Education 317
Brown
3/16/10
Teaching Strategy Demonstration Summary Sheet
-Candidate Name:
Lauren Showfety
-Name of Demonstrated Strategy/Method:
Graphic Organizer
-Language Art Being Taught Through the Use of the Strategy/Method:
Reading, reading comprehension, writing, spelling/vocabulary
-The Instructional Purpose of the Strategy/Method:
Using the graphic organizer will help students to better comprehend the material they are
about to read, reading, and have read. They will be able make predictions and identify
important information to link concepts and make relationships between real life and other
reading as well as promote “active” readers. This strategy is also very effective to aid in
student comprehension and interest of materials. Students will be able to more fully
comprehend the material they are learning about, as they are learning it.
Article 1:
Merkley, D., & Jefferies, D. (2000). Guidelines for implementing a graphic organizer.
Reading Teacher, 54(4), 350. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=13&sid=62df9365-313c-483c-
aa71-
ae9d095e95ad%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d
#db=aph&AN=3893085>
This article was very useful. A brief history of the graphic organizer and its uses
as well as research conducted about effectiveness is included. The word graphic
organizer was developed as a replacement of the education term “structured overview.”
Additionally it was adapted from an “organized visual display of information” used
before, during, and after reading to link materials and concepts. Researchers believe that
students who develop their own graphic organizers will “have better comprehension”,
and have revealed some of the graphic organizer’s shortcomings as well as benefits, and
proper use to best teach students. Often, new teachers have little experience with the
graphic organizer and use it incorrectly.
The article provides how to correctly use the G.O., sample G.O., how to construct
G.O., as well as instructions for how teachers should best use a G.O. with students…
“1.verbalize relationships (links) among concepts expressed by the visual, 2. provide
opportunity for student input, 3.connect new information to past learning, 4.make
reference to the upcoming text, and 5.seize opportunities to reinforce decoding and
structural analysis.” Another useful feature included is a list of steps (guidelines) for
teachers to follow to set up effective G.O’s. Steps: “Analyze the learning task for words
and concepts important for the student to understand. Arrange them to illustrate the
interrelationships and pattern(s) of organization. Evaluate the clarity of relationships as
well as the simplicity and effectiveness of the visual. Substitute empty slots for certain
words in order to promote students' active reading.”
Article 2:
Mosco, M. (2005). Getting the Information Graphically. Arts & Activities, 138(1), 44.
Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
http://0-
search.ebscohost.com.wncln.wncln.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=17
965630&site=ehost-live
This article is one teacher’s personal experience with using the graphic organizer
to make students “active participants”. He defines a graphic organizer as a “diagram that
assists students in organizing information on a topic.” In his classroom he uses a “web”
organizer. He details the structure of this type of organizer, how to make it, and why it is
effective. He cleverly omits certain terms from the organizer (leaving blank spots), but
leaves some information in the “boxes” of the organizer. He believes that “the quest-like
hunt for this information…engages…middle school students, thus enhancing their
interest in the information.” Similar to the author of Article 1, this author agrees that
making students active participants in learning by helping to create their own organizers
promotes recall, and comprehension. Students may keep this G.O’s to use as study aids in
the future.
Additionally, using this type of “web” organizer is beneficial because it also
serves as a form of visual representation for students who made need to hear, write, and
see information being presented. Next he explains how he goes about organizing his
“web” organizer. He begins “by noting key words and phrases,” writing “any specific
terminology [he] want[s] the students to remember or processes.” Next, he draws “lines
to show the connections or sequences.” Finally, he details the way he begins creating the
actual organizer hard copy (what program he uses…etc.)
Procedure:
1. Obtain a copy of Follow the Drinking Gourd to show to the class.
2. Have students make predictions based on the pictures they see on the cover.
3. Immediately identify that the word “gourd” is a “W” word…what we want to
learn (because it can be used as vocabulary).
4. Explain KWL charts to the class. KWL charts are tri-folded notebook paper,
divided into thirds that list what we think we Know, what we Want to know, and
what we Learned. It is also helpful to have a ready-made KWL chart with fill in
the blanks as suggested in article 2. If you do not have an overhead projector,
draw a large KWL chart on the white board.
5. Have students take out one piece of notebook paper and demonstrate for them
how to fold the paper and label it.
6. Students will write gourd under “what they Want to know”. However, I will be
asking if students can make predictions about what they think a gourd is and have
them write this under the “what we think we Know” column.
7. Read the Drinking Gourd with the class.
8. Allow time to stop and add words and phrases to the KWL chart as you see them
(or to answer the “what we Learned column” if you have already found the
answer in the reading).
9. After reading, brainstorm what the words or phrases could mean now that you
have read the book. Knowing a context may now help students identify words
they may not have recognized before. It is also helpful to have dictionaries on
hand for students to look up words.
10. Recap what you learned from the story, explaining the relationships between the
words and characters (or objects in the story). For example… if students have
learned the phrase “glassy-eyed,” from reading a story, recap by using the phrase
in a sentence about the character or have students retell a part of the story when
the phrase would be appropriate.
11. Have students keep KWL charts for further studying.