Webs

These help writers organize details about the character in a narrative writing piece. It focuses on character traits which describe a character based on his words and actions. These are great for helping the students to not only develop their characters on a deeper level, but also for teaching them how to strengthen their writing with “show don’t tell” details.

One of my favorite types of graphic organizers is the one for main idea and details. These helps writers to identify the most important idea about a topic and then support that idea with key details.

These allow writers to think about the most important ideas related to a topic. They usually begin as a brainstorm of all ideas and students can then narrow down their thinking from there.

These are key for supporting writers when they are composing persuasive or opinion pieces. They can use them to form their opinion and identify and organize the facts that support their thinking.

Two Column Notes

These are an effective, researched-based method of taking notes and organizing information as a student reads book or views videos on a topic. The notes can then be used to draft their own informative pieces.

These are the perfect tool for younger or struggling writers who need support in their writing. After categorizing facts about a topic into three columns, the child can then use the chart in sequence to form complete sentences (i.e. Bats can fly. They have wings. Bats are nocturnal.) or even write complete paragraphs by adding a topic and closing sentence.

Venn Diagrams

These help when writing compare and contrast essays. The students first use critical thinking skills to sort the information they have gathered. They then use the diagram as a guide to organize their writing.

These are also used to compare to topics. They are much like the Venn Diagram, but do not require the student to note similarities. They are a good starting point for writers to use prior to introducing the Venn Diagram.

To save teachers time and help them easily meet their students’ needs, I have designed a Graphic Organizer to Improve Student Writing resource . It includes each of the organizers listed above.

I have also created a collection of  graphic organizers for reading .   The themed topics increase student interest and motivation. Best of all they can be used with ANY book so you can use the same organizer multiple times. Students may complete the same organizer, but with different books at their own reading level for simple modify learning. 

I hope you found this information about the different types of graphic organizers and how to use them to improve writing helpful. If you did, then you may also be interested in the following posts:

• The Best Monthly Writing Prompts for Elementary Teachers
• How to Teach the Writing Process at the Elementary Level
• 15 Elementary Math Journal Ideas that get Students Writing in Math
• Read more about: ELEMENTARY TEACHING , LITERACY

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Creative Writing Graphic Organizers: A Beginner’s Guide

7 minutes read

What is the Creative Creative Writing Graphic Organizer?

A creative writing graphic organizer is a visual tool that helps writers organize their ideas and thoughts in a structured way. It's especially useful in the planning stage of writing, helping to transform abstract ideas into a coherent piece of creative writing. Whether you're writing a short story, novel, screenplay, or poem, using a graphic organizer can help you plan your work more effectively and stimulate your creative process.

Benefits of Using a Creative Writing Graphic Organizer

A creative writing graphic organizer is a valuable tool for writers of all ages and experience levels. It helps to structure and visualize ideas in an organized manner, thereby simplifying the creative writing process. Here are the key benefits:

1. Enhances Structure and Organization

Graphic organizers can help create a well-structured outline for your writing project. They assist in organizing your thoughts and ideas coherently, thereby making the narrative or plot clearer and easier to follow.

2. Boosts Creativity

By providing a clear framework for your ideas, graphic organizers can stimulate creative thinking. They encourage you to explore different aspects of your story, such as character development or narrative arcs, in a more visual and interactive manner.

3. Facilitates Idea Generation

With the use of graphic organizers, writers can visually brainstorm and generate new ideas. It encourages the development of new perspectives and story angles that might have otherwise been overlooked.

4. Increases Efficiency

Using a graphic organizer can speed up the writing process. With a clear outline of your plot, character details or thematic elements, you can write more efficiently and avoid common problems such as writer's block.

5. Improves Revision and Editing

With all key details and narrative sequences laid out visually, revising and editing become more effective. You can easily spot areas that need more development or sections that could be cut to tighten your narrative.

6. Aids Memory Retention

Visuals aid memory retention, which can be especially helpful in long-term projects. With a graphic organizer, you're able to see and remember the finer details of your narrative.

In conclusion, using creative writing graphic organizers is an excellent way to enhance your writing process. They promote clear communication, help develop ideas, facilitate effective writing, and most importantly, turn the creative writing process into an engaging and enjoyable task.

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What are the Types of Creative Writing Graphic Organizer Templates?

Examples of Creative Writing Graphic Organizer Templates

There are several types of graphic organizer templates that can be particularly beneficial for creative writing. Let’s have a look at some common-used creative writing graphic organizer templates.

1. Plot Diagram Template

A plot diagram template helps to outline the main events in a story. It usually includes five elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

2. Character Profile Template

This type of template is useful for character development. It helps to detail the character's appearance, personality traits, background, and other significant attributes.

3. Storyboard Template

Storyboard templates help to visualize the sequence of events in a story or a screenplay. Each frame represents a specific scene, making it easier to visualize the flow of the narrative.

4. Conflict Map Template

Conflict is an integral part of storytelling. A conflict map template helps to identify and understand the different types of conflicts in the story and how they're resolved.

5. Setting Map Template

The setting map helps to visually organize information about where and when the story takes place. This can include descriptions of the environment, time period, and cultural context.

6. Theme Organizer Template

This template assists in identifying and exploring the themes of the story. Writers can document how themes emerge and develop throughout the narrative.

