{ Critical Reading Graphic Organizers

 Particularly for visual and kinesthetic learners, outlining, mapping, and other forms of graphic organization can significantly enhance reading comprehension. Graphic Organizers

 Breaking down and then visually organizing a reading shows the relationships important to understanding concepts or processes. Graphic Organizers

 Research indicates that outlining and mapping enhance the recall of major ideas and new knowledge. Graphic Organizers

 all levels of learners can benefit from graphic organizers no matter how simple or complex the learning task. Graphic Organizers

 Research has also theorized that the two brain hemispheres control two different "modes" of thinking. Graphic Organizers

 The left side of the brain favors logical and sequential thinking, while the right side is more intuitive and first focuses on the whole, rather than the parts; each of us favors one mode over the other. Graphic Organizers

 Therefore, some students will do better with the more left-brained linear approach of using formal outlining, while others will do better with the more right-brained approach of using graphic organizers. Graphic Organizers

 Module Goals:  In addition to suggesting an effective formal outline approach to reading textbook material, this module will present an overview of graphic organizers that can be adapted to meet a variety of reading assignments and learning tasks across all disciplines. Graphic Organizers

 Because they are simple to construct, you can create your own format for these maps. Graphic Organizers

 Our learning goals for this module are:  Students will gain an awareness of how outlining and using graphic organizers to interpret and take notes increases comprehension while reading.  Students will learn application strategies for outlining and mapping using graphic organizers. Graphic Organizers

 Strategy #1: Outlining with headings  Outlining is a system of notetaking that uses a progression of numbers and letters to indicate main ideas and supporting details. 1. Before they start reading a textbook chapter, or other readings that employ boldfaced subheadings, ask students to set up an outline framework and then fill it in while reading. This helps students, especially weaker readers, to pause and focus on main ideas and supporting details as they read. Graphic Organizers

. Have students examine how their textbook chapters or the assigned reading is organized.  In a textbook that makes good use of subtitles to emphasize main ideas and supporting details, there may be several ways to approach this activity.  Please take a look a the textbook example below.  Students can organize chapter headings into a traditional outline as follows: Title of Chapter I. Major subheading -- main idea of a chapter section A. Secondary subheading -- main idea of sub-section by title of section 1. Skip lines here to include supporting details. 2. B Graphic Organizers

 Strategy #2: Locating and using graphic organizers Graphic Organizers

 Different kinds of reading and learning tasks call for different kinds of graphic organizers.  If you are learning the history of NASA's moon flights, you will want to a chain of events graph or a timeline.  If you are learning about types of atmospheres on the moon and on Mars, you would complete a classification and division chart or maybe a comparison-contrast chart, depending on the learning goals.  If your class is learning why the first 10 Apollo missions did not make it to the moon, students would consider using a fishbone or chain of events type of chart. Graphic Organizers

 Strategy #3: Creating graphic organizers Graphic Organizers

 Rather than students to using a template for their graphic organizer, you might want to have them create it themselves.  This allows them to think more creatively and, quite honestly, some readings can't be put into neat diagrams. Graphic Organizers

 Take a complex section from one of your assigned readings, and ask the students to visually represent the main ideas and supporting details of the text by drawing and coloring in their own concept map.  Make sure they understand that their graphic organizer must not only demonstrate the key ideas, but that it should also articulate the relationships between them. Graphic Organizers

 Strategy #4: Using quick integration Graphic Organizers

 Chances are that you already have access to many examples of graphic organizers used by the authors of your textbook. They include pie charts, line and bar graphs, Venn diagrams, timelines, and other graphics that visually represent research, data, facts, events, steps, stages, and other elements. Graphic Organizers

 Here are some instructions you can give to your students: 1. Look through your textbook and explain at least two graphic organizers you find. 2. What does the graphic demonstrate? What are the implied ideas? Why was this type of graphic used to give this information? Graphic Organizers