Follow with me each day as I post my 12 gifts of Christmas for teachers. Each day will have a tip to encourage engaged learning in your classroom and a free gift to accompany that tip. Here goes the second day!

On the second day of Christmas, Elementary Ali gave to me…

Two Engaging Graphic Organizers!

Graphic organizers are a perfect way for students to connect relationships between concepts. Creating graphic organizers that use shapes and pictures from the content they are processing help engage your students in note taking, planning, and concept mapping.

Your second gifts of Christmas are two graphic organizers for reading and processing informational texts. These graphic organizers are for general science (and non-science) needs! The first on is a graphic organizer to help students process informational texts, and the second is a graphic organizer for walking students through the scientific method during an experiment.

How to make graphic organizers for your class:

1. Use power point because the shapes will stay where you put them, and you can manipulate the shapes much more easily.

2. Decide which format of graphic organizer fits your objective. (sequencing, planning, main idea and details, comparing…)

3. Pick shapes that match the concept you are teaching. Insert –> Shapes –> Draw the shape on your slide

4. Add any images or clipart that might make this organizer more exciting.