Visual Organizers
At some point, students need to take in and process information. This lies at the core of the educational process.
Although simple 'notes' can be effective for some students, many students benefit from the use of visual organizers. These help students organize information into conceptual groups - something they may not be able to do effectively on their own.
A good graphic organizer represents a complex thought process - creating a timeline, sorting things into groups, comparing and contrasting, etc. As students take notes and use the organizer, they too learn to think in these ways.
The methods in the "Visual Organizers" section are creative ideas to help you create your own graphic organizers. They include concepts for organizers as well as pre-made templates to be used directly in class.
Featured Method: Foldables (3d Graphic Organizers)
Foldables are a new twist on a simple idea. Rather than drawing boxes and circles on a page and calling it a graphic organizer, the students transform the page into a 3d graphic organizer.
There are literally dozens of ways that you can fold, cut, and transform the piece of paper. The shape of your organizer will depend on your goal. You can use it to create a visual timeline, to compare events or ideas side by side, or to illustrate the parts of a whole.
Be sure to create a sample foldable first - or you're students may be quite confused. Check out the full article: Featured Method: Foldables (3d Graphic Organizers).
Previous page: Use Jigsaws to Get Your Kids to Read, Discuss, and Reteach
Next page: How to Create and Use Foldable, 3d Graphic Organizers in Your Classroom