Graphic Organizer Resources from TeachersFirst

Whether you call them concept maps, mind maps, KWLs, or graphic organizers, these visual diagrams show relationships between concepts and provide a powerful tool for learning and connecting new ideas. Creating graphic organizers also helps today's visual learners build reading comprehension. This collection of reviewed resources includes tools for creating graphic organizers and many suggestions for ways to use them in teaching almost any subject or grade. Be sure to read the "In the Classroom" suggestions for examples of ways to use graphic organizers as part of a lesson or unit.
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Cool Kid Facts - CoolKidFacts
Grades
1 to 7tag(s): animals (319), australia (36), brain (67), china (65), deserts (18), earth (227), egypt (62), greek (41), heart (40), human body (133), italy (15), magnetism (40), mars (41), mexico (30), moon (76), newton (25), photosynthesis (33), rainforests (21), rome (25), sun (70), tornadoes (17), tsunamis (18), volcanoes (66)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) and show them all the different subjects available. Challenge students to find a topic about which they know nothing (or barely anything). This site will give them experience reading informational text on a topic they wonder about. Partner weaker readers with others who may be able to help them read the text-heavier articles. Have students read and research individually or in small groups taking notes using a simple graphic organizer from 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here. Use this opportunity to teach summarizing, and citing sources. Cool Kid Facts is a great tool to build background knowledge about all sorts of topics!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers - Holt
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): concept mapping (19), graphic organizers (41)
In the Classroom
Mark this site on your class web page, put it on your task bar, and add to all student computers. Demonstrate by using and creating your customized graphic organizer. Turn it into PDF format and save or print. Get students in the habit of using graphic organizers to improve achievement, organization, and details.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TUZZit - Christophe Fruytier
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): brainstorming (25), concept mapping (19), graphic organizers (41)
In the Classroom
Have student groups create presentations on TUZZit. The subtopics can serve as talking points. Have students begin projects by making an outline with TUZZit and sharing it with the teacher. As a whole class create a TUZZit organizer at the beginning of the unit showing what the class knows. Add information to the TUZZit throughout the unit. Create lesson plans on TUZZit by outlining the order of topics, links, and documents you will be using. Take notes about lessons/units using TUZZit. Hand out (or provide a link to) the organizer as a visual guide and summary of what they have learned, including documents and links. Share completed organizers with learning support teachers and parents to help struggling students. Ask students to create an organizer of a book or a chapter. Outline characters, setting, and events taking place in stories. Use TUZZit to create a graphic organizer or timeline of important historical events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rootbook - Rootbook
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (170), digital storytelling (151), interactive stories (30), narrative (19), writing (364)
In the Classroom
To use Rootbook and save work, students will need an email account. If students cannot have their own email accounts, consider using a "class set" of Gmail sub-accounts, explained here. This will provide anonymous interaction within your class, and you (as the Gmail account holder) will be able to go into each Rootbook account to check progress. Begin by choosing a story and reading it as a class. Give the students scratch paper to create storyboards and have them continue the story. Then collect the papers and have them write their continuation again on someone else's paper. Next, ask students to end the story and switch again, and write their ending on this new paper. Doing this will help younger students understand the "branching" story line. If students are sitting in groups of four, they can just rotate the papers around for this activity. When students want to create their story on Rootbook, be sure to have them upload an image for the cover first and plan the story using a graphic organizer! As subject matter for stories in any curriculum area, tell a science story, such as the life of a butterfly or a history story such as what happened (and could have happened) at the Boston Tea Party.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lucidchart - Karl Sun and Ben Dilts
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): brainstorming (25), graphic organizers (41), mind map (25)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the "ease" of this fabulous site! Have your class create organizers together, such as in a brainstorming session on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Assign students to "map" out a chapter or story. Assign groups to create study guides using this tool. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics. Use this site to create family trees or food pyramids in family and consumer science. Have students collaborate (online) to create group mind maps or review charts before tests on a given subject. Have students organize any concepts you study. They can color code concepts to show what they understand, wonder, and question. Have students map out a story, plot line, or plan for the future. Students can also map out a step-by-step process (such as a life cycle or how to solve an equation).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Tools: Suggestions from TeachersFirst - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (147), rubrics (30)
In the Classroom
Mark your Favorites using your free TeachersFirst membership, so you can find them quickly!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nazi and East German Propaganda Guide Page - Randall Bytwerk
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): germany (26), history day (24), holocaust (41), nazis (10), primary sources (91), propaganda (11), world war 2 (141)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use throughout your World War Two unit. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Challenge students to find examples of the Allies' use of propaganda and exchange paper and pen by using an online tool such as Canva, reviewed here, to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers comparing the uses of propaganda. Enhance learning by having students create a word cloud of the propaganda terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here, or WordItOut, reviewed here. Save this one in your favorites to suggest if you have students who need primary sources projects for National History Day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Science Fair Coach - Maille
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): science fairs (25), scientific method (68), STEM (205)
In the Classroom
Use information from this site to help students who struggle with te concepts of creating and carrying out a good science fair project. Assign science fair projects as extra credit for students to pursue individualized experiences and knowledge or as a regular part of the curriculum for scientific method. Even if you don't do a full science fair, use ideas form this site to help students envision scientific method through specific examples. Have them make a graphic organizer that shows the progression of steps involved in science investigations. Use a site such as Canva, reviewed here, to create visual graphic organizers. Share this link on your class website during science fair time.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension - Scholastic.com
