Graphic Organizer | Definition, Types & Purpose
Table of Contents
- Graphic Organizer Definition & Purpose
- What Does a Graphic Organizer Look Like?
- Types of Graphic Organizers
- Lesson Summary
What are the types of graphic organizers?
There are various types of graphic organizers. Some, like flowcharts, allow for information to be ordered into a sequence. Compare and contrast charts show the similarities and differences between various things. Note-taking organizers are used as note-taking aides. Single-point organizers allow for information to be organized around a single topic. Problem-solution organizers focus on developing various solutions to a given problem.
What are the five types of graphic organizers?
The five broad categories of graphic organizers are: sequence organizers, compare and contrast organizers, note-taking organizers, single topic organizers, and problem-solution organizers. Within each category, there are a variety of charts from which one can choose, depending on the material covered and personal choice.
Table of Contents
- Graphic Organizer Definition & Purpose
- What Does a Graphic Organizer Look Like?
- Types of Graphic Organizers
- Lesson Summary
The definition of a graphic organizer is a pedagogical tool used to visually convey information. Graphic organizers help students understand complex ideas by presenting them in a simple, visual format. This simple formation allows students to better retain information, and organize their ideas. Although all graphic organizers are used to promote student learning, there are different types of graphic organizers. They are not subject specific, and offer a lot of flexibility.
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So, what does a graphic organizer look like? Although various types of graphic organizers can look quite different from one another, most involve arranging small pieces of textual information in shapes, such as rectangles or circles. These shapes are then connected with one another in order to establish a relationship between the information contained within them. For example, a Venn diagram uses circles to compare and contrast information, whereas a flowchart can use a variety of shapes to arrange information in a sequence.
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There are many different types of graphic organizers. Each one offers its own benefits and limitations. They offer flexibility, and can be suited to the type of information being taught, and the learning goal of the lesson. Graphic organizers can be enhanced using technology. Various apps, programs, and websites offer services that simplify the task of creating a graphic organizer with pre-made templates, and easy-to-use interfaces.
Sequence or Flowcharts
A sequence chart, or a flowchart, allows students to organize information chronologically, linearly, or in a cyclical fashion. These charts are created by arranging information in boxes (or other geometrical shapes), which are connected with other boxes of information in a sequential order. For example, a history class might use a flowchart to create a timeline of historical events. A science class could use a flowchart to show the life cycle of an organism. Sequence charts allow complex processes to be communicated in a simplified, easy-to-understand format.
Compare and Contrast
A compare and contrast organizer is a type of graphic organizer used to highlight the similarities and differences between two or more things.
A simple compare and contrast organizer is a T-chart, in which information on the left side of the T-shape is contrasted with information on the right side of the T-shape. These charts can be useful for exploring contrasts, such as fact vs. opinion, or pros vs. cons.
A more complex form of a compare and contrast organizer is a matrix. A matrix is composed of cells and looks like a basic table, which you could create in a program such as Excel. Matrices allow for comparisons between more than two things. For example, a social studies lesson might compare and contrast different cities. The cities' names can be written across the top of the matrix, while categories such as "population," "state," or "baseball team" could be filled out in the cells below them and compared.
A third type of compare and contrast organizer is a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles to compare and contrast two or more things. Information written in the overlapping section of the circles is shared information, while information written in the non-overlapping sections of the circles is unique to that thing.
Note-Taking Organizers
Note-taking organizers are various graphic organizers which help students organize their personal notes. There are various types of note-taking organizers. Story maps help students in an English or literature class take notes on a story's narrative elements, such as theme, setting, characters, and plot. A reading log is a type of organizer for which a student records every time they read, and writes a few notes about the material they read. This helps keep students motivated and engaged with their reading. Cornell notes are a format of note-taking which involves splitting a page into two columns. A student writes detailed notes in the right column, and keywords and questions for review in the left column. Students are encouraged to review their Cornell notes often, and to answer all questions and review keywords, which they recorded in the left-hand column. A KWL chart, is a note-taking chart which splits notes into three sections: "what I know", "what I want to know," and "what I learned." T charts can also be used as a note-taking organizer.
Single Topic Organizers
A single topic organizer is an organizer which allows a student to organize information on a single topic.