7. Point of View Organizer Template

Point of view plays a critical role in how a story is perceived. This organizer can help writers determine which perspective best serves their story.

Remember that each writer is unique, so different templates will work better for different people. Always choose or modify templates based on your personal writing process and the specific needs of your project.

How Do You Use Graphic Organizers to Write an Essay?

Using a Graphic Organizer to Write an Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Graphic organizers can be extremely helpful when writing an essay. They offer a visual way to structure your ideas, which can clarify your thoughts and make the writing process smoother. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can use a graphic organizer to write an essay:

Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Graphic Organizer

There are various types of graphic organizers, and the one you choose will depend on the type of essay you're writing. For instance:

If you're writing a compare and contrast essay, you might use a Venn diagram.

For a persuasive essay, a T-chart or a flow chart can be useful to organize your arguments.

For narrative essays, a sequence chart or a story map would be appropriate.

Step 2: Identify Your Main Ideas or Points

Before you begin filling in your graphic organizer, take some time to brainstorm and identify the main points that you want to cover in your essay.

Step 3: Fill in the Graphic Organizer

Start filling in your graphic organizer with the main points that you have identified. Each section or node of the organizer should contain one main idea. For example, if you're using an outline or flowchart, each individual point or node would represent a separate paragraph in your essay.

Step 4: Add Supporting Details

Once you've outlined your main points, it's time to add supporting details. These can be examples, evidence, or explanations that support your main ideas.

Step 5: Organize Your Ideas

After you have all your points and supporting details on the graphic organizer, take a look at how they are organized. Do they flow logically? Is there a clear introduction, body, and conclusion? If not, rearrange your points until they do.

Step 6: Start Writing Your Essay

Now that you have a clear, organized visual of what your essay will look like, begin writing. Use the graphic organizer as your guide. It will show you what to write in each paragraph and how to transition from one point to the next.

Using a graphic organizer takes time upfront, but it can make the actual writing of the essay faster and more straightforward. It's a useful tool for both novice and experienced writers.

Boardmix: The AI-Driven Online Tool for Creative Writing Graphic Organizers

In the world of creative writing, having the right tools at your disposal can greatly enhance the quality of your work. One such tool that has gained considerable attention is Boardmix . This innovative, AI-driven online tool serves as a creative writing graphic organizer, helping writers streamline their thought processes and produce superior written content. As a graphic organizer, it serves as a visual framework that can be used to represent complex concepts, plot structures, character relationships, and more in an intuitive manner.

Main Features of Boardmix

Boardmix stands out with several noteworthy features:

• Intuitive Interface: Boardmix boasts a user-friendly interface designed to promote simplicity and efficiency. Writers can easily input their thoughts, organize them in a structured manner, and see the connections between different ideas at a glance.
• AI-Powered Insights: The AI-driven nature of Boardmix sets it apart from traditional graphic organizers. By leveraging AI, it offers intelligent insights and suggestions that can greatly enrich the creative process. For instance, it might offer plot suggestions, character development ideas, or thematic connections based on the information inputted by the user.
• Customizable Templates: Boardmix offers an array of customizable templates for different writing forms. Whether you're crafting a novel, short story, or screenplay, you'll find a template that caters to your specific needs.
• Collaborative Capabilities: Boardmix allows for real-time collaboration, making it a perfect tool for co-writing projects or group brainstorming sessions. Writers can share their graphic organizers with others, who can then provide input or suggestions in real-time.

Why Use Boardmix?

The use of graphic organizers like Boardmix brings numerous benefits to the writing process:

• Improved Organization: With Boardmix, you can structure your ideas visually, making it easier to plan and outline your writing projects.
• Enhanced Creativity: Boardmix's AI-powered insights can stimulate creativity, offering new perspectives or ideas that you might not have considered.
• Increased Efficiency: With all your ideas laid out visually in one place, you can streamline your writing process and make it more efficient.
• Better Collaboration: Boardmix's collaborative features allow for easier and more effective teamwork on writing projects.

In conclusion, Boardmix is a cutting-edge tool that merges artificial intelligence with the concept of graphic organizers to provide a versatile platform for creative writing. Its intuitive design and powerful capabilities make it an invaluable resource for writers seeking to take their creative projects to the next level.

Join Boardmix to collaborate with your team.

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Writing an Essay: A Graphic Organizer

Use this graphic organizer to plan your analytical/persuasive essay. 

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Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays: Using Graphic Organizers

• Jessica Cook
• Categories : Help with writing assignments paragraphs, essays, outlines & more
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

When your teacher tells you to write an essay for class, you may feel overwhelmed by the assignment. This is with good reason; an essay is a large and complicated assignment to tackle. Not only do you have to select a topic, but you have to come up with a thesis and support that thesis with relevant details or evidence. Then you have to figure out how to write all of that information in a well-organized, structured manner that will impress your teacher and fulfill all of the requirements of the assignment.

Though you may feel tempted to just jump in and start writing your next essay, you can help yourself out a lot if you take the time to complete a graphic organizer first. A graphic organizer is a chart, graph, or diagram that will help you organize your thoughts and references before you write your essay.

Once you select the type of graphic organizer that will work best for you and the essay you’re writing, you can use it to jot down your notes about the essay topic. Include any ideas you have about your thesis or main idea, and then include information from your research or the text you’re using. The best part is that it is much easier to rearrange or reorganize notes on a graphic organizer than it is to rewrite an entire essay. So if you get all of your notes down onto your organizer and you want to change something, all you have to do is erase and re-write or draw an arrow to indicate a movement.

