Using Graphic Organizers with Nonfiction Texts

1. Using Graphic Organizers with
Nonfiction Texts
Created and compiled by
Alyson Mitchell M.Ed.
Texas Tech University
2009

2. Objectives
• Understand how and when to use
graphic organizers.
• Know benefits of using graphic
organizers.
• Share ways to use graphic organizers
with your Personalized Learning
group.

3. What are graphic
organizers?
Why do teachers use
graphic organizers?
When can graphic
organizers be used?
How should graphic
organizers be used?
One a piece of paper, write down your answers to the
following questions…

4. What are graphic organizers?
• Tools that display information so that readers can see the relationships
among the topics being explored.
• Visual representations of information
• “Valuable tools for reading, writing, thinking and learning.”
• Useful with all kinds of learners: gifted, special education, special needs
and ELL students
• “Used for brainstorming, gathering information, summarizing, organizing,
self evaluating and so forth.”
• Found in textbooks, standardized tests, workbooks, overheads,
SmartBoards, and journals
(Pike and Mumper, pgs 140-142)

5. Why use graphic organizers?
• They can be used before, during and/or after the reading of a text.
• Studies have shown that graphic organizers can assist comprehension.
One study discovered that students became more active readers when
they used graphic organizers while reading (Frey and Fisher, 171).
• They support students who struggle with literacy.
• Because nonfiction can be difficult for children, the use of graphic
organizers makes content more accessible.
• They can link information being read with child’s background knowledge.
• They can encourage students to work collaboratively and improves social
skills (Pike and Mumper, pg 142).
• They give teachers the opportunity to assess what children have learned
about a topic being studied (Pike and Mumper, pg 142).

6. When can graphic organizers be
used?
• Before reading
• During reading
• After reading (or before, during AND after)
• In any content area…reading, writing,
math, science, social studies, art…

7. How should graphic organizers be
used?
The research is clear…in order to be effective, graphic organizers must be
used with the teacher. Often they are used as a worksheet, for the child
to fill out on his/her own. This is not the most beneficial way to
use this teaching tool. Merkley and Jefferies (pg 167) share attributes
for effective implementation:
1. share links among categories
2. provide time for student input
3. connect new information to prior learning
4. make reference to new information/text
5. seize opportunities to reinforce decoding and
structural analysis.
It should be noted, these attributes do not have to appear in this order.
When utilizing the graphic organizer, time should be provided to do each
of the above.

8. How should graphic organizers be
used?
What might these attributes look like?
1. share links among categories: “We have been learning about the rain forest.
Before we read a new book about this topic, let’s look at this graphic organizer.
It is organized by layers of the rain forest, why do you think that is?”
2. provide time for student input: Pause and provide time for students to answer
the above question…
3. connect new information to prior learning: “What do you know about each of
these layers?”
1. make reference to new information/text: “In this book, Rain Forest, the authors
share with the reader what life looks like in the rain forest. Let’s read the first
few sections and determine how each of these layers are described.”
5. seize opportunities to reinforce decoding and structural analysis: “This layer is
called the canopy. Why do you think it is called this? (structural analysis) How
do these authors describe the canopy of the rain forest? Let’s write this on our
chart. What sounds should we write first? (decoding)”
The next slide shows a sample graphic organizer using this scenario and the text, Rain
Forest.

10. Graphic Organizer Activity!
Under Activity 3, click on the link titled “Try It, Text
Structures”.
This PDF provides you several different Graphic
Organizers on pages 1-5. Read the articles in pages 6-
10 and try to find the best Graphic Organizers to use with
each article. Jot down on a scratch piece of paper the
graphic organizer that would work best with each article.
You will discuss this activity in your discussion board
activity.
For example, if you used the article “The Life of a
Hurricane” with your students, you might chose to use the
Sequencing Graphic Organizer to help discuss this
article.

11. How can we use this
with the students we
teach?

13. Rain Forest
Emergent Canopy
Forest
Floor
Understory
Thick branches
Most wildlife
here.
Lots of leaves
Windy
Tops of trees
Monkeys and
birds
Leafy bushes
Dark and hot
Frogs hide in
leaves
Dead leaves
Insects
Anteater
This chart could be added to as more information is learned.

14. Types of Graphic Organizers
Just like there are different structures in trade books, there are many
different graphic organizers. When considering what type of organizer to
use, consider the structure of the text being used.
Question and Answer
Description
Sequence or Time Order
Cause and Effect
Problem and Solution
Compare/Contrast

15. A Final Reminder
“they are such a simple tool that there is a
temptation to merely distribute them and
ask students to fill them in. Unfortunately,
without proper scaffolding, graphic
organizers can be reduced to a level of a
fancy worksheet, completed only to satisfy
the teacher.”
Frey and Fisher, pg 179