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

Main idea is placed in the heading position

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

Using Graphic Organizers in Social Studies

Caroline Suchman

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=c0bde881-a332-4cd6-a03e089212c5558d%40sessionmgr4004&hid=4102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=89902910&d
b=eue
Ciullo, S. (2015). Improving Access to Elementary School Social Studies Instruction. Retrieved from
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e4252969-2429-4825-87e872ce925c7294%40sessionmgr4005&vid=5&hid=4111