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Free Editable Graphic Organizer for Writing Examples
A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. It uses both text and graphics to make reading comprehension and creative writing more manageable.
1. What is a Graphic Organizer for Writing
A graphic organizer for writing is a teaching and learning tool used for creative writing, comprehension, and literary activities. Graphic organizers help students to organize information and ideas to make them easy to understand and comprehend. Graphic organizers use both visuals and text to show relationships and connections between the flow of events, concepts, and facts. Graphic organizers have many benefits, for example
- Graphic organizers for writing help visualize and present information and ideas by breaking down complex text and ideas into smaller chunks.
- Opinion writing graphic organizers help students participate in the learning process through a better understanding of the text.
- Develop cognitive skills required for creative writing and comprehension, including brainstorming, critical thinking, classification and prioritizing content, idea presentation and categorization, etc.
- Help connect and make relationships between different aspects of information.
- Graphic organizers for writing also develop skills for note-taking, listing down essential points, analyzing information, and picking up critical issues.
2. The Graphic Organizers for Writing Examples
The following list gives you ideas of different types of graphic organizers for writing and also for opinion writing graphic organizers. You can use them in suitable conditions according to your requirements.
Different graphic organizers can be used in various grade levels depending on students' skill levels and the course requirements. These organizers are suitable for book clubs and personal reading and writing endeavors too. Let's have a look at the examples for a better understanding.
Example 1: Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer
Opinion writing graphic organizer and planner is a powerful tool for opinion writing. It has the topic and both the favorable opinion and also the opposing opinion. Now, the students need to ponder on both opinions and provide reasons along with supporting information. In the end, they describe their opinion and evidence in more detail and propose an action course. It is a comprehensive document that enables the kids to think on both sides of opinion and understand the underlying reasoning without bias.
Example 2: Persuasive Writing Graphic Organizer
This opinion writing graphic organizer is also a comprehensive and detailed document that uses colors and graphics to add attraction for kids. It is a perfect template for kids to analyze a topic and present their thoughts in a precise yet well-supported manner. The organizer needs students to fill in their opinion and topic sentences supported by three persuasive details. This organizer is based on the divide and conquer strategy. The enormous task of persuasive writing is broken down into small manageable pieces.
Example 3: Writing a Paragraph Graphic Organizer
This PowerPoint template is a compact graphic organizer for writing. It is more suitable for young students who are just starting their writing journey. It is based on the topic of holidays. It gives four pointers to the writer to generate and present their ideas for writing. The pointers are; who do I go with? Why do I like holidays? Where should I go? And What do I like to do?
The lower part is for writing the paragraph. Once the students answer all these questions, they can develop a well-structured piece of writing.
Example 4: Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer
A hamburger writing graphic organizer is a visual tool for the organization of ideas while writing a creative piece. It has a place for the title of the writing, and later the rest of the blocks can be used for describing different ideas related to the topic. Small and separate blocks allow better organization of information and may result in a more defined structure. It can also be used to supplement reading exercises when the reading material is long and needs more than one session. Each block can be used in one session, and at the end of the activity, the complete structure is formed. This way, students can connect their new knowledge with the previously acquired knowledge.
Example 5: Informative Writing Graphic Organizer
This informative writing graphic organizer supports the students in structuring their creative writing through guidelines. It divides the complete body of the topic into three main parts. '
- Introduce the topic
Here, the student will introduce the main topic. The instructions are about grabbing the audience's attention through an interesting fact, question, or a quote.
- Develop the topic
This is the most detailed part of creative writing. The students will develop facts to support the main idea. Initially, the writer may even list the supporting vocabulary terms and definitions.
- Write a conclusion
Last but not least, the conclusion must contain the gist of the whole write-up in a precise and focused manner.
Example 6: Argumentative Writing Graphic Organizer
The first paragraph of this Argumentative writing organizer contains a brief explanation of your topic and some background information. The second part is about the reasons and supporting details. With each reason, you will provide evidence to support the claims. The exciting part is to give counterclaims and provide facts or examples to refute them. The template ends with the conclusion, where you will also call for action. This is a template of an opinion writing graphic organizer.
Source: EdrawMax Online
Example 7: Details Hamburger Writing Graphic Organizer
This is a graphic organizer for writing that is more suitable for the younger lot. It asks some questions related to the topic of writing exercises. The students will answer these questions to help them brainstorm and connect their information pieces, which can later be used for creative writing. The first part is about visualizing, and the following questions are who? Why? What? Feelings? Where? When? And finally, they will discuss more details.
