Advance Organizers

.41 Effect Size

Definition:

A graphic organizer is a visual and graphic display that depicts the relationships between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task. An advanced graphic organizer differs in timing and intent. Advance organizers are provided in advance of learning new material to clearly communicate what students are to learn.

(Classroom Instruction That Works (2012)

Types:

There are six (6) types of graphic organizers used in the classroom to organize information: descriptive, time sequence, process/cause-effect, episode, generalization/principle, and concept. Students need to be taught explicitly how to use these tools.

Examples of Advance Organizers:

Skimming the text
Video clips
Demonstrations
Drawings

When to Use:

Use during lessons to help students develop understanding.

Steps with 6 Types:

1. Introduce the GO with familiar content and why it supports learning.
2. Model for students (I do) the process of using a specific organizer to explain the subject and organizational framework. Use examples to illustrate.
3. Allow students to work in pairs or groups with the next activity section to activate their understanding of the GO tool and the relationships created within the tool (We do). Review their work through class discussion.
4. Ask students to work independently with the tool and discuss the comparisons, evaluations and conclusions made from using the tool (You do).

Benefits:

"Visually organized information can help students see connections between the ideas and information they are learning."
Organizers allow students to put information into their own words.
Students can choose an organizer to aid in their understanding of content.

Source: Frey, N., Hattie, J., Fisher, D. Developing Assessment-Capable Visible Learners Grades K-12. Corwin, Thousand Oaks, California

Circle MapsSecond grade teacher Tita Ugalde uses a circle map as a way to help her students organize their thoughts. Tita has students share what they know about soil and writes that information at the center of the map. Around the map, Tita draws a frame where students write where they could find more information about soil.

Structure Learning With KWL ChartsGuided by classroom teacher Dale Eilers, students work in teams to prepare for learning using a KWL chart. Dale begins by asking students to identify what they know and want to know about a topic, developing questions to be answered as students move through a lesson. At the close of the lesson, student pairs identify three things they have learned and then collectively review responses as a class.

Life-Size Graphic OrganizersStudents in Sarah Brown Wessling's High School ELA class create life-size graphic organizers to represent the prototypes they've created. Students work together to fill out the different parts of the organizers and then present their work to the class.

Character Detectives: Gathering EvidenceAt Stratton Primary school, head teacher Samantha Saville teachers her class about characterization, by getting them to become character detectives. Samantha creates character cases for each table, which contain a series of clues about a character. The clues may be anything from pictures, words, and symbols to silhouettes. They are used to encourage students to use their imaginations and decide who is in their box. After students learn how to work with the clues, they dress up as detectives and explore their cases, and write their ideas on a worksheet.