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Years ago, as I shifted toward empowering students, I ask myself the question, "What am I doing for students that they could be doing for themselves?" One of the most glaring answers was assessment. So, I began to incorporate peer assessment and self-assessment.

However, my first attempt at peer feedback was a crash course in what not to do.

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My Epic Fail with Peer Feedback

I had a vision of how the writer's workshop would look. Students would pour over each other's drafts offering statements like, "Have you considered _______?" or "I appreciate the way you ________." They would lean in intently, offer their own thoughts, and jot down a few ideas for next steps. After some back and forth, they would switch roles and engage in the same back and forth feedback process. The feedback would be practical and instant and it would lead to improved clarity in writing and perhaps even better word choice. They might argue over ideas and sharpen their logic and argumentation. The workshop would buzz with excitement, followed by small lulls as students revised their drafts.

I began the class period with a warm-up where students wrote about the value of peer feedback and after a short discussion, I said, "You'll need to find a partner who will read your work and then give you feedback. Take as long as you need. Then you can switch and both of you will find a new partner." I explained that this was how writer's helped one another improve. This was a process professional writers used on a regular basis. They were now part of that larger collective of writers who would help one another improve in their craft.

Ten minutes later, I watched as students wandered around the room. A few students pulled out their phones (and this was pre-smartphone) and texted friends. They talked about football and fashion and tv shows and video games and everything but writing. A few students shot paper football at the ceiling. Gradually, the class moved from a hum to an ear-splitting roar. I quieted them down, instituted a "no moving" rule and added a timer for accountability. Still, it was a waste of a class period.

In second period, the students took the peer feedback process more seriously. I reminded them of the expectations to stay focused on the text and to share feedback. However, the feedback was too nice. It was a lot of, "This is great. It's really good. Have I told you how good it is? Great job." It was cotton candy feedback - vague, amorphous, and overly sweet but ultimately lacking any substance. In third period, students were not giving cotton candy feedback. It was more like giant shards of glass. A few students made comments like, "This sucks. None of your sentences even have periods." Two students refused to talk to each other. Three students were in tears. By lunch time I scrapped the writer's workshop entirely and had students use a checklist for self-assessment instead.

Looking back on it, I wasn't wrong in my vision for quality peer feedback. However, I didn't communicate that vision students. I wanted them to say, "Have you considered ______?" but I didn't provide them with the sentence stems to do so. I wanted students to follow a protocol of listening and asking questions before giving feedback but I didn't share any protocols or create any structures. I wanted the feedback to be practical and useful but I didn't model that for students and I didn't set the parameters for how to give feedback or in how the feedback would be used.

Seven Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Peer Feedback in the Classroom

The following are some strategies you can use as you empower students to own the peer feedback process.

1. Make sure students are beginning with a place of trust.

We live in a world full of unsolicited feedback. Whether it's a snarky comment on a YouTube video or a honking horn from a fellow driver. Incidentally, I learned that folks use their horns way more often in the east coast than they do here in Oregon. I also learned that "bless your heart" is the southern middle finger. These are the fun lessons I've learned in doing PBL workshops around the country.

Sometimes, the feedback we receive is downright toxic. Sometimes it's misinformed. However, sometimes it's the very thing we need in order to grow.

This is why feedback requires trust. Sometimes this trust is relational. Do they have my best interests in mind? Other times, the trust is more about expertise. Do I trust that this person's feedback is actually valid?

When I taught middle school, I noticed that students often struggled to distinguish between critical feedback and insults. For all the stereotypes of middle school mean kid behavior, I actually found that most of my students struggled to provide critical feedback. They worried about insulting their friends and classmates.

About ten years ago, I created a grid to help students with the feedback process:

Here's a video version of this grid as well:

Even now as a professor, I sometimes do a simple survey as a "pulse check" to see how well students trust the members of their group. Here, students fill out an anonymous Google Form. Often, it's an exit slip with 3-5 questions. Here's a sample of the questions I might ask:

On a scale of 1-5, how well does your group trust each other?

On a scale of 1-5, how well do you trust your group members to complete tasks?

Do you feel like you can speak freely and share ideas with your group?