Example 8: Graphic Organizer for Writing an Essay
This graphic organizer is a very detailed essay writing aide. It consists of eight pages, with each page in a particular format. The main parts of the organizer presented in rainbow colors are
- Topic and planning
- Introduction
- Main ideas 1, 2, 3
- Final Draft
Example 9: Writing Process Graphic Organizer
The writing process graphic organizer concisely summarized the complete writing and reading process very effectively on one screen. According to this organizer, there are three stages of the reading process, i.e., preactive, interactive, and reactive. Writing exercise has five steps, i.e., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Further details of all stages are also included in the organizer.
Example 10: Oreo Opinion Writing Graphic Organizer
This graphic organizer for writing uses a very interesting acronym for students. It says the OREO acronym can be used for writing opinion pieces.
- O : Opinion about a topic
- R : Reason supporting the opinion
- E : Example supporting the opinion
- O : opinion restatement in conclusion.
Example 11: Writing A Summary Graphic Organizer
This graphic organizer for writing is specifically for summary writing. Students sometimes face difficulty when they cannot provide a complete summary because of the length of the text and either miss essential points or make it too long. This organizer helps them organize their thoughts and focus on the most critical details coherently.
Example 12: Graphic Organizer for Expository Writing
The graphic organizer for expository writing includes the topic in the center, and the write-up is divided into sub-topics resulting in separate paragraphs. The purpose of an expository essay is to present a balanced, objective description of a topic without proving a point or personal opinion. It allows for a clear and logical explanation of complex information.
Example 13: Graphic Organizer for Nonfiction Writing
This graphic organizer for nonfiction writing guides the students through the process by helping them to write the main idea first, followed by three key details. This is like a part of the planning process. The last feature allows students to take the critical information one by one and then develop a comprehensive piece of writing.
Example 14: Letter Writing Graphic Organizer
In the world of SMS and WhatsApp, this letter-writing graphic organizer teaches the classical skill of writing letters. It is divided into main parts of the letter so that students know where they need to put what details. The use of graphics makes it attractive.
Example 15: Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer
One of the narrative writing graphic organizers is like this. It has a format that is similar to a flowchart. The first box is the title box. After it, there is the box for the settings or characters of the story. The next box consists of the problem of the story. Then, there is the space for writing feelings which the reader gets after reading the story. After the feelings box, there are three subsections that illustrate the story into three events. The last box is for writing the resolution or ending of the story. This graphic organizer will enhance the thinking and writing skills of the students. They will be able to understand the stories easily and can analyze them on their own.
Example 16: Story Writing Graphic Organizer
The starting includes the beginning of the story that is the characters and setting of the story. Then three boxes represent three events that happened in the story. The specific details for each event will be written under each of the respective boxes. The first event will tell what happened at the beginning of the story. The subsequent events will be in the second box. The third box will describe the final events of the story. At last, there is one box for writing the end of the story, what happened as a result.
3. Online Graphic Organizer for Writing Maker
Making graphic organizers in word processing and presentation software has been a norm for a long time. Fortunately, we have access to dedicated drawing tools available online for creating different types of graphic organizers quickly and more efficiently. One such example is EdrawMax Online that can be used online, and its downloadable version is also available. You can use it for graphic organizers for writing along with 280+ different types of other drawings. The cherry on top is their vast library of templates available at templates gallery . You can use the templates right away and can also customize them according to your requirements.
4. Key Takeaways
Learning should not be a stressful practice for both the students and teachers. Using tools in the classes such as graphic organizers for writing allow both the stakeholders to focus on the positive outcomes and the learning journey rather than the logistics of carrying out the lesson. Using an online drawing tool makes the process even more accessible and saves a lot of time and effort. You can find out more graphic organizer examples in the Template Gallery.
Related Articles
Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and Research
Ask any student – essay writing is one of the most despised tasks of their educational career. Perhaps there is so much displeasure associated with the task because it’s perceived as too linear – there isn’t enough visual and creative appeal. But if you use graphic organizer for writing essays then you can make writing enjoyable – or at least less terrible.
Not only enjoyable but graphic organizers (or diagrams) can make the writing process a snap. They’ll help you think outside the box, draw conclusions you wouldn’t normally observe, and make the entire process faster and more efficient.
Why Use Graphic Organizers for Writing
The phrase “graphic organizer” is just a fancy way of saying “diagram” or “visual aid.” Basically, they are a visual representation of the information you’ve acquired in the research process. There are quite a few reasons why you should use them when writing essays or summaries.
