Thinking Outside of the Box: Not all Graphic Organizers have to be Square

Graphic organizers are a critical pre-writing and brainstorming technique that crosses over all content areas, however, many educators are still using the same set of organizers that are pre-made. Just like students who are diverse learners, not all graphic organizers come ready made and aligned with a specific skill or assignment. Teacher designed graphic organizers are the first step in helping students step out of the “box” and into a world of self-designed organizers.

Empowering students to take control over their thought process, reflect on the desired skill they need to demonstrate, then produce a unique graphic organizer is truly powerful and transformative in the classroom.

Standard Graphic Organizer

As you can see, each design accomplishes the same goals, but the student designed organizer allows for creativity, ownership and accountability. In a classroom that incorporates UDL, it’s important to create opportunities for choice and ownership allowing students to take charge of their education experiences and thrive.

Other Student Designed Graphic Organizers