Grades
1 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): graphic organizers (41), guided reading (46), independent reading (123), reading comprehension (129)
In the Classroom
Print and save the graphic organizers for use throughout the year. The organizers also work well on interactive whiteboards or projectors. These organizers are especially helpful when teaching different text structures found in informational text as required with Common Core. Use the organizers for writer's workshop or reading instruction. Share organizers when preparing for standardized tests to help students organize information. Use the organizers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your student's thought process.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Intel Education Units - Intel
Grades
K to 12tag(s): literacy (104)
In the Classroom
Begin your curriculum planning here. After reviewing exemplary units, use as they are, or modify to fit the needs of your students, content, or even resources adding your own personal touch. They will inspire you to dig deeper and go further with Common Core! Be sure to bookmark this site (or save in your favorites) as your go to resource for Common Core.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Vaccine Preventable Outbreaks - Council on Foreign Relations
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Use this tool during a unit on infectious disease in biology or health classes. Identify the difference between a cluster outbreak, secondary transmission, epidemic, and other categories of outbreak. View the various diseases and have students research each to report to the class about the transmission and dangers of each of the diseases. Identify the prevalence of various diseases in certain parts of the World compared to other locations. Identify why certain diseases are found in each of these areas. Research various ways to prevent further epidemics from occurring as well as the various social, religious, and political issues. Assign cooperative learning groups a disease to investigate. Use an online tool such as Canva, reviewed here, to create diagrams and other visual graphic organizers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers - Daily Teaching Tools
Grades
K to 9This site includes advertising.
tag(s): graphic organizers (41), process writing (46), writers workshop (34), writing (364)
In the Classroom
Many of these organizers are useful for Common Core standards. Print and save the graphic organizers for use throughout the year. These organizers should be especially helpful when teaching different text structures found in informational text as required in Common Core. Use as part of your writer's workshop or guided reading instruction. Share organizers when preparing for standardized tests to help students organize and understanding test materials.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Introducing Text Structures in Writing (5th Grade) - Utah Education Network
Grades
4 to 6tag(s): process writing (46), reading comprehension (129), reading strategies (55), sequencing (29), writers workshop (34), writing (364)
In the Classroom
Print materials included with this lesson and use as an addition to a current writing and reading comprehension units. This would make an excellent addition to standardized test preparations to help students analyze and assess readings provided during testing. Extend this lesson beyond science texts. Use lesson components and ideas for social studies and all other non-fiction reading materials.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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inklewriter - Joseph Humfrey and Jon Ingold
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): creative writing (170), digital storytelling (151), narrative (19), persuasive writing (55)
In the Classroom
View stories on the site together to understand the components of the site and discuss how different choices in characters and settings lead to different story outcomes. (Be sure to preview stories before sharing, since there is "public"' content.) Watch the tutorials together on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) before students begin to write stories. Use a graphic organizer to "map out" the story before writing. Create a short story together as a class to become familiar using the site. Assign a group of students to create an interactive story each week to share on your classroom website or blog. Have students create a story map before beginning a story on inklewriter; use a tool such as 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here. Create class stories to teach about literature, geography, reading comprehension, history, science concepts, and more. As a more "serious" approach, use Inklewriter to present opinion pieces where you take a position and allow readers to click on questions about it. They could also click on statements expressing opposing views so you can write counterarguments to their points. This could end up being a powerful way to present an argument and evidence as required by Common Core writing standards. A graphic organizer for planning and organizing evidence is a must! Teachers of gifted could use this for students to develop elaborate fictional or informational pieces. If you work with students who struggle, scaffold with a template for them to organize their thoughts.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be shared by URL
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Famous Scientists - famousscientists.org
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): inventors and inventions (85), scientists (69)
In the Classroom
The reading level of this site is rather challenging. Have weaker readers work together with stronger ones. While discussing scientists and inventors, use this site as a resource for gathering information. Have small groups of students research scientists from the same time period. Have them research their contributions including reactions of others to their discovery or invention. Research why these inventions were particularly important and the scientific knowledge that changed as a result. Have them present their findings to the class by creating a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Then, if you would like to take your students critical thinking up a notch, you could have the small groups compare the different inventions and decide how and why the earlier inventions had to come before a later invention could be developed. For this you might want to have students use a collaborative graphic organizer like Canva, reviewed here, and have them report out their thoughts and discoveries to the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Night Zookeeper - Joshua Davidson
Grades
K to 5tag(s): creative writing (170), creativity (119), digital storytelling (151)
In the Classroom
Share this site on classroom computers for students to read and listen to the Night Zookeeper story then encourage students to create their own animal to be added to the zoo. Use the included graphic organizer to help students design their animal. Create a link to the site on classroom computers and allow students to explore and discover site activities. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to create a visual comparison of animals included in the zoo or imaginary animals vs. real animals.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Draw.io - JGraph, Ltd.
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): brainstorming (25), concept mapping (19), graphic organizers (41), mind map (25), venn diagrams (18), visual thinking (10)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate creating a mind map or other diagram on an interactive whiteboard or projector, and then allow students to try to create their own. Use this site for literature activities, research projects, social studies, or science topics of study. Use Draw.io to create family trees or flow charts. Learning support students could team up to map out the important concepts from a unit visually as a review activity. Use this mapping website as an alternative to a traditional test, quiz, or homework assignment in literature, social studies, or science. Have students demonstrate their understanding by creating a graphic organizer about the main points or map out a step-by-step process (life cycle). Be sure they name their organizer BEFORE they start work with their name --or code name-- so you know who did it (they could EMAIL it to you!) or have them print their results to turn them in. Anonymously share and compare different students' "views" of a unit so students can "see it through someone else's eyes."Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Algalita - Plastic Ocean Pollution - Algalita Marine Research Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): environment (321), oceans (165), plastics (9), pollution (65)
In the Classroom
Use your interactive whiteboard and projector to introduce this site. Use the Trash Tracker lesson as is or adapt for your own use. Consider having students work in groups of four, and have each group explore a different expedition (listed by year and selected by you). Have the small groups of students investigate the first several days of the selected expedition together. After that, have pairs take notes about what they learn, using Memo Notepad, reviewed here, then have partners compare notes for the days they investigated. Once they've investigated their expedition, remix the groups so you have one student from each of the different expeditions together. Have them share information and determine what was alike and different for each year. Use a graphic organizer or mind mapping tool such as WiseMapping, reviewed here, to help students keep track of the information. Once done have students access the additional resources pages (the blogs will often have more information for the expeditions), and look at the maps. Older students may want to investigate information about careers related to GIS, Conservation, and Marine Biology by using the link at the bottom of the page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Compare & Contrast Map - Read, Write, Think - International Reading Association
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (199), concept mapping (19), graphic organizers (41)
In the Classroom
Use this site to introduce comparisons to your students on your interactive whiteboard or projector. After demonstrating how to use the site, create a link on classroom computers for students to make their own comparisons to be printed and shared. Divide students into 3 groups - one for each type of comparison essay - and have them create comparisons for their type, then share and compare with other students. Change student learning by having them create "annotated pictures" to illustrate the different types of comparisons using Szoter, reviewed here. Use this site with gifted students as a way for them to explore subjects more deeply than discussed in class. Use this site with ESL/ELL students to help organize information easily and as a visual representation of class material.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Colours in Cultures - Information is Beautiful: David McCandless
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (199), colors (78), cross cultural understanding (127), cultures (111), graphic organizers (41), infographics (51), psychology (64), visualizations (13)
In the Classroom
Use this site to promote visual literacy and as an example for reading graphs. Have students select another topic and make a similar graph of their own. Use one of the graph makers available at the site "Statistics - Johnnie's Math Page" (reviewed here). Look at paintings from different cultures and ask how color interacts with other artistic elements like shape, design, placement, etc. to convey meaning. Have students make an assortment of works of the same design, varying color choice depending on which culture is going to view the work. If you have student creating infographics, this chart is a must in selecting font colors and more to guide emotional impact of the graphics.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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