- Helps you visualize your research and how elements connect with each other
- Enhance your essays, summaries and research papers with visual elements
- Track correlations between your thoughts, observations, facts or general ideas
When it comes to essay writing, the most common graphic organizers are webs, mind maps, and concept maps .
Using Webs for Brainstorming
Webbing is a great way to see how various topics are interrelated. This graphic organizer is particularly useful during the brainstorming step of the writing process.
A web can sometimes get a bit messy. Usually, there are lots of arrows to connect overlapping ideas. However, even with lines crisscrossing every which way, it is still a great way to visualize your thoughts. If you’re using an online diagramming software like Creately you can overcome some of this because we automatically arrange the object for you.
Once you’ve created a map to document all your ideas and establish connections, you can easily transition to other forms of diagramming to better organize the information.
For example if you’re writing a research paper about the food web of the Australian bushes you can start creating a food web diagram similar to the one below. This way you can easily visualize the web while writing the paper. This is a simple example but graphic organizers become even more important when the subject gets complex.
Although simple this example shows the importance of using graphic organizers for writing summaries. A comprehensive diagram pretty much does the summation for you.
Using Mind Maps as Graphic Organizers
Mind maps are a great way to depict a hierarchy. What is hierarchical organization ? The concept is simple: a singular topic dominates with each subsequent idea decreasing in importance.
Usually, the mind map starts with the thesis (or main idea) at the center. From there, you can branch out with your supporting evidence.
Use this process to replace your traditional note taking technique – note cards, outlines, whatever. You’ll quickly realize a mind map is a great way to formulate the structure of your essay. The thing to note here is that the nature of the mind maps force you think about sub topics and how to organize your ideas. And once the ideas are organized writing the essay become very easy.
Above is a mind map of a research proposal. Click on it to see the full image or you can see the fully editable template via this link . As you can see in this mind map the difference areas of the research proposal is highlighted. Similarly when your writing the research paper you can use a mind map to break it down to sub topics. We have more mind map templates for you to get started.
Concept Maps
A concept map will help you visualize the connection between ideas. You can easily see cause and effect – how one concept leads to another. Often times, concept mapping includes the use of short words or phrases to depict the budding relationship between these concepts.
If you look closely you can see that its very similar to a mind map. But a concept maps gives more of a free reign compares to the rigid topic structure of a mind map. I’d say it’s the perfect graphic organizer for writing research papers where you have the license to explore.
By creating a concept map , you can also see how a broad subject can be narrowed down into specific ideas. This is a great way to counter writers block. Often, we look at the big picture and fail to see the specifics that lead to it. Identifying contributing factors and supporting evidence is difficult. But with a concept map, you can easily see how the smaller parts add up to the whole.
Why Bother With Graphic Organizers?
If you already detest the writing process, adding another step might seem insane. However, there really are several advantages of using them. If you haven’t already accepted the benefits of each individual diagram style, here are some more perks of graphic organizers in general:
- Quality essays are based on detail. No one is going to accept your opinions and reasoning just because you say so. You’ll need proof. And organizing that proof will require attention to detail. Graphic organizers can help you see that detail and how it contributes to the overall concept.
- Graphic organizers are flexible. You don’t need one of those giant pink erasers. You don’t need to restructure your outline. All you have to do is draw a few arrows and bam – the relationship has totally changed.
- No matter what you are writing about, a graphic organizer can help. They can be used to structure an essay on the Great Wall, theoretical physics, or Spanish speaking countries.
- If you write an outline, can you easily see how point A influences point X? Probably not. But if little thought bubble A is sitting out there all by itself, you can visualize the way it ties into point R, T and X.
- Some of us find it difficult to put our opinions, thoughts, and ideas into writing. However, communicating our feelings with little doodles and sketches is far less threatening.
- As a writer, our brain often feels like a 2-year-old’s toy box – a big jumbled mess. Taking that mess and putting it onto paper with some semblance of organization is challenging. Rather than trying to take your thoughts from total chaos to a perfectly structured list, just try to get them out of your brain and onto paper in the form of a diagram.
- A graphic organizer helps you establish validity and relevance. You can easily nix the ideas that don’t support or enhance your thesis.
The next time you are faced with a writing project, take a few minutes to explore the efficiency of graphic organizers. You can find a wealth of templates here.
