Graphic

Organizers
 Graphic Organizers
• Graphic organizers are visual thinking tools that make
pictures of your thoughts. The pictures demonstrate
relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas, and guide
your thinking as you design the map or diagram
• People who have learning disabilities are often visual
learners and thinkers. That means they understand and
remember information better when ideas, words, and
concepts are associated with pictures, diagrams, charts, and
maps
 Why use graphic organizers?
• Graphic organizers can help to visualize and construct ideas,
organize and/or sequence information, plan what to write,
increase reading comprehension, brainstorm, organize
problems and solutions, compare and contrast ideas, show
cause and effect, and more. The ability to color-code
thoughts in a picture can help significantly in understanding
and remembering the information
• Graphic organizers can be created for something as simple as
a shopping list or as complicated as structuring business
components or writing a thesis
 Benefits and Drawbacks of GO
Pros
• They can easily draw a relationship (similarities or differences) between two
or more components in a simpler manner.
• With the help of grids and charts, we can also organize our data instead of
leaving it cluttered. Subsequently, data can be formed into meaningful
information this way.
• Most of these graphic organizer diagrams are self-explanatory and saves a lot
of time while presenting.
• They encourage self-learning and would help us solve a problem on our own.
• With diagrams like a storyboard, we can make education so much interesting
for kids and even help students with learning disabilities.
 Benefits and Drawbacks of GO
Cons
• There is a lack of standards for graphic organizers and thus visuals
drawn by an individual might not be properly understood by someone
else.
• Too many times, a crucial piece of information is left or wrongly
represented in these diagrams.
• A few diagrams are a bit unorganized and need to be refined.
Types of Graphic
Organizers
 Pie Chart
• Displays data using a circle
divided into sectors. We use
a circle graph (also called a
pie chart) to show how data
represent portions
of one
whole or one group
• Notice that each sector is
represented by %
 Bar Graph
• Displays data by using
bars of equal width on a
grid
• The bars may be vertical
or horizontal
• Bar graphs are used for
comparisons
 Scatter Plot
• A graph of data that is
a set of points
 Flow Chart
• Show how steps in a process fit
together
• This makes them useful tools for
communicating how processes
work and for clearly documenting
how a particular job is done
• Mapping a process in a flow
chart format can help clarify the
process, and show where the
process can be improved
 Venn Diagram
• Venn Diagrams show
how different things or
ideas can overlap to
show a
compare/contrast
relationship
 Broken Line Graph
• A graph showing
data points joined
by line segments to
show trends over
time
 Continuous Line Graph
• A graph in which points on the
line between the plotted points
also have meaning
• Sometimes, this is a “best fit”
graph where a straight line is
drawn to fit the data points
• Notice that the independent
variable is on
the X axis, & the dependent is on
the Y
axis
 Concept Map
• Depict the relationship between
various ideas and concepts is far
easier than explaining it using
plain text
• To quickly understand complex
concepts
• Use it to plan the process flow
and activities of a system, and it is
also helpful in marketing to
brainstorm a new business
strategy
 Cause and Effect Organizer
• Makes it easier for them to
understand the cause of specific
activities and their effects.
• With it, students can quickly get
the general idea of a story or
concept by examining the cause
and effect of various events in
the story
 Classification Diagram
• These diagrams are also
extremely simple to make and
helps us break down a concept
into sub-levels.
• You can take any topic as a root
and list its sub-systems, parts,
etc. by dividing it into different
components
• You can traverse it via a top-
down or a bottom-up approach
 Tables
• Tables are the best graphic to use when readers need to focus
on specifics
• Tables can communicate many details in a simple way;
details that would be hard to comprehend if done through
words alone
• An advantage of tables is that they can be quickly scanned
for information and that "commonalities and differences"
across entries are readily apparent (Gurak 358)
 Tables
Guidelines for Creating Tables
• Explain what the table contains and how it will help the reader.
• Give the table either a title or caption, as appropriate.
• Write informative, understandable, and visually distinct heading labels.
• Make rows distinct through headings or display of categories.
• Avoid wordiness, limit text in cells to a few words.
• Use color coding and symbols to facilitate quick scanning and data
comparison.
• Ensure the table will be readable in the display format.
 Colors
• Color helps readers and viewers acquire and interpret
information
• Appropriate use of contrasting or complementary
colors clarifies the structure and emphasis of a visual
message
 Colors
1. Establish a color scheme and then add color standards to the project
styles.
2. Use contrasting, bright colors to show opposing concepts or major
changes; use shades or tints of one color to show minor variations.
3. Match your color choices to your goal or purpose in designing a
document or making a presentation.
4. For more legibility, use a light background with dark text, and use
colors sparingly.