Graphic Organizers are incredibly handy for teaching, recording, and reinforcing content in the secondary classroom. Students often enjoy using graphic organizers, especially if they help them to visualize content and better process the information they are learning in class.
I‘ve used graphic organizers since I first started teaching years ago, and while the organizers have evolved over time, they are still a very powerful tool. From the simple T-chart to image graphics to acronym-based pages, students have learned to utilize the organizers to help them better grasp the content and as a powerful tool for study.
Graphic organizers can also help students become better organizers. While I started off having students cut and paste organizers into their notebooks, I eventually switched to drawing out the model on the board to save paper or simply printing whole page organizers to serve as the day’s recording tool. As students add these pages to their notebooks in the order they are assigned, it helps them learn the value of organization!
And there are so many more, like Cause and Effect Charts, Voice Bubbles, Webs, and Maps, but these are my favorites for the secondary classroom.
Happy Teaching!