Using Graphic Organizers

Some students waste their time using graphic organizers because they put too much information and effort into them. A graphic organizer is NOT an essay; it is a way to write notes clearly and effectively. You don’t have to use complete sentences when you write it, and you don’t have to polish it as a final draft. You just have to use it to get ideas out of your head and onto paper where you can analyze them and move them around as much as you need to do before writing the essay.

The basic graphic organizer format is going to start with a broad, general topic. This is where you will list ideas for your thesis statement. Again, this can be a list of fragmented sentences; it doesn’t have to be thorough. Your first section in a graphic organizer might just say something like, “school lunches are bad.”

Then a graphic organizer will branch out into sub-topics. These are the main facts or ideas that support your thesis. You should always try to have at least three of these; if you can think of more, then you have more to choose from when you write your essay. Just because you list five supporting arguments on your graphic organizer doesn’t mean all five have to wind up in your essay. For the school lunches essay, you might have supporting topics like, “flavorless combinations,” “unnatural coloring,” and “poorly heated.”

Finally, a graphic organizer will have a spot for including relevant research or other information to support your sub-topics. For the school lunch topic, you might include information you got from surveying students and teachers about the lunches; or you might cite research on the percentage of students nationwide who eat school lunches vs. packing from home. You might also interview the cafeteria workers to find out the requirements for the lunches. Put all of this information into the most detailed part of your graphic organizer.

When you get ready to write your essay, you turn those thoughts and ideas from your graphic organizer into sentences and paragraphs. If one section in your organizer is really full, you might split it into two paragraphs or topics. If one section is really thin, you might leave it out or do more research to support it before writing your essay. The graphic organizer is a good way to visually see all of your ideas before you spend the time crafting those ideas into essay form.

Types of Graphic Organizers

There are several graphic organizers available for you to use, and some work better for a specific essay style than others. In general, though, there are a few that will be useful to you the next time you write an essay.

1. The basic Outline is an essay classic. In an outline, you number the paragraphs of your essay using Roman numerals. Start with your introduction, then include a paragraph to cover each supporting detail, and end with your conclusion. Underneath your Roman numerals you can list your main topics for that paragraph using capital letters, then use numbers to list the details under each topic. The outline is particularly well-suited to writing a five-paragraph essay. Find an interactive essay map outline tool here .

2. A compare and contrast map will help you organize your thoughts for, what else? A compare and contrast essay . A basic compare and contrast map will help you outline your information ahead of time. You might choose to write a description of topic #1, then a description of topic #2, then a conclusion. Instead, you might choose to write about the similarities between topics #1 and #2, then their differences, then your conclusion. Or you might choose to focus on one specific point for both topics, then a second point for both topics, then your conclusion. In either case, a compare and contrast map can help you organize these thoughts as notes before turning them into an essay. Other students find it useful to use a Venn Diagram for comparing and contrasting , or even a simple outline format .

3. For a persuasive essay , consider using a persuasion map to organize your ideas. A persuasion map is like a flow chart; you start with your main topic and then list three (or however many you have) supporting details for that topic. Then you split those supporting details into further evidence. When you list your ideas in this format, it helps you see very quickly which ones you can support well and which ones will make for thin arguments in your paper. Then you can add or take away details as needed in order to round out your persuasive argument before writing your essay.

Other Resources

Writing an essay doesn’t have to be scary or confusing. If you really get stuck, consider asking your teacher to sit down and go over your essay with you before you hand it in. She can give you some tips to help you improve your essay before she grades it. If your school has a homework help center or a writing center, use those resources. They exist in order to help students like you write better essays.

For a selection of online graphic organizer tools, visit ReadWriteThink’s Student Interactives page .

For more ideas on organizing the paragraphs in your essay, read this article .

For essay writing tips and tricks, check out this article .

This post is part of the series: Graphic Organizers

Get tips and tricks on using graphic organizers. Whether you’re a student or a teacher, graphic organizers can be helpful tools for reading and writing in a variety of subject areas.

• Writing Tips: Graphic Organizers for Essay Writing
• Write While You Read: Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension

About this Interactive

Related resources.

Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master. This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas. The tool offers multiple ways to navigate information including a graphic in the upper right-hand corner that allows students to move around the map without having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed.

• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides
• Lesson Plans
• Calendar Activities

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

This strategy guide explains the writing process and offers practical methods for applying it in your classroom to help students become proficient writers.

This strategy guide clarifies the difference between persuasion and argumentation, stressing the connection between close reading of text to gather evidence and formation of a strong argumentative claim about text.

Students will identify how Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of nonviolent conflict-resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses the Six Kingian Principles of Nonviolence.

Students develop their reading, writing, research, and technology skills using graphic novels. As a final activity, students create their own graphic novels using comic software.

Students are encouraged to understand a book that the teacher reads aloud to create a new ending for it using the writing process.

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

Students analyze rhetorical strategies in online editorials, building knowledge of strategies and awareness of local and national issues. This lesson teaches students connections between subject, writer, and audience and how rhetorical strategies are used in everyday writing.

It's not easy surviving fourth grade (or third or fifth)! In this lesson, students brainstorm survival tips for future fourth graders and incorporate those tips into an essay.