In this case, I'm looking for trust in general and for whether or not they trust each other with tasks and with communication. Other times, questions might connect to conflict resolution or risk-taking. But the goal in each case is to get a pulse check on student trust.

2. Use structures to guide the peer feedback process.

My first writer's workshop had no clear structure. Students weren't sure what they were supposed to do. I was afraid that structure would make things less authentic but the free-for-all led to confusion and chaos. Students spent the whole time chatting or wandering around. Later, I started thinking about feedback in real life. True, there are times when it is unstructured. But if we take a deeper look at the seemingly unstructured peer feedback, we'll notice that it often follows a pattern and a system. A friend asks you for an opinion. You spend time looking at the work. You ask some questions. You give strengths and weaknesses using scripts that you don't even realize are scripts (something like, "I noticed that you _____") and this leads to a conversation and a set of next steps. Even if it doesn't feel like a protocol, we often default into our own feedback protocols informally.

On a more formal level, people sometimes use structures because the limitations of the protocol actually facilitate better feedback. Whether it's an art collective or a corporation, structured protocols can help facilitate better feedback. The following are specific structures you can use as students provide peer feedback:

The 20-Minute Feedback System: This approach begins with one student sharing their work or pitching an idea while the other student actively listens. It has some elements that are similar to critical friends.

Structured Feedback with Sentence Stems: Here, you as a teacher provide specific sentence stems that your students can use to provide diagnostic, clarifying, or critical feedback.

3-2-1 Structure: This is simple. Students provide three strengths, two areas of improvement and one question that they have.

Feedback Carousel: Each group gets a stack of sticky notes and offers anonymous feedback as they move from group to group.

Peer Coaching: Students interview each other about the process, using the coaching questions from the student-teacher conferences to guide them if they struggle to come up with reflection questions.

Mastermind: this is a longer peer feedback structure. I'm actually a member of two different mastermind groups for blogging and one mastermind group for research and dissertation writing.

Rubric: Students use the rubric (or a checklist based on the rubric) to give targeted feedback on how another student is doing.

Note that the 20-minute peer feedback structure is fast.

On the other hand, the Mastermind Structure is slower and allows for a more dynamic give-and-take that can take an entire class period.

In both cases, though, students follow a specific protocol with clearly defined structures. This sense of structure doesn't inhibit authentic feedback. Instead, it facilitates better feedback by setting parameters.

In some cases, it can help to think about peer feedback in rounds. If you're doing a project-based learning unit, you might have stages where you move from more open-ended feedback toward more specific feedback. At first, students might need general feedback but later it can be more targeted.

Students might start out using something like a 20 minute peer feedback process but moving toward something like peer feedback on a rubric toward the end.

3. Explain the purpose of the feedback.

As we think of the larger scope of feedback, it's important for students to know what they are receiving feedback on and why it's important. Last week, I shared the metacognition cycle and the how authentic feedback can help students learn to think about their thinking. As teachers, we sometimes need to make this explicit for students by sharing the following ahead of time:

What type of feedback you will give and receive. Is it about the process or the product? Is it about the accuracy of knowledge? Is it about a particular skill?

The key areas where you want to focus. In writing, it might be feedback on word choice. In a design thinking project, it might be feedback on the research students engage in. In math, it might be feedback on an approach to solving a problem.

What students will do with the feedback. Remind them ahead of time what they will do when they receive feedback. In other words, how will students use the feedback they are giving and receiving?

You might provide students feedback on their ability to use the design thinking process in a project. Or you might provide feedback on their current product so that they can continue to revise and improve it. Students need to know both the parameters of feedback and the rationale. They should have a sense for why they are getting feedback, what type of feedback they are getting, and how they will actually use the feedback to further their learning.

4. Don't allow students to grade one another.

It is critical that peer assessment does not become peer grading. You are the teacher and the expert on the content. While students can benefit from peer feedback, you as the teacher ultimately know their level of mastery best. Peer grading can create unnecessary power dynamics that actually get in the way of meaningful feedback. Consider the role of peer reviews in companies. While most employees enjoy asking for feedback on a specific idea, they hate peer reviews - the biggest reason being that they feel judged and graded by their peers. There's actually a fascinating section about this in the book

If that's the case for adults, we want to avoid that dynamic with students. When students grade one another, the focus shifts from the feedback to the grade. In these moments, students don't actually use the feedback that they receive. This is actually true with teacher feedback as well. In my experience, when I provided a grade with the feedback, my students focused almost entirely on the grade and not on the feedback. This was true for rubrics, for checklists, or for overall grades on things like blog posts or documentaries. Jennifer Gonzalez has an excellent thought-provoking post on this topic. She suggests the following steps:

Write comments on student work and write the grade on the rubric separately

Return just the papers to the students.