Have you ever used a graphic organizer to structure an essay? How did it go? Do you have a diagram suggestion for the writing process that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know!
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Free Printable Graphic Organizers for Writing by Grade Level
by Studentreasures | Feb. 21, 2020 | Teaching Strategies
Graphic organizers are not only helpful in completing writing projects that they are currently working on but they can also reference the organizers to help inform future assignments.
Below I have provided different kinds of graphic organizers for writing that are free and printable based on grade level.
Don’t feel restricted by the grade-level labels on these. If you feel like your 2nd graders could benefit from one of the 4th grade organizers, go ahead and download them.
The organizers below can be used for single assignments or for larger writing projects like creating a classbook . Classbook projects are a fantastic way to get your students excited about writing and after you complete your classbook, your students become published authors!
Opinion Writing
Kindergartners and 1st graders are opinionated, to say the least. Use this worksheet in conjunction with writing prompts about changing school rules, convincing parents to get a pet and more persuasive writing projects!
Whether it is fact or fiction, our students all have a story to tell. Give them this graphic organizer to help them learn how to craft characters, setting and a simple plot for their narrative.
Informative Writing
Learning how to create pieces of writing based on knowledge is a skill best learned early on. With this sheet, your students will organize facts and come up with their own conclusion based on those facts and learn the foundations of informative writing.
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2nd and 3rd grade graphic organizers.
Second and 3rd graders have had a couple years of practice with their writing and are starting to get familiar with writing structure. Now, the goal is to get them to work on topic development and add details that enhance their writing.
This age is when your students organize their writing and really dig into their own creativity and use detail to create visuals within their writing by using things like descriptive language, personification, similes and more!
These 2nd and 3rd grade graphic organizers were made with a focus on detail to help your students make their writing more intriguing to the reader.
Click each section below for a preview of the corresponding graphic organizer and feel free to download as many as you need!
This brainstorming graphic organizer will provide your students with a wealth of writing topics that they can use throughout the year. Just have them keep this sheet in their folder and color in the check mark when they use one of the ideas!
This opinion writing graphic organizer will help your students learn how to structure a piece of persuasive writing in a methodical way. They will then learn how to formulate and articulate their own opinions effectively through writing!
Your students can pretend that they are hard-hitting journalists with this graphic organizer. They will have the opportunity to research interesting topics, keep their notes all in one place and discern what the most important takeaway is for the reader.
Pretty much every good piece of writing has a main idea or message, but it is the details that help the reader realize what that main idea is. This graphic organizer will help your students think about details that help establish and support their main idea.
4th and 5th Grade Graphic Organizers
Fourth and 5th graders can have a bit more independence when it comes to their writing. They have been working with story structure and understand the importance of adding details to their writing. So, now it is time for them to work on more complex story and plot development.
These 4th and 5th grade graphic organizers focus on helping your students hash out things like setting, character personalities and adding even more detail into their writing. The intention is to show them that there are multiple facets to a piece of writing and establishing multiple facts and details is a critical part of becoming strong, confident writers.
Click each section below for a preview of the corresponding graphic organizer and feel free to download some for your class!
This brainstorming sheet is great for 4th and 5th graders because they can see how different elements of their story will work together. For example, if they have multiple ideas for an ending, they can jot those down and then decide which fits their story best.
Developing a Topic
This organizer helps students focus on only including details that speak to the main topic of their writing. 4th and 5th graders already understand the importance of adding detail to their writing so, the goal now should be to only include details and facts that enhance the main idea and topic.
This in-depth graphic organizer is fantastic for planning a piece of informative writing from beginning to end. It can be hard to remember everything that needs to be included in this form of writing, but this sheet will help keep your students on track!
Narrative Writing
This organizer helps your students piece together what their characters might do or say when dealing with a problem in their story. 4th and 5th graders are experienced enough with writing to focus on character development, tone and dialogue and this sheet helps them see which ideas work and which do not.
In opinion and persuasive writing, it is important to not only have a reason for your opinion but facts to back it up. This organizer helps 4th and 5th graders put together opinions and reasoning but they also must find a fact to back it up and use all of these elements in their writing.
Learning how to plan and organize writing is a skill that your students will use for the rest of their lives. Although they may not use these particular graphic organizers when they get to high school and college, they will take the tools that they learned from the worksheets with them whether they realize it or not.
For more lesson plans, worksheets and other helpful creative writing resources for your classroom, check out our online teacher’s lounge , and be sure to sign up for your free classbook publishing kit!
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