Students explore the nature and structure of expository texts that focus on cause and effect and apply what they learned using graphic organizers and writing paragraphs to outline cause-and-effect relationships.

Students prepare an already published scholarly article for presentation, with an emphasis on identification of the author's thesis and argument structure.

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Free Editable Graphic Organizer for Writing Examples

A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. It uses both text and graphics to make reading comprehension and creative writing more manageable.

1. What is a Graphic Organizer for Writing

A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. Graphic organizers help students to organize information and ideas to make them easy to understand and comprehend. Graphic organizers use both visuals and text to show relationships and connections between the flow of events, concepts, and facts. Graphic organizers have many benefits, for example

• Graphic organizers for writing help visualize and present information and ideas by breaking down complex text and ideas into smaller chunks.
• Opinion writing graphic organizers help students participate in the learning process through a better understanding of the text.
• Develop cognitive skills required for creative writing and comprehension, including brainstorming, critical thinking, classification and prioritizing content, idea presentation and categorization, etc.
• Help connect and make relationships between different aspects of information.
• Graphic organizers for writing also develop skills for note-taking, listing down essential points, analyzing information, and picking up critical issues.

2. The Graphic Organizers for Writing Examples

The following list gives you ideas of different types of graphic organizers for writing and also for opinion writing graphic organizers. You can use them in suitable conditions according to your requirements.

Different graphic organizers can be used in various grade levels depending on students' skill levels and the course requirements. These organizers are suitable for book clubs and personal reading and writing endeavors too. Let's have a look at the examples for a better understanding.

Example 1: Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

Opinion writing graphic organizer and planner is a powerful tool for opinion writing. It has the topic and both the favorable opinion and also the opposing opinion. Now, the students need to ponder on both opinions and provide reasons along with supporting information. In the end, they describe their opinion and evidence in more detail and propose an action course. It is a comprehensive document that enables the kids to think on both sides of opinion and understand the underlying reasoning without bias.

Example 2: Persuasive Writing Graphic Organizer

This opinion writing graphic organizer is also a comprehensive and detailed document that uses colors and graphics to add attraction for kids. It is a perfect template for kids to analyze a topic and present their thoughts in a precise yet well-supported manner. The organizer needs students to fill in their opinion and topic sentences supported by three persuasive details. This organizer is based on the divide and conquer strategy. The enormous task of persuasive writing is broken down into small manageable pieces.

Example 3: Writing a Paragraph Graphic Organizer

This PowerPoint template is a compact graphic organizer for writing. It is more suitable for young students who are just starting their writing journey. It is based on the topic of holidays. It gives four pointers to the writer to generate and present their ideas for writing. The pointers are; who do I go with? Why do I like holidays? Where should I go? And What do I like to do?

The lower part is for writing the paragraph. Once the students answer all these questions, they can develop a well-structured piece of writing.

Example 4: Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer

A hamburger writing graphic organizer is a visual tool for the organization of ideas while writing a creative piece. It has a place for the title of the writing, and later the rest of the blocks can be used for describing different ideas related to the topic. Small and separate blocks allow better organization of information and may result in a more defined structure. It can also be used to supplement reading exercises when the reading material is long and needs more than one session. Each block can be used in one session, and at the end of the activity, the complete structure is formed. This way, students can connect their new knowledge with the previously acquired knowledge.

Example 5: Informative Writing Graphic Organizer

This informative writing graphic organizer supports the students in structuring their creative writing through guidelines. It divides the complete body of the topic into three main parts. '

• Introduce the topic

Here, the student will introduce the main topic. The instructions are about grabbing the audience's attention through an interesting fact, question, or a quote.

• Develop the topic

This is the most detailed part of creative writing. The students will develop facts to support the main idea. Initially, the writer may even list the supporting vocabulary terms and definitions.

• Write a conclusion

Last but not least, the conclusion must contain the gist of the whole write-up in a precise and focused manner.

Example 6: Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer

The first paragraph of this Argumentative writing organizer contains a brief explanation of your topic and some background information. The second part is about the reasons and supporting details. With each reason, you will provide evidence to support the claims. The exciting part is to give counterclaims and provide facts or examples to refute them. The template ends with the conclusion, where you will also call for action. This is a template of an opinion writing graphic organizer.

Source: EdrawMax Online

Example 7: Details Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer

This is a graphic organizer for writing that is more suitable for the younger lot. It asks some questions related to the topic of writing exercises. The students will answer these questions to help them brainstorm and connect their information pieces, which can later be used for creative writing. The first part is about visualizing, and the following questions are who? Why? What? Feelings? Where? When? And finally, they will discuss more details.

Example 8: Graphic Organizer for Writing an Essay

This graphic organizer is a very detailed essay writing aide. It consists of eight pages, with each page in a particular format. The main parts of the organizer presented in rainbow colors are

• Topic and planning
• Introduction
• Main ideas 1, 2, 3
• Final Draft

Example 9: Writing Process Graphic Organizer

The writing process graphic organizer concisely summarized the complete writing and reading process very effectively on one screen. According to this organizer, there are three stages of the reading process, i.e., preactive, interactive, and reactive. Writing exercise has five steps, i.e., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Further details of all stages are also included in the organizer.

Example 10: Oreo Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer

This graphic organizer for writing uses a very interesting acronym for students. It says the OREO acronym can be used for writing opinion pieces.