Have the students read your feedback and write three observations and two questions based on your feedback

Have the students use the rubric to give themselves a grade.

Conference one-on-one with students and have them share their rubric while you share your rubric with them. This helps clarify any misunderstandings they might have.

Give them a chance to revise their work.

I've actually been using a modified version of this with my current pre-service teachers as they develop their lesson plans and unit plans. As a result, each teacher candidate has a clear sense of what they know, what they don't know, and what they will do to improve without focusing on their final grade.

5. Provide revision time in class.

Often, in education, we value speed and accuracy more than depth and mastery. Students take timed math tests and focus on fluency in reading. They watch the tight time deadlines, knowing that if they fall behind, they'll be seen as slow. I've seen some students struggle with the whole idea of revision because they've rarely needed to revise their work at school. But if we want students to make sense out of feedback, we need to block out time for revision.

This is why I love using project-based learning and design thinking. Both of these frameworks include a section for student revision. This is possible, because they spend less time in direct instruction and they are often learning multiple standards at the same time. Students in a PBL classroom are also assessing as they go rather than stopping to take a multiple choice test. In the process, they gain additional time to focus on making sense out of their feedback and using it to revise their projects. Here, students begin to view revision as an iterative part of the process rather than a punishment for getting things wrong.

It can help to ask your students the question, "What are you going to do with this feedback?" Often, they struggle with this. In their schooling experiences, they have typically received a grade and walked away without thinking much about it. This approach focuses on using feedback in a way that's more self-directed. If students understand the purpose of the feedback, they are better able to make modifications, set goals, and own the learning process. It can help to use the sentence frame, "I plan to use _________ feedback to change __________." Or another option might be, "One valuable piece of feedback is _______. I plan to _________ to improve my __________."

6. Set parameters and expectations for peer feedback.

In the disastrous writer's workshop example I shared earlier, my third period class struggled because they were giving harsh feedback. Some of this had to do with lack of trust. However, I hadn't set expectations for the language we would use in peer feedback. The next time we attempted a writer's workshop, I had the class develop a set of norms, or behavioral expectations for peer feedback. These included the following categories:

Respectful language: What are the types of phrases you want to use? What words or phrases do you want to avoid?

Active listening: What does it mean to listen actively? What does it mean to listen with the goal of understanding? What does active listening "look" like? (Note that it's important we allow students to do this in a culturally responsive way that doesn't require eye contact)

Focused participation: What does focused participation look like? Have students visualize this by stating specific positive behaviors. Have them consider any distractions they might need to look out for ahead of time.

Being prepared: What does it mean to show up to peer feedback fully prepared? Is there work you need to bring? Are there questions you need to have?

Staying on-topic: What do you need to do in order to stay on topic? How do you keep focused on the feedback at hand?

After setting up the norms, you might need to have students review the norms before they meet for feedback. As students begin to internalize the feedback, you might not need to remind them of the norms every single time.

7. Model and practice the peer feedback process.

Great feedback does not always come naturally. It's something that students have to learn through practice. That shouldn't surprise us. Consider how many people you know who are awful at giving or receiving critical feedback. For this reason, you may need to model the process with students. It works best to have a confident student give you feedback and to explain and label each part of the process.

To reduce cognitive load, you might break down a peer feedback protocol and demonstrate the first step, followed by having students practice that step. Then, do the same for the third, fourth, and fifth steps. This helps students solidify the process in their long-term memories. It can also help to have a visual (like a PowerPoint slide or an anchor chart) that students look at as they practice a protocol. While this modeling process can feel slow at first, students quickly learn the protocols and the peer feedback become quicker and smoother. Eventually, students are giving and receiving meaningful feedback and using the feedback to clarify misconceptions, improve their skills, and take their learning to the next level.

