Using Graphic Organizers in Social Studies

Caroline Suchman

Why would we use a graphic organizer?

The hardest part of social studies for many students is reading

comprehension
Graphic organizers can be used to help students answer how? and why?
events in history occurred
Creates a framework within which students can see relationships between
prior knowledge and new information
About half of fourth grade students with learning disabilities demonstrate a
level of social studies competency that is below their grade level
About a fourth of fourth grade students without learning disabilities
demonstrate a level of social studies competency that is below their grade
level

Easily demonstrate:

Concepts and events

Connections between concepts (cause and effect) or relationships between
events
Compare and contrast concepts
Tell the difference between a main idea and the details of that idea
Trends and themes
Chronological order of events

What is a graphic organizer?

A graphic organizer is a visual aid students can use in order to improve

comprehension or understanding of concepts while they read
Use lines, arrows, and boxes to represent relationships between events

How to use a graphic organizer

Choose a graphic organizer that is appropriate for the subject

Explain to students how a graphic organizer can help them better
comprehend what they are reading
Show the students how to use the graphic organizer
Give students time to use the graphic organizer, walk around the room and
answer questions, ask questions, give corrective feedback, praise students
who stay on-task
Allow students to explain what they read using the graphic organizer

How do we choose a graphic organizer?

Which graphic organizer you have your students use will depend upon how
the textbook is formattedmain ideas and details, chronological events and
the relationships between them, comparing and contrasting people groups,
documents, events, etc.

Main ideas and details/ Concept maps

Using Graphic Organizers in Social Studies

Caroline Suchman

Main idea is placed in the heading position

Details are placed underneath heading
Could use different formats such as web, T-chart, Cornell

Sequential organizer

Easily used with texts that discuss events in chronological order

Useful for texts that do not put events in chronological order to prevent
confusion
Draw text boxes with arrows pointing to the next
Illustrates cause and effect

Compare and contrast organizer

Used for comparing and contrasting people, groups, events, documents,

technology, conflicting viewpoints
Venn diagrams are a common form

Semantic Feature Analysis

Used to demonstrate relationships

A chart is created with headings of the ideas to be related
When both occur at the same time, a + is drawn in the box, when both do not
occur at the same time, a is drawn in the box

Multi-component organizer

Used when concepts are multi-faceted

Ex. Could list the chronological events of WWII and details of each

Who benefits from using graphic organizers?

Benefits students with learning disabilities

Works Cited
Hall, C., Kent, S. C., McCulley, L., Davis, A., Wanzek, J. (2013). A New Look at
Mnemonics and Graphic Organizers in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom.
Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=c0bde881a332-4cd6-a03e-089212c5558d
%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU
%3d#AN=89902910&db=eue
Ciullo, S. (2015). Improving Access to Elementary School Social Studies Instruction.
Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e42529692429-4825-87e8-72ce925c7294%40sessionmgr4005&vid=5&hid=4111