• O : Opinion about a topic
• R : Reason supporting the opinion
• E : Example supporting the opinion
• O : opinion restatement in conclusion.

Example 11: Writing A Summary Graphic Organizer

This graphic organizer for writing is specifically for summary writing. Students sometimes face difficulty when they cannot provide a complete summary because of the length of the text and either miss essential points or make it too long. This organizer helps them organize their thoughts and focus on the most critical details coherently.

Example 12: Graphic Organizer for Expository Writing

The graphic organizer for expository writing includes the topic in the center, and the write-up is divided into sub-topics resulting in separate paragraphs. The purpose of an expository essay is to present a balanced, objective description of a topic without proving a point or personal opinion. It allows for a clear and logical explanation of complex information.

Example 13: Graphic Organizer for Nonfiction Writing

This graphic organizer for nonfiction writing guides the students through the process by helping them to write the main idea first, followed by three key details. This is like a part of the planning process. The last feature allows students to take the critical information one by one and then develop a comprehensive piece of writing.

Example 14: Letter Writing Graphic Organizer

In the world of SMS and WhatsApp, this letter-writing graphic organizer teaches the classical skill of writing letters. It is divided into main parts of the letter so that students know where they need to put what details. The use of graphics makes it attractive.

Example 15: Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer

One of the narrative writing graphic organizers is like this. It has a format that is similar to a flowchart. The first box is the title box. After it, there is the box for the settings or characters of the story. The next box consists of the problem of the story. Then, there is the space for writing feelings which the reader gets after reading the story. After the feelings box, there are three subsections that illustrate the story into three events. The last box is for writing the resolution or ending of the story. This graphic organizer will enhance the thinking and writing skills of the students. They will be able to understand the stories easily and can analyze them on their own.

Example 16: Story Writing Graphic Organizer

The starting includes the beginning of the story that is the characters and setting of the story. Then three boxes represent three events that happened in the story. The specific details for each event will be written under each of the respective boxes. The first event will tell what happened at the beginning of the story. The subsequent events will be in the second box. The third box will describe the final events of the story. At last, there is one box for writing the end of the story, what happened as a result.

3. Online Graphic Organizer for Writing Maker

Making graphic organizers in word processing and presentation software has been a norm for a long time. Fortunately, we have access to dedicated drawing tools available online for creating different types of graphic organizers quickly and more efficiently. One such example is EdrawMax Online that can be used online, and its downloadable version is also available. You can use it for graphic organizers for writing along with 280+ different types of other drawings. The cherry on top is their vast library of templates available at templates gallery . You can use the templates right away and can also customize them according to your requirements.

4. Key Takeaways

Learning should not be a stressful practice for both the students and teachers. Using tools in the classes such as graphic organizers for writing allow both the stakeholders to focus on the positive outcomes and the learning journey rather than the logistics of carrying out the lesson. Using an online drawing tool makes the process even more accessible and saves a lot of time and effort. You can find out more graphic organizer examples in the Template Gallery.

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What is a Graphic Organizer and How to Use it Effectively

Janelle cox.

• September 16, 2020

As educators, we’re always looking for new ways to help students classify and communicate their ideas more effectively. A visual guide, such as a graphic organizer, can do just that, as well as help students plan and structure their ideas in an organized manner. Here we will take a brief look at what a graphic organizer is, the different types of graphic organizers that you can use, as well as how you can use them effectively in the classroom.

What is a Graphic Organizer?

A graphic organizer is a powerful, visual learning tool that teachers like to use to help students organize their ideas. They can also be used to clarify or simplify complex concepts, help with problem solving or decision making , or be used to plan research or brainstorm ideas.

What are the Different Types of Graphic Organizers?

While there are several types of graphic organizers, each with a specific purpose, we will briefly go over the top five most popular used in the classroom.

Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram is a graphic organizer that has two interlocking circles. This type of organizer is used to identify differences and similarities. Students write details about how the topics are different in the outer parts of the circles and how they are the same in the shared inner space of circles.

Venn diagrams can be used to compare and contrast two characters. For example, students would write how each character is different in the outer spaces and how they are the same in the overlapping space in the middle. Then, students can use this graphic organizer to help them write an essay about each character.

Concept Map

A concept map is a graphic organizer that looks like a web with arrows connecting each circle. This type of map helps students identify a main concept as well as sub-concepts. It can be used to help visually organize thoughts as well as illustrate hierarchical information.

There are a variety of ways this type of organizer can be used in the classroom. Students can show relationships between specific concepts, characters in a story, or even vocabulary words. Many teachers like to use it to assess students’ prior knowledge on a topic.

A T-chart is a graphic organizer that is used to compare and contrast two different things. Students can use a T-chart to make comparisons related to a variety of topics or subjects; they can also be used in any content area or genre. For example, in social studies students can compare two different political candidates, then use the chart to help them in a class debate.

An idea web is a graphic organizer that is used for brainstorming and helps students organize ideas or concepts. Much like a concept map, an idea web is comprised of circles that are connected. This type of organizer is mainly used to help students brainstorm story ideas. For example, a topic is written in the center circle and students write in the details in the surrounding smaller circles.