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Seven Strategies for Getting the Most Out of Peer Feedback in the Classroom

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Years ago, as I shifted toward empowering students, I ask myself the question, "What am I doing for students that they could be doing for themselves?" One of the most glaring answers was assessment. So,

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Why Use Peer Review?

Peer assessment, or review, can improve overall learning by helping students become better readers, writers, and collaborators. A well-designed peer review program also develops students' evaluation and assessment skills. The following are a few techniques that instructors have used to implement peer review.

Planning for Peer Review

Identify where you can incorporate peer review exercises into your course.

For peer review on written assignments, design guidelines that specify clearly defined tasks for the reviewer. Consider what feedback students can competently provide.

Determine whether peer review activities will be conducted as in-class or out-of-class assignments (or as a combination of both).

Plan for in-class peer reviews to last at least one class session. More time will be needed for longer papers and papers written in foreign languages.

Model appropriate constructive criticism and descriptive feedback through the comments you provide on papers and in class.

Explain the reasons for peer review, the benefits it provides, and how it supports course learning outcomes.

Set clear expectations: determine whether students will receive grades on their contributions to peer review sessions. If grades are given, be clear about what you are assessing, what criteria will be used for grading, and how the peer review score will be incorporated into their overall course grade.

Quick Keys to Successful Peer Review

Identify and teach the skills needed for peer review. Encourage students to respond as a peer, not as a teacher.

Present peer review as an opportunity for students to receive extensive feedback on their work.

Explicitly link peer review with the course learning outcomes (what you want students to know, value, or do). For example, "At the end of this course, you will be able to effectively assess the strengths and weaknesses of peer papers and make concrete suggestions for improvement."

Before the First Peer Review Session

Give students a sample paper to review and comment on in class using the peer review guidelines. Ask students to share feedback and help them rephrase their comments to make them more specific and constructive, as needed.

Consider using the sample paper exercise to teach students how to think about, respond to, and use comments by peer reviewers to improve their writing.

Ask for input from students on the peer review worksheet or co-create a rubric in class.

Prevent overly harsh peer criticism by instructing students to provide feedback as if they were speaking to the writer or presenter directly.

Consider how you will assign students to groups. Do you want them to work together for the entire semester, or change for different assignments? Do you want peer reviewers to remain anonymous? How many reviews will each assignment receive?

During and After Peer Review Sessions

Give clear directions and time limits for in-class peer review sessions and set defined deadlines for out-of-class peer review assignments.

Listen to group discussions and provide guidance and input when necessary.

Consider requiring students to write a plan for revision indicating the changes they intend to make on the paper and explaining why they have chosen to acknowledge or disregard specific comments and suggestions. For exams and presentations, have students write about how they would approach the task next time based on the peer comments.

Ask students to submit the peer feedback they received with their final papers. Make clear whether or not you will be taking this feedback into account when grading the paper, or when assigning a participation grade to the student reviewer.

Consider having students assess the quality of the feedback they received.

Discuss the process in class, addressing problems that were encountered and what was learned.

Examples of Peer Review Activities

After collection, redistribute papers randomly along with a grading rubric. After students have evaluated the papers ask them to exchange with a neighbor, evaluate the new paper, and then compare notes.

After completing an exam, have students compare and discuss answers with a partner. You may offer them the opportunity to submit a new answer, dividing points between the two.

In a small class, ask students to bring one copy of their paper with their name on it and one or two copies without a name. Collect the "name" copy and redistribute the others for peer review. Provide feedback on all student papers. Collect the peer reviews and return papers to their authors.

For group presentations, require the class to evaluate the group's performance using a predetermined marking scheme.

When working on group projects, have students evaluate each group member's contribution to the project on a scale of 1-10. Require students to provide rationale for how and why they awarded points.

Peer Review Technology Tools

PeerMark

Best used for providing feedback (formative assessment), PeerMark is a peer review program that encourages students to evaluate each other's work. Students comment on assigned papers and answer scaled and free-form questions designed by the instructor. PeerMark does not allow you to assign point values or assign and export grades.

Contact the Center for a consultation on using these peer assessment tools.

