georgia yourieff content area project: graphic organizersmarist.edu... · georgia yourieff content...

1Found Poem: creating a poem using an original combination of words and phrases from other

text.

Georgia Yourieff

Content Area Project: Graphic Organizers

Literature Review

Graphic organizers are a commonly used tool in classrooms to help students more

effectively learn. There are a multitude of organizers, which have been study that can be taught

and implemented. The basis of all organizers is “an instructional tool students can use to

organize and structure information and concepts,” (Zollman, 2009). With that focus in mind,

there are many variations of graphic organizers that are catered toward particular types of

thinking and activities. These organizers can be used to organize new information to connect it

to prior knowledge, students with special needs can greatly benefit from using graphic

organizers, and they can be used in multiple subjects.

A study from 2011 focused on when it is most effective to implement graphic organizers.

There were two trials, one where the students were given a graphic organizer before reading and

one where students were given a graphic organizer after reading sections of a text. Both methods

were found to be effective, depending on the learning preferences of the student. The authors

found that the graphic organizers helped students focus on relevant information (Ozmen, 2011).

By having the graphic organizer to guide them, the students new what information to look for in

the text. This lessened the amount of information being encoded, allowing the students to focus

on making more connections with the relevant material. Graphic organizers provide a

framework to show relationships among concepts within a topic or text (Mahdavi & Tensfeldt,

2013). This will benefit the students with future reading and learning. The authors stated that if

previous knowledge is properly organized, new information is more likely to connect and


text.

combine into that schema (2011). The students are being set up for success because they are able

to file away the new information efficiently, which will make it easier to retrieve and connect to

new information in the future. Graphic organizers provide a framework to show relationships

among concepts within a topic or text.

Another study from 2009 also supports this idea of graphic organizers helping students

construct knowledge (Zollman). The authors had students use graphic organizers to answer

open-ended response questions. The organizers broke down the question into more manageable

chunks. The graphic organizer helped students “construct content knowledge and strategic

knowledge,” (2009). The students were able to see the process of answering the question, so not

only did the graphic organizer help them with working with the content, but it also assisted them

with how to answer a question. The teachers saw a vast improvement among students with

answering this type of question. As far as success in explaining the answer, the students

improved from 8% to 68% from the pre-test and post-test. This study also made the point that

graphic organizers are effective in a variety of subjects. For example, this study was completed

with math concepts, while the first study discussed focused on English Language Arts.

Dexter and Hughes completed a study in 2011 where many different types of graphic

organizers were implemented. The authors wanted to test the effectiveness of different

organizers based on the task. The results indicated that different types of organizers are better

depending on what the students are trying to complete. A teacher should identify what the

students are expected to do, such as recall, review, retain, study, etc. With that information, the

teacher can choose a graphic organizer geared toward that task. The study indicated that even a

combination of graphic organizers can be used (Dexter & Hughes, 2011). For example, a

semantic map can be implemented for initial instruction to get the students to see the overall


text.

ideas and overarching concepts. From there, a simple visual display for studying would be better

suited for helping students recall and retain after the information has been taught. This idea of

matching graphic organizers to the task, ties in with Zollman’s perspective that graphic

organizers are effective in multiple subjects, including ELA, Mathematics, Social Studies, and

Science.

A common thread throughout three of the four article is the belief that graphic organizers

are especially helpful for students with special needs. Mahdavi and Tensfeldt completed a

review of literature in their article, finding that children with learning disabilities and reading

difficulties benefit from visual strategies such as graphic organizers (2013). Dexter and Hughes

also supported this and found a large mean effect for posttest performance for students with

learning disabilities (2011). Both sets of authors used participants with learning disabilities, and

both articles indicate significant data showing that graphic organizers are effective with the

population. Ozman also utilized special education students in the study from 2011. The author

noted that students with disabilities can have difficulty with encoding, organizing, recalling from

memory, and retaining verbal and written information. Ozman found that the scaffolding

provided by the graphic organizers helped these students. He attributed this success to the idea

that graphic organizers were developed based on the Cognitive Theory of Ausubel; organizers

provide help in encoding and retrieval because the text information is provided verbally and

spatially. For the students who struggle with encoding information from a text, the graphic

organizer provides those students with a more visual version of the information. The material is

broken down into manageable pieces, which makes it easier to see the connections and relations

within the topic.


text.

