Writing Graphic Organizers

We have focused on three types of writing this year: summarizing/sequence, description/explanation, and compare and contrast. I always use graphic organizers for prewriting and check students' organizers before they start their paragraph writing. Below, I've attached links to find these graphic organizers.

Somebody Wanted But So Then graphic organizer

Description Cluster Web

Compare and Contrast Venn Diagram

I have color-coded the materials so that the students know which organizer may be best suited for each assignment. During a professional development, a presenter shared that many ADHD students can focus on colored paper more easily than plain white paper. I thought I'd test the theory.

We created foldables to study the transition words for each type of paragraph structure as well. When students are ready to transform their organizers into paragraphs, they pull out the transition list, too!

Imagery Foldable

It's been a crazy few days. My students just returned from spring break and all are starting new units. Unit 3 for grade 7 starts with author's techniques and jumps to persuasive techniques for advertising. I've been trying to find creative ways to teach all to keep students engaged in these final weeks of school.

We started our author's technique lessons by studying imagery. Students created foldables that described their favorite foods. Underneath the folds, we drew and explained our favorites. We had just studied simple, compound and complex sentences, so students had to use all three in their explanation paragraphs.

We then shared them out and had a fun time trying to guess everyone's favorite foods!

Posted student "What is my favorite food?" Imagery Foldables

Student example. Yum! Ice cream!