References

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Teaching Students to Evaluate Each Other

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Peer assessment, or review, can improve overall learning by helping students become better readers, writers, and collaborators. A well-designed peer review program also develops students' evaluation and assessment skills. The following are a few techniques that instructors have used to implement peer review. Identify where you can incorporate peer review exercises into your course.

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Helping K-12 teachers unleash the power of creativity through project-based learning & design thinking. Download your free PBL blueprint today!

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The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Audiobook

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“The Tell Tale Heart” Escape Room for Grades 7-10 ELA | TPT

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The Tell-Tale Heart Adaptation - Annette Jung

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The Tell-Tale Heart Adaptation - Annette Jung

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A great short film to connect to the short story "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe.

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A clip from the Simpsons connected to the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Framework for Learning | Education and Early Childhood Learning

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This website created by Mary Kalantzis and Bill Cope gives readers the research about multiliteracies.

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The 'placemat' is designed as an initial pen-and-paper drafting space for sorting ideas for student activities into the Knowledge Processes. This is an optional step - you may instead decide to move directly into documentation within the online Learning Module environment.

Resources

Making an LbyD Placemat | Download

LbyD Placemat US Letter Size | Download

Planning Map on One Page | Download

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The 'placemat' is designed as an initial pen-and-paper drafting space for sorting ideas for student activities into the Knowledge Processes. This is an optional step - you may instead decide to move directly into documentation within the online Learning Module environment.

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Hearing books read aloud benefits older students, enhancing language arts instruction and building a community of readers.

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This is a website created to connect educators with the newest research about multiliteracies.

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Years ago, at a professional development workshop, Ellin Keene poked fun at the creator of the overwrought and overused “Text-to-Self, Text-to-Text, Text-to-World” reading strategy. If you’re laugh…

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A fun place to review work and create games that can be shared in class for test review.

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Create your own jeopardy template online, without PowerPoint. Or browse the pre-made templates created by other people!

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The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Why do you take notes? What do you hope to get from your notes? What are Cornell Notes and how do you use the Cornell note-taking system?

There are many ways to take notes. It's helpful to try out different methods and determine which work best for you in different situations. Whether you are learning online or in person, the physical act of writing can help you remember better than just listening or reading. Research shows that taking notes by hand is more effective than typing on a laptop. This page and our Canvas module will teach you about different note-taking systems and styles and help you determine what will work best for your situation.

In our Cornell Note Taking System module you will:

Examine your current note taking system

Explore different note taking strategies (including the Cornell Notes system)

Assess which strategies work best for you in different situations

The best way to explore your current note-taking strategies and learn about the Cornell note taking system is to go through our Canvas note taking module. The module will interactively guide you through how to use Cornell Notes - click on the link here or the button below. This module is publicly available.

Just want to see a bit more about Cornell Notes? You can view the videos below.

Watch: What are Cornell Notes?

Watch: Learn how students use the Cornell Note Taking System

The Cornell Note-Taking System was originally developed by Cornell education professor, Walter Pauk. Prof. Pauk outlined this effective note-taking method in his book, How to Study in College (1).

Pauk, Walter; Owens, Ross J. Q. (2010). How to Study in College (10 ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth. ISBN 978-1-4390-8446-5. Chapter 10: "The Cornell System: Take Effective Notes", pp. 235-277

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Why do you take notes? What do you hope to get from your notes? What are Cornell Notes and how do you use the Cornell note-taking system? There are many ways to take notes. It's helpful to try out different methods and determine which work best for you in different situations.

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A simple online typing program to help students with navigating the keyboard.

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Great resource for researching.

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Britannica Money

Discover all you need to know about retirement, investing, and household finance, without the jargon or agenda. Get reliable guidance, insight, and easy-to-understand explanations, written, edited, and verified to Britannica's exacting standards.

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Explore the fact-checked online encyclopedia from Encyclopaedia Britannica with hundreds of thousands of objective articles, biographies, videos, and images from experts.

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An excellent resource to use when doing research!

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The Korean War began 25 June 1950, when North Korean armed forces invaded South Korea. The war's combat phase lasted until an armistice was signed 27 July 1953. As part of a United Nations (UN) force, 26,791 Canadian military personnel served in the Korean War, during both the combat phase and as peacekeepers afterward. After the two world wars, Korea remains Canada's third-bloodiest overseas conflict, taking the lives of 516 Canadians and wounding more than 1,200.