A KWL chart is another popular graphic organizer, especially in the elementary classroom. This visual learning tool consists of three questions, each in their own column (‘what I K now’, ‘what I W ant to know’, and ‘what I L earned’). This is a great graphic organizer for activating prior knowledge.

This organizer is used both before and after learning a concept. Before learning, students write down “what they want to know” and “what they already know” about the topic. Then, after the concept is learned, students write down “what they learned” in the third column of the chart. This three-step process is great for developing a sense of purpose and helps students become more engaged in the topic they are learning.

How to Use Graphic Organizers Effectively

Graphic organizers can be a helpful learning tool, especially when they can guide students to a deeper understanding of what they are learning. To effectively support student learning, it’s important to always model how to use the organizer, as well as instruct students on why you choose the graphic organizer that you did for that specific topic.

For example, explain to students that you choose a Venn diagram as a starting point for an essay they will be writing because it will help them compare two characters in an organized manner before they begin writing their essay. When students understand what they are doing and why they are doing it, it will give them a sense of purpose.

Graphic organizers are great tools to meet the needs of all learners . By presenting information in a graphic format, you can easily make a lesson accessible to all students. To increase the effectiveness of a graphic organizer, always make sure to model beforehand and explain why you are using it and what you are using it for. Also, make sure that each graphic organizer that you choose is aligned with your learning goal; this will ensure that students will apply the information learned and develop a deeper understanding of the concept.

• #GraphicOrganizer

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10 Free Graphic Organizer Templates for Any Subject

Different lessons require different types of content to help students learn. Here are 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject.

Most students are returning to the classroom in Fall 2021, but everyone’s learning methods have had to change over the past two years. It’s important to adapt as an educator with new techniques , digital materials, and fresh content to keep students engaged .

For any subject, graphic organizers provide effective ways to introduce, teach, develop, and test new material. But different lessons require different types of content to help students learn best. I’m going to give you 10 free graphic organizer templates to use for any subject – just use the Make It button to customize, label, and download your graphic organizer.

• Venn Diagram
• Plot Pyramid
• Brainstorm Chart
• Concept Map
• 5-Paragraph Essay Outline
• 4 Square Writing Chart

1. Flowchart

The Flowchart is one of the most versatile and recognizable forms of graphic organizer out there, ideal for project planning and science experiments. A goes to B goes to C goes to D . With this version, you can copy and paste sections of the chart to make it as long or as short as you need, label each section with specific details, and add a title and other information for your assignment.

2. Timeline

The Timeline is similar to the flowchart , with events spaced out along a single path . In a Timeline, however, the intervals between the events is important to the graphic organizer as a whole. Using this template, you can drag events from one point of the Timeline to another, and add text labels for years and events.

3. Venn Diagram

One of the most widely-used graphic organizers, the Venn Diagram provides a simple way for students to compare and contrast 2 or more distinct ideas. With this template, you can copy and recolor the Venn Diagram circles to compare any number of items with each other.

4. Plot Pyramid

This graphic organizer is most commonly used in elementary and middle school English, language arts, and literature classes. It’s used to identify and map the various stages of a plot arc , from exposition to conclusion. Use this template to title the Plot Pyramid and add any other relevant information you need.

5. Brainstorm Chart

The Brainstorm Chart is a far more freeform type of graphic organizer than most others on this list, and can be arranged almost any way you like. All it requires is a central idea or “problem” to solve, along with an array of other ideas and concepts that are connected to it, and supporting details for these connected points. The freeform nature of the Brainstorm Chart allows students to think creatively and originally on any subject.

6. Concept Map

The Concept Map is similar in form to the Brainstorm Chart, but with slightly more limitations on how it’s used. It’s used to illustrate the relationships that exist between various related concepts , filling in different sections of the organizer to show how the different parts are connected. The Concept Map is perfect for introducing students to a new set of related vocabulary terms in any subject.

7. 5-Paragraph Essay Outline

While some of your students may not remember the 5-paragraph essay too fondly years later, it’s an important step in developing their persuasive writing . This classic 5-paragraph planner is perfect for helping students construct their arguments, counter-arguments, supporting data, and conclusions before they put pen to paper.

8. 4 Square Writing Chart

The 4 Square Writing Chart is similar to the 5-paragraph essay outline, it gives space for looser organizational styles and more creative types of writing structure . The central area contains the main idea or argument, and the surrounding squares are filled with supporting arguments, sections of a narrative essay, personal experiences, or several sides to the same story.

9. Story Map

The Story Map is used for a similar purpose to the Plot Pyramid, but with a broader approach to narrative plot arcs. In the Story Map, students not only recount the plot progression of a story, but detail the setting , characters , and central problems and outcomes . There are dozens of ways to organize your own Story Map, so I recommend you use this template to include whatever areas are most important for your students to identify and analyze.

10. KWL Chart

KWL Charts ask students to write on three different things before and after completing a lesson, activity, or reading: what they Know already about the topic, what they Want to learn from the lesson, and, afterward, what they Learned from the experience. It creates more of a big-picture exercise than most of the graphic organizers on this list, allowing students to identify what they gain from their lessons.

I hope these graphic organizer templates help you engage students effectively in every subject you teach. For more tips and tutorials on creating great digital content in 2021, check out the Kapwing YouTube channel or read through some related articles on education materials:

• 10 Back to School Frames for Fall 2021 • The 4 Best Ways to Learn Video Editing Online • How to Add Subtitles to a Lecture Video • How to Make a Frayer Model Online

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Teachers in 2020

5 Perfect Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Chemistry Teachers

5 Free Zoom Virtual Backgrounds for Students

Graphic Organizers for Writing and Reading

What are Graphic Organizers?