Implications on Teaching

Through this research and my experience, graphic organizers are a key tool to implement

in a classroom. They clearly have a profoundly significant impact on student learning. For this

reason, I plan on utilizing different forms of graphic organizers whenever possible in my future

classroom. The graphic organizers are a way for students to visually learn how to break down

information so that it can be more easily digested. It helps students achieve higher-order

thinking because they can focus on the specific relevant information, but also because the

graphic organizer helps outline what the student needs to do (Dexter & Hughes, 2011). For

example, if the student is using an inference t-chart, the student automatically knows what he is

expected to do with the text. The graphic organizer can help support that student with higher-

order thinking because it provides a visual to help the student keep track of their thoughts and

ideas. Not only does this help the student with his thinking, but the teacher can also assess the

student’s thinking by simply looking at the graphic organizer.

Another huge idea discussed in the literature is the benefit of graphic organizers for

students with special needs. As I have experience in special education, I have seen applications

of the authors’ ideas and studies. Students with special needs, depending on the disabilities,

greatly benefit from this support. Students in this population often have areas of struggle that

make learning and retaining new information difficult. Graphic organizers can act as a bridge for

these students, allowing them to achieve what a “typical” student can. Graphic organizers also

make other tasks more manageable for students with special needs, such as encoding. For these

reasons, I think utilizing graphic organizers before, during, and after learning is essential. I plan

on explicitly teaching students how to use graphic organizers, as research shows this is the best

way to make sure students will have success and be able to independently use organizers as a


text.

tool (Dexter & Hughes, 2011). I would have particular organizers implemented throughout

lessons. This would help the students prepare for new information, digest the content material,

and then think about the new information after the lesson to help retention. With this approach, I

believe that these students would be able to better succeed academically. Furthermore, I think

graphic organizers can be used as reference tools for students with more severe disabilities who

can only retain a limited amount of information, if at all.

Depending on the group of students, I can use graphic organizers to help students prepare

for summative assessments as well as use the actual graphic organizers as a form of assessment.

There are particular graphic organizers that are geared towards helping students study. By

explicitly teaching how to pick a graphic organizer to use based on the task, students will be able

to use graphic organizer to help them study and learn information that will be assessed. This can

either be required by the teacher or individually decided based on the needs of the student. If the

students are comfortable enough with a graphic organizer and see the success they have because

of it, students will be more likely to decide to use the graphic organizer independently. Besides

helping students study for summative assessments, graphic organizers can also be used as both

formative and summative assessment. For formative assessment, as the teacher, I could collect

the graphic organizers to review how the students are thinking. I could make note of any

misconceptions and/or struggling students. From there, I could modify future instruction or pull

aside those students to provide additional instruction. Also, I could use the graphic organizers as

summative assessment by requiring students to hand in the graphic organizers with their work.

Not only will this get the students to practice using the graphic organizers consistently, but it will

also allow me to evaluate the students’ thinking. This is in line with a constructivist approach

because it allows me to not just assess the final responses and products, but also assess their


text.

thinking, connections, and ideas. It makes the evaluation and assessment process more

individual and open-ended based on the student.

Application: Two-Column Graphic Organizer

One example of how I could use graphic organizers in my classroom corresponds with

my first lesson plan for a regular education classroom. Using an adapted two-column graphic

organizer, the students are responsible for writing their own found poems1 using graphic

organizers to plan. The central focus of the whole unit is not the poem, but rather the skill of

using a graphic organizer. I specifically made the graphic organizer to fit the task of the lesson.

It breaks down the types of text the students are looking for, phrases and words, as well as

outlines other items necessary, such as the title of the text and the author. I teach the students

how to use the graphic organizer explicitly, and then have them practice using the graphic

organizer multiple times before I introduce the task of writing the poem. By doing this, the

students are confident with using the organizer and are able to successfully implement. I check

in with the students regularly to see their graphic organizers, which allows me to quickly see

where the student is with their thinking. I also require the students to hand in their graphic

organizer with their final poem. This way I am able to assess their thinking throughout the

process as well as the final product.


text.

Found Poetry – Two-Column Graphic Organizer Third Grade Time: 45 minutes

Background

Essential question Objective Common Core Standards

How do use a graphic organizer to

help me write a found poem? Students will be able to

explain what Found Poetry

is.

Students will be able to find

important details and facts in

a text.

Students will be able to write

a Found Poem as a class.

