How to Make a Graphic Organizer
Graphic organizers are a great way to help students make meaningful connections with the material they are learning in class. A visual, cross-subject guide is a helpful resource that allows students to see similarities and differences between multiple topics at one time. Within a few minutes, you can create your own graphic organizer to use within any classroom or work situation.
Instructions
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Open Microsoft Word on your computer.
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Change your page margins to .5 inches. Go into "Page Setup" in the "File" pull-down menu and alter the margin measurements.
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Set your page view to landscape. You can change your page view under the "Page Setup" menu.
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Pull up your drawing toolbar. Go to the "View" menu, select "Toolbars," and choose the "Drawing" toolbar.
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Choose the shapes you would like to use by going to the "Auto Shapes" button on your "Drawing" toolbar.
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Position shapes in the areas you would like on the page. Sometimes it is necessary to have two or more shapes on the page before experimenting with the placement. More shapes on the page will help you see what needs to be done in order to make a nice layout.
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Arrange shapes in columns if you desire to compare and contrast particular elements. If you wish to make connections between items, begin the organizer with columns and gradually connect the columns using one larger box. If you would like your students to see connections between elements without combining boxes, try using arrows to represent connections between elements.
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Use your mouse to make your shapes larger or smaller. Click on the outlying lines near your shape and drag the line inward or outward depending on the shape you want.
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Add text to the shapes by choosing the "Text" button on your "Drawing" tool bar. Position the mouse within a shape and arrange your text box to the desired size. Type your text into the box.
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Click outside of the shape once text has been added. Make necessary changes to the type size if you cannot see all of your text.
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Print and copy once completed.
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Tips & Warnings
If time is lacking, look at online resources. Many graphic organizers can be found online, free of cost. This will save you some creative time as well as putting you a little further ahead in planning.
Graphic organizers can be created for any teachable moment. Most organizers are used to show connections and/or differences between two or more elements, but organizers are not only limited to these two ideas. Organizers can also be used to help students recognize and understand elements discussed in class.
Make sure that your graphic organizers are not too involved. If there are too many steps or too much going on, it will be harder for students to retain the information.