As educators, we are aware of the different ways students can learn. It’s why we don’t just stand at the top of the classroom each day and lecture. Students, especially school-aged students, need a variety of stimuli in the classroom. They need a range of strategies to experiment with to find the best ways for them to complete a set task. Graphic organizers are a great strategy to add to their toolbox.

So, what exactly is a graphic organizer? Simply put, a graphic organizer is a means of organizing information by expressing concepts, knowledge, thoughts and ideas in a visual manner. As students fill in their graphic organizer, they display links and relationships between concepts. Generally, graphic organizers are used as instructional tools and to facilitate learning. Some well-known types of graphic organizers include mind maps, Venn diagrams, story maps, and compare and contrast charts.

What Are the Benefits of Using Graphic Organizers in the Classroom?

There are impressive advantages to using graphic organizers in the classroom. Just a few of these are listed below:

• It makes content easier to understand and, therefore, easier to remember.
• It helps student filter information down to what is important.
• Encourages students to become more strategic in their learning which will help in their future studies
• It helps students display their understanding of taught material and, therefore, can provide useful assessment information to inform planning.
• It improves focus as it helps students organize their information and see the relationships between ideas.

In this article, we will look at a few ways to use graphic organizers with your students to improve their reading and writing.

How Can Students Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Reading?

1. kwl chart graphic organizer.

Using a KWL Chart is a great way to connect prior learning to new learning. It encourages students to review what they have learned on a given topic and consider what further learning they would like to develop on the topic before they undertake a piece of reading. When the student has completed their reading task, they then record what they have learned from the reading. The template for a KWL chart will look something like this:

• What I Know
• What I Want to Learn
• What I Have Learned

2. Story Sequence Graphic Organizer

A significant aspect of reading comprehension relies on the reader following the sequence of events as they occur. This is true whether we are discussing genres from fairytales to chronological reports. Story sequence graphic organizers present a text in a jumbled series that the student must read and organize into a logical sequence before sticking it onto a sheet or long strip of paper. The text may be displayed as pure illustrations or as illustrations and text, depending on the level of the students. This activity helps students internalize the structure of the genre focused on and will help bridge to later independent writing activities. Read our complete guide to sequencing here.

From reading to writing…

A nonfiction application can also be made called a Sequence Chart. This consists of a series of rows beginning with the topic identified in the first row with the steps to be taken to complete the task to be filled below in chronological order. The sequence chart is a great prep activity for instruction writing.

3. Vocabulary Box

Reading is a surefire way to help build a wide and varied vocabulary. But often, there aren’t enough contextual clues to help students figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Often they will look it up in a dictionary or online only to forget the meaning before returning to their reading. Vocabulary Boxes are a superb way for students to really get to grips with new vocabulary. A Vocabulary Box is a simple graphic organizer that lays out a part grid for students to record essential details when they look up a new word, including definition, part of speech, example sentence, and illustration (usually their drawing). This can be an accompanying homework to reading and helps students engage in a type of active reading that is much more effective in building vocabulary.

How Can Students Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Writing?

3. the hamburger paragraph writing organizer.

This organizer helps students get their ideas into a cohesive shape before beginning formal writing in earnest. It consists of the three main aspects of a paragraph visually representing a hamburger – mmmm, yum! This concrete display of structure is very useful in approaching the often challenging and unwieldy task of writing a paragraph or essay.

The first part, the top bun, corresponds to the introduction or the topic sentence, indicating what the paragraph is about to the reader. The hamburger filling represents the following supporting sentences, where supporting ideas and information are listed. The final bottom bun represents the paragraph’s conclusion. The notes here will help the student later write sentences that restate the topic sentence, summarize the ideas, and bring closure to the paragraph as a whole.

Read our complete guide to paragraph writing here.

4. The 5 W’s and an H Graphic Organizer

This simple organizer helps students organize their thoughts when undertaking journalistic writing, such as a report. It divides the sheet into sections to jot down initial ideas based on the questions every journalist strives to answer: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How?

This graphic organizer leads the student from answering the more straightforward factual questions, such as who and when organically leading them into the more complex questions of how and why. Structuring notes this way encourages students to organize their information and thoughts on that information before beginning the writing process. This helps produce a unified piece of writing that builds logically as it climbs the ladder of abstraction from the purely factual to the more abstract and universal.

Do-It-Yourself Graphic Organizing

Open any word-processing application from Microsoft Word and Pages to Google Docs and Open Office, and you’ll find a host of ready-made free writing templates. In essence, these are graphic organizers that help you perform several functions, anything from writing a resumé to drafting a business report. You can also use this word-processing to design your own graphic organizers for your student.

For example, if you want to produce an organizer for a particular writing genre, simply look at the specific criteria of that genre, draw out the various headings or related writing prompts and create a corresponding table in your word-processing program. You can add graphics, images, colorful tables and fonts. Making your own graphic organizer allows you to tailor your template for the specific needs of your students and relate it exactly to your own teaching methodologies.

Use Graphic Organizers to Bring Learning to Life!