NYSCCSS.RI.3.2

NYSCCSS.RI.3.8

NYSCCSS.W.3.8

NYSCCSS.SL.3.1a-d

Previous Lesson

Student have just been introduced to found poetry. They have practiced reordering phrases and words

from a text, but they have not worked with the graphic organizer at this point. There will be texts at

different reading levels to account for varying reading abilities, but reading is a prerequisite skill for this

lesson. The students also need to have learned what a “strong, and poetic” word is, which was taught in a

previous lesson.

Content Rationale

This content is relevant to third grade as it has students directly pulling information from a text. This is a

skill that needs to be mastered, as it is required when searching for evidence to support an answer. Poetry

is also another topic that is addressed in third grade.

Language Information

The students will have to analyze words and phrases in order to choose what they would like to include in

their poems. The students have previously worked on this skill and should be confident with it before

starting the content in this area. The students will be required to participate in a discussion, but it will be

structured with specific questions for the students to answer and share.

Materials

1. Chart Paper

2. SMART Board/PowerPoint

3. Graphic Organizer


text.

4. Seasons Articles – information found on http://weather-facts.com/seasons-facts.php

Activate Prior Knowledge – 5 minutes

Ask students to do a fast write of what found poetry is. Have students hand in fast write and

gather on the rug. Share out a few student responses to what found poetry is.

Pre-Learning – 3 minutes

1. Talk about how yesterday we practiced re-organizing a poem into a new poem, but

we used all of the lines from our resource.

2. Tell students that today we will be pulling out what we think is most important and

meaningful from our resource.

3. Point out that yesterday we used poems as our resource, but today we will be using an

article.

4. State purpose: “Today we will be working with a new graphic organizer to help us

write our found poems. This will help us organize our thinking and work.”

During Learning – 30 Minutes

1. Model picking out important information and “strong, poetic” words that are meaningful

in an excerpt from an article.

2. After finishing picking out important information, model filling out the graphic organizer

and organizing my words and phrases into a poem – stress that this is a first draft and we

are just practicing the skills we need to create a found poem.

3. Guided Practice: As a class fill out the rest of the graphic organizer. Have students use

think-pair share strategy to come up with suggestions for the graphic organizer.

4. Use fist-to-five strategy to check for student understanding – formative assessment.

5. Independent Practice: Give students a choice of articles and have them work

independently picking out important and meaningful phrases and words and then

organizing them. Have students use graphic organizer to pull out information and

organize the words and phrases they want to use in their poems.

Post Learning – 5 minutes

1. Gather back on rug and have each student share one “strong, and poetic” word from their

graphic organizer.

2. Have students complete an exit ticket asking “how did the graphic organizer help you

today?” - formative assessment.

3. Collect the graphic organizers for assessment - formative assessment.

http://weather-facts.com/seasons-facts.php


text.

Assessment

Formative: Quick write, fist-to-five, discussion at the end of class, and graphic organizer.

Application 2: T-Chart Graphic Organizer

Another example of how I would use a graphic organizer is in a special education setting,

as seen in my second lesson plan. In this application, the students are required to fill out a

graphic organizer after reading a text by going back into the book to find the necessary

information. In this application, the students are using a modified t-chart graphic organizer.

This gives the students an outline of how to go back into the text. The t-chart definitively gives

the students what information they are looking for, which is necessary due to their special needs.

Not only does the t-chart act as a support, but it also is then used as a reference for the students

when filling out a worksheet at the end of the lesson. Since this group of students has limited

ability in retaining new information, the graphic organizer is best used to help as a reference.

This is the best application for this particular population of students because it is realistic to their

lives. They use graphic organizers throughout the day in the form of visual schedules to help


text.

them complete tasks. By implementing a graphic organizer than helps them complete a

worksheet task, the graphic organizer becomes more meaningful and relevant. From there, I can

assess both the graphic organizer to evaluate each student’s success with utilizing it as a

comprehension tool, but also as a reference tool by assessing the independent worksheet

completed using the graphic organizer. The graphic organizer allows me to assess two skills

within one lesson.

Parts of the Human Body: Science/ELA Grade 3-5 Self-Contained Time: 45 minutes

Background

Essential question Learning Objectives Standards

What are the five senses?

What body parts are related to

each sense?

Students will use

evidence from a text to

identify body part-sense

connections.

Students will explain why

we have certain body

parts [eyes, ears, nose,

mouth, fingers].