Explore the Timeline

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History, politics, arts, science & more: the Canadian Encyclopedia is your reference on Canada. Articles, timelines & resources for teachers, students & public.

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Make custom Wordles!

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Guess the hidden word in 6 tries. You can also share your own word!

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Media Smart is an excellent web page for lessons about digital literacy!

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This is an excellent resource for teachers looking to support students with reading using a variety of teaching strategies.

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Welcome to FCRR! We are dedicated to ensuring that all children are reading and succeeding in school. Teachers, instructional coaches, clinicians, principals, and other school staff are critical to achieving that vision. Here, educators can find resources to support their knowledge and practice. FCRR invites you to use the resources below to make evidence-based and evidence-informed decisions to improve reading outcomes for all learners.

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Welcome to FCRR! We are dedicated to ensuring that all children are reading and succeeding in school. Teachers, instructional coaches, clinicians, principals, and other school staff are critical to achieving that vision. Here, educators can find resources to support their knowledge and practice.

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Reading Rockets is a place to find a ton of resources for teachers and parents! This website provides research about different literacy topics connected to the classroom!

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Graphic organizers to support students reading.

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Graphic organizers integrate both text and visuals. This has been scientifically proven to be an effective way of teaching and learning. Using them can be extremely useful for both teachers and students as they will make lessons more engaging as well as easily comprehensible.

We have listed below multiple types of graphic organizers you can use during various scenarios, whether you are reading, writing, doing research or studying for exams. Each tool is accompanied by a template that you can use right away.

What are Graphic Organizers

A graphic organizer is a teaching and learning tool that is used to organize information and ideas in a way that is easy to comprehend and internalize. By integrating text and visuals, graphic organizers show relationships and connections between concepts, terms, and facts.

Graphic organizers can be used in all grade levels, and have proven to be effective learning tools for gifted children and students with special needs. And with adult learners, graphic organizers can help enable the connection between what they already know and newly acquired knowledge.

Benefits of graphic organizers

Different types of graphic organizers can be used across the curriculum for teaching, learning, and note-taking. They are easy to create and impactful in simplifying information.

Help visualize or present information in a way that is easier to comprehend, by breaking down larger or complex concepts or ideas into smaller and simpler parts.

Provide students the opportunity to actively contribute and participate in the learning process through the creation of graphic organizers.

Help develop cognitive skills such as brainstorming, critical and creative thinking, categorizing and prioritizing content, reflection, etc.

Help recall prior knowledge about a subject and quickly connect it to new information

Promotes self-learning. By using graphic organizers for note-taking, analyzing, studying, etc. students can familiarize themselves with a lesson far more easily.

Types of Graphic Organizers

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing.

Graphic Organizers for Writing

1. Persuasion map

The persuasion map is an interactive graphic organizer that helps students familiarize themselves with the process of persuasive writing. It assists them with outlining and preparing arguments for their essays, speeches, debates, etc.
How to use it
Step 1: Choose a topic of interest for your essay/debate. Do proper research around it to collect enough information.

Step 2: Define the claim that you want to make with your essay. Start your persuasion map by writing this down first.

Step 3: Next to it, write down the reasons for making that claim.

Step 4: Then write down facts, examples, and information to back up your reasoning.

Step 5: End your persuasion map with the conclusion of your essay.

2. Sequence Chart

A sequence graphic organizer is a tool that helps visualize the order of steps of a process or a timeline of events, etc. It can also be used for note-taking, lesson planning, and essay writing.
How to use it
Step 1: Identify the steps in the process or event.

Step 2: Using a sequence chart, arrange these steps in sequential order.
Template
Graphic Organizers for Reading

A story map can be used to identify the different elements such as characters, character plots, themes, techniques, etc. in a book students are reading. It's a useful tool that teachers can integrate into the lesson to improve students' comprehension.
How to use it
Step 1: Read the book and understand it well.

Step 2: Discuss the different significant elements that were involved in the story. These could be the characters, setting, problem and solution, etc. You can fill the story map during the discussion.

Step 3: Once the map is complete you can discuss each element individually.

4. Biography graphic organizer

This is a tool that assists with understanding a character from a novel, autobiography or movie or a historical figure more in