A tree chart, for example, allows one broad topic to be broken down into more detailed information. In a tree chart, the main topic is written in a box at the top of the chart, lines connecting the main top to information then "branch out" from the main topic. The topic "forest ecosystem" could be at the top of a tree chart, and could branch out to smaller topics such as "trees," "birds," and "fungi". These subtopics can then branch out to even more detailed information. Clustering or webbing graphic organizers are very similar to tree charts. They also have a main topic in a box or circle, which is connected to related information boxes by lines. Instead of branching down like a tree chart, however, these charts spread out to form a cluster or web shape.
Problem-Solution Organizers
A problem-solution organizer is a graphic organizer which illustrates problems and their solutions. One type of problem-solution organizer provides a problem on one side of the graphic, and then lists various solutions to that problem on the other side of the graphic. Problem-solution organizers can also be used with reading to help students identify the main issues addressed in a text, as well as the solutions provided by the author.
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A graphic organizer is a pedagogical tool used for representing information visually. There are many different types of graphic organizers. They are flexible and non-subject specific tools. They aid students in retaining, organizing, and understanding complex information. Various graphic organizers look different from one another, but they usually involve organizing small pieces of information within shapes, such as rectangles or circles, that are connected with one another to show some sort of relationship.
Sequence charts or flowcharts are used to arrange information chronologically, linearly, or in a cyclical fashion. Compare and contrast charts are used to illustrate the differences between two or more things. Some types of compare and contrast charts are T-charts, matrices, and Venn diagrams. Note-taking organizers help students take their notes in a useful format. There are many types of note-taking organizers, such as reading logs, Cornell notes, and KWL charts. Single topic organizers are graphic organizers which order information on a single topic. These organizers include tree, cluster, and web diagrams. Lastly, problem-solution organizers are visual representations of various ways to solve a given problem, or problems.
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Video Transcript
Purpose of Graphic Organizers
Visual aids are everywhere today. Take, for example, the smart phone in your pocket or purse - it allows the user to organize applications in a user-friendly manner. Your style of organization depends on your usage. Similar to the organization of our apps, graphic organizers afford students the opportunities to transform information, ideas, and concepts in a visual way.
Graphic organizers help students organize ideas, see relationships, and retain information. Visual representations can be used in all disciplines and are quite flexible in their application. How graphic organizers are used depends on the objective. For example, a CEO of a company might organize their smart phone much differently than a college freshman. They both might have similar applications, but their usage of these apps can be vastly different.
Many organizers have more than one purpose. Much like our example of applications, these organizers can fall into more than one category depending on their usage. Additionally, graphic organizer options continually change with growing technology. Let's look at some different examples of organizers.
Examples of Graphic Organizers
The first type of organizer is sequencing or flow charts. One example of a flow chart is a timeline. These types of charts allow students to organize information chronologically, linearly, or in a cyclical fashion.
Another type of organizer is a compare and contrast organizer. These organizers highlight differences and similarities in objects, texts, character, etc. Examples of compare and contrast organizers include Venn diagrams, matrix, and T notes. In a Venn diagram, the similarities go in the sections that overlap, and the differences go in the sections that do not overlap.
Note-taking is another way to organize. Note-taking organizers allow students to organize ideas graphically, which highlight important information in a user-friendly format. Examples of this type of organizer include Cornell notes, story maps, KWL charts, reading logs, and T charts. KWL charts are comprised of three columns: what I know, what I want to know, and what I learned. Story maps can take many forms; story maps allow students to record their reading journey.
Another type of organizer is the single topic organizer. Single topic organizers allow students to elaborate on a single topic. The main purpose is organizing and generating ideas. Examples of single topic organizers include tree, clustering, webbing, and diagrams.
Finally, we have problem-solution organizers, which help students to view problems and solutions. Examples include the problem-solution organizer and the two-column problem solution. Problem-solution organizers differ from one another. Literary-based problem-solution organizers focus on the problem, the events of the story, and end with the resolution. More technical disciplines implore problem-solution formats or allow students to record problems, possible solutions, and outcomes.
Lesson Summary
Graphic organizers are visual representations of information, and they have a wide variety of uses and benefits. They help students build reading skills because they can be used to help students identify text structure. Other benefits include their ability to reinforce concepts, organize ideas for clarity, and their ability to meet the needs of visual learners.
Learning Outcomes
When you are done, you should be able to:
- State the purpose of graphic organizers
- Name and describe the types of graphic organizers
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