NYSS Science Standard 4:

The Living Environment

Key Idea 3.1b

CCSS ELA Standards

Reading: Informational Text

RI.K.1

Overview These students have a variety of special needs due to developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum

Disorder. This requires many modifications such as picture icons and appropriate text, as well as a co-

teaching approach. Prior to this lesson, students have practiced self-regulatory behaviors and reflection.

They are also familiar with the behavior chart in the form of a point system.

Prior Knowledge Students have covered the different basic body parts including head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears,

mouth, nose, and fingers. Students may have difficulty understanding the difference between the body

parts and the senses associated with those body parts. This will have to be explicitly outlined for

students.

Content Information The senses of our body parts are a part of our daily lives, therefore explicitly important for students to

understand. It is appropriate for this grade-level and ability-level. It meets the given standards for both

science and ELA. Reading informational text is very much a part of the third-fifth grade curriculum as

outlined in the Common Core State Standards.


text.

Language Information The students might have difficulty with differentiated between the words body part and senses. It will be

important to given examples and non-examples of each to show the students. The students will have to

match icons, but for the students who have verbal capabilities, there will be questioning in order to

engage students in conversation..

Materials

5. Human Body Part Worksheet (with PECS)

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBJ_-MyV2rU

7. The Amazing Human Body by Ruby J. Jameson

8. Therapy putty

9. Binoculars

10. Fake flowers

11. Edibles (for tasting activity)

12. Picture Icons

13. Graphic Organizer

14. Post its

15. Exit slip

16. Yes/No cards

*** Every 5 minutes use point system*** Remind students of point system at start of lesson

Activate Prior Knowledge – 5 minutes

Have students participate in dancing along to the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” YouTube video.

After the video, name the different body parts covered in the song and have the students touch the

corresponding part of their bodies. Give students the human body diagram worksheet and as a class

identify and label the different parts using picture icons.

Pre-Learning – 2 minutes

1. Inquiry – students will explore various items using their senses (binoculars, silly putty,

flowers, music, food).

2. State purpose of lesson: Learning the 5 senses that some of our body parts can do.

During Learning – 20 Minutes

1. Read The Amazing Human Body to whole class, pausing after each page to give time for

self-regulation checklist.

a. Every 5 minutes use point system

2. Break students up into two groups of readers and nonreaders for parallel teaching.

3. Introduce graphic organizer and model.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBJ_-MyV2rU


text.

4. Guided Practice: Have students work together with teacher assistance to complete

graphic organizer using the book. Reread as necessary.

5. Return to rug for whole class discussion.

a. How are the senses used appropriately in school?

Post Learning – 5 minutes

4. Have students return to the beginning body parts worksheet. Have them use their graphic

organizers to match the senses to the body parts they already labeled. Collect as

assessment.

5. Have students write one self-regulatory behavior they engaged in during the lesson on a

post it and stick on wall.

6. Independent Practice: Hand out exit slips asking one of the following questions:

a. Why do we need our nose?

b. Why do we need our mouth?

c. Why do we need our eyes?

d. Why do we need our ears?

e. Why do we need our fingers?

Differentiation

Have picture icons available for students to utilize when answering questions.

Vary amount of choices based on formatively assessing students as lesson is taught.

Model answer before having student pick icon if the student is having difficulties.

Assessment

Learning Objectives:

o Informally assess students based on group work and discussion.

Provide picture icons and utilize communication devices

Make sure all students contribute at least once

o Formally assess students based on exit slip and independent practice worksheet.

If student answers exit ticket correctly and gets worksheet 80% correct, they

pass.

If student answers exit ticket incorrectly or gets worksheet <80% correct, pull

into small group the next day to review material.


text.

T-Chart Graphic Organizer (modified for Special Education)

Name: __________________ Date: ________________

Write the sense that matches the given body part.


text.

Works Cited

Dexter, D. D., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Graphic Organizers and Students with Learning

Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(1), 51-72.

Mahdavi, J. N., & Tensfeldt, L. (2013). Untangling Reading Comprehension Strategy

Instruction: Assisting Struggling Readers in the Primary Grades. Preventing School

Failure, 57(2), 77-92.

Ozmen, R. G. (2011). Comparison of Two Different Presentations of Graphic Organizers in

Recalling Information in Expository Texts with Intellectually Disabled Students.

Educational Sciences: Theory And Practice, 11(2), 785-793.

Zollman, A. (2009). Students Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Mathematical Problem-

Solving Communications. Middle School Journal, 41(2), 4-12.

georgia yourieff content area project: graphic organizersmarist.edu... · georgia yourieff content...

Documents