We have only just touched the tip of the graphic-berg. With the ubiquity of computers in all aspects of our lives, we have at our fingertips a wealth of free and commercially available tools to help us use sophisticated graphic organizers to bring learning to life for our students. However, not all graphic organizers need to be made to the highest production standards.

Sometimes a simple table scratched onto a scrap paper can help a student slide that missing jigsaw piece of understanding firmly into place. The key to using graphic organizers in the classroom is to encourage our students to discover the best ways for them to learn – tooling them up to be self-directed learners for life!

101 DIGITAL & PRINT GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS FOR ALL CURRICULUM AREAS

Introduce your students to 21st-century learning with this GROWING BUNDLE OF 101 EDITABLE & PRINTABLE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS. ✌ NO PREP REQUIRED!!! ✌ Go paperless, and let your students express their knowledge and creativity through the power of technology and collaboration inside and outside the classroom with ease.

Whilst you don’t have to have a 1:1 or BYOD classroom to benefit from this bundle, it has been purpose-built to deliver through platforms such as ✔ GOOGLE CLASSROOM, ✔ OFFICE 365, ✔ or any CLOUD-BASED LEARNING PLATFORM.

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How to Organize an Essay: 3 Graphic Organizers for Young Writers

By Pia Cisternino

As a parent, you may find yourself thinking, “My child is smart and articulate, so why are writing assignments so stressful?”  Writing is a complex task that requires a student to access multiple executive function skills. To be able to write an essay, a student must be able to 1) attend to and comprehend the teacher’s instructions, 2) create a plan for the form and content of an essay, and 3) follow through with that plan. When you think about the processing and planning skills that a student must integrate in order to compose an essay, it makes sense that even a small writing assignment can cause frustration.  

Many people, including students diagnosed with ADHD , students with high-functioning ASD , and students who are twice exceptional  (intellectually gifted students with special education needs) find that executive function skills are far from second nature. But when equipped with the proper tools and support, the same students can become effective writers. A graphic organizer is one of the tools that executive function coaches use to enable students to organize and plan their writing.   

We all use templates in our daily lives. Whether you’re balancing your checkbook or composing an email, a template helps you to keep your information organized. Similarly, a graphic organizer functions as a template, formatted to keep a student’s writing organized.  For students who feel overwhelmed by a writing task, graphic organizers provide a way to break up the task into clear and manageable parts. It’s like a road map to show them where to go. Many students find that once they learn how to organize an essay with a graphic organizer, writing becomes easier and much less stressful .

There are many different types of graphic organizers. So, one may ask, which are most effective? Just as your calendar template serves a different purpose from your resume template, the type of template a student needs depends upon the type of writing that has been assigned.

According to the Common Core , students are expected to become proficient with the following types of writing: 1) opinion/argumentative/persuasive writing, 2) informative/ explanatory writing, and 3) narrative writing.

The organizers listed below, the deliciously named OREO, BLT, and Ice Cream graphic organizers, are formatted to help students in elementary school organize their opinion writing, informative writing, and narrative writing, respectively.  

Opinion Writing

The OREO Graphic Organizer lays out the basic structure for an opinion essay. OREO stands for Opinion, Reason, Example, and Opinion restated.

Informative Writing

The BLT Graphic Organizer helps a student to plan a single, informative paragraph. The paragraph must include an introduction, a thesis statement, supporting sentences, and a conclusion.  

Narrative Writing

The Ice Cream Graphic Organizer is a template for narrative writing. It includes the basic components of a narrative essay: characters, setting, problem/event, and resolution.

Whether or not a student has a formal diagnosis of a learning difference , the truth is that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Any approach to supporting executive function skills should capitalize on a student’s areas of strength, in order to improve their areas of weakness. For instance, if a student demonstrates high abilities in the visual spatial domain, then it makes sense to use a strategy that visualizes the writing process. These organizers allow young writers to visualize a framework for the kinds of information they will need to include in a given paragraph or essay. As students get older and writing demands become more complex , the structure of graphic organizers expands as well. As executive function coaches , we see that even the most gifted student can benefit from a structured approach to the art of writing.

Please see this page for comprehensive information about Executive Function in Elementary students.

Pia Cisternino, M.A., M.S. is an executive function coach at Beyond BookSmart and a speech-language pathologist, with over a decade of experience working with students diagnosed with ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, and learning disabilities. She received her B.A. from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Italian, and continued to study literature at Johns Hopkins University, where she received an Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetry. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. A strong advocate for students with special education needs, Pia founded and facilitated a support group for parents of 2e (twice exceptional) children, and served for two years as co-chair of the Parent Advisory Council on Special Education (C-PAC) within her local school district.. Pia’s approach to coaching centers around enabling students to build skills by utilizing their own individual strengths.  

About the Author

Pia cisternino.

Pia Cisternino, M.A., M.S. is an executive function coach at Beyond BookSmart and a speech-language pathologist, with over a decade of experience working with students diagnosed with ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, and learning disabilities. She received her B.A. from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Italian, and continued to study literature at Johns Hopkins University, where she received an Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetry. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. A strong advocate for students with special education needs, Pia founded and facilitated a support group for parents of 2e (twice exceptional) children, and served for two years as co-chair of the Parent Advisory Council on Special Education (C-PAC) within her local school district.. Pia’s approach to coaching centers around enabling students to build skills by utilizing their own individual strengths. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and children.

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