Britannica Education logo in blue square

Join Our Teach Britannica Webinars: Get time-saving tools and strategies to enhance your lessons!

Hello Britannica logo in blue text
Instructional Strategies
Graphic Organizers

CHOOSE TYPE

GRADE
Instructional Strategy – Grade
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Read Actively
GRADE: 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Active Reading Through Writing

Students actively engage with texts by writing reflections and insights before, during, and after reading to enhance their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Read Actively
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Analyzing Images

Students analyze images to activate prior knowledge, elicit interest in a unit of study or topic, and deepen understanding and connections.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Read Actively
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Annotating Text

Annotation is a powerful active reading strategy in which students take notes, highlight, and pose questions to improve their understanding.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Summarize & Synthesize
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Build a Summary

Students unpack a text’s content by pausing after each section to think about, discuss, and write a one-sentence summary of the main ideas.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Read Actively
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Cause and Effect

Students use a cause and effect graphic organizer to demonstrate analytical understanding of the impacts of events, policies, or people.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Collaborative Vocabulary Exploration

Students collaboratively complete a vocabulary exploration graphic organizer with definitions, sentences, and synonyms/antonyms for new lesson-specific words.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Discuss & Collaborate
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Conversation Circles

Conversation Circles facilitate discussion of text-inspired ideas in a structured format through movement and dialogue with peers.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5

Draw It, Write It

Students use this multimodal method to acquire new vocabulary by drawing a picture and writing a sentence to foster vocabulary retention.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Read Actively
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Draw to Understand

Students use this strategy for reflection, processing new information, recalling key details, and identifying and organizing relevant information.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Frayer Model

Students use a Frayer Model, a four-square/quadrant graphic organizer, to activate background knowledge and foster vocabulary acquisition.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Discuss & Collaborate
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Gallery Walk

Students explore teacher-displayed prompts in groups, fostering active learning, critical thinking, and peer discussion on course topics.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Discuss & Collaborate
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Jigsaw

Jigsaw promotes collaboration and movement by assigning students to expert and home groups to facilitate the sharing of well-understood ideas.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Question & Inquire
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

K-W-L

K-W-L is a graphic organizer/chart system students use to determine what they already know, what they want to know, and what they learned during a lesson.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Develop Language (MLL)
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Language Domain +1 Matrix

Teachers use a structured matrix to plan comprehensive language supports across receptive and productive domains for MLL student success.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Mini Glossary

Mini glossaries are used to foster vocabulary comprehension and retention so that students can integrate learned vocabulary into their written expression.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Summarize & Synthesize
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing requires students to maintain the integrity of a passage or text by capturing the main ideas and details without directly quoting.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5

Picture Glossary

This vocabulary-strengthening activity connects pictures and words whereby students draw visuals for new vocabulary words they encounter while reading.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Question & Inquire
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Question Pyramid

Students create Who, What, Where, When, Why, How questions about an assigned or selected topic to encourage curiosity and analytical inquiry.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Question & Inquire
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

See-Think-Wonder

See-Think-Wonder graphic organizers help students unpack visual stimuli by documenting their observations, interpretations, and questions about images.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Semantic Feature Analysis

Students build vocabulary by examining how words and related traits connect to one another by charting their relationships on a provided matrix.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Summarize & Synthesize
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Six-Word Summary

Students demonstrate their reading and listening comprehension skills by homing in on a text’s main ideas to distill it to a six-word summary.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Discuss & Collaborate
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Think-Pair-Share

Students adequately develop ideas independently by being given ample time to consider a question or topic before pairing up to share ideas.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Summarize & Synthesize
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, UNIV

Visual Note-Taking

Visual note-taking can be paired with traditional note-taking; students use simple symbols and drawings to capture key points.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Vocabulary One-Pager

Teachers can use this visual technique to build students’ vocabulary by pairing words with student-created symbols, pictures, and phrases.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5

Word Categories

This word-sorting exercise encourages students to group new vocabulary based on thematic concepts to deepen their understanding of a topic or text.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY
Acquire Vocabulary
GRADE: K-2, 3-5

Word Friends

Students are given a list of preselected vocabulary words to group and label with appropriate headings that reflect definition-based connections.
GRADE
Graphic Organizer – Grade

2-Circle Venn Diagram

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

3-Circle Venn Diagram

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

5Ws and 1H

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Active Reading Through Writing

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Analyzing Figurative Language

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Bubble Web

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8
VIEW

Cause and 3-Effects Web

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Cause and Effect

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Cause and Effect (2 Column)

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Cause and Effect Map

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Collaborative Vocab Exploration

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Draw It, Write It

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5
VIEW

Frayer Model

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Idea Web

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Jigsaw Puzzle

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

K-W-H-L

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

K-W-L

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Language Domain +1 Matrix

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Main Idea and Detail

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Main Idea and Detail Web

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Mini Glossary

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Paragraph Outline

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5
VIEW

Paraphrasing

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Picture Glossary

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2
VIEW

Question Pyramid

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

See-Think-Wonder

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Semantic Feature Analysis

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Sequence

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Storyboard

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

T-Chart

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Text Thread

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Timeline

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Top Hat

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8
VIEW

Visual Note-Taking

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Univ
VIEW

Vocabulary One-Pager

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
VIEW

Word Categories

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5
VIEW

Word Friends

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
GRADE: K-2, 3-5
VIEW
Teach Britannica logo in light blue and navy text

Quick Links

Instructional Strategies
Graphic Organizers

FOLLOW BRITANNICA EDUCATION

Instagram X-twitter Facebook Linkedin Youtube Pinterest

Products

Learn

Resources

About

© 2024 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Teach Britannica logo in light blue and navy text

Top Picks

NEW Britannica School Scavenger Hunt!

Take students on an adventure with our Scavenger Hunts– a perfect way to explore the latest Britannica School updates through independent or guided discovery! Download our Elementary or Middle/High version now and get started today!

In the News

Level-up current events into dynamic learning!

Products

Resources

Tutorials

About

FOLLOW BRITANNICA EDUCATION

Instagram X-twitter Facebook Linkedin Youtube Pinterest
Sign Up!

Find attention-grabbing content for tomorrow’s lessons, delivered to your inbox each month!

Embed HubSpot Form