Sunday, December 2, 2007

Graphic Organizers


A classroom staple, graphic organizers have probably been around as long as teaching itself. So, how do we bring these graphic organizers into the 21st century? Well, software such as Inspiration allows teachers and students to create their own graphic organizers complete with links, voices, and video. You can make them as simple or complex as you want, but Inspiration creates graphic organizers galore!

What if your district doesn't own licenses to Inspiration? Don't worry, CMAP empowers users to create concept maps for free. Choose "educational use " and download this dual platform software.


Once you have a graphic organizer program the possibilities are endless. In Language Arts, create storyboards, brainstorm writing topics, compare and contrast characters, or create plot maps. In History, create time lines or create concept maps of historical people and events. In Science, complete classification tables, create lab reports, and reflect on scientific laws. In math , create solution charts, master probability tables, or formulate flow charts .

By getting kids to create this own graphic organizers, you are allowing them to think critically about the organization, content, and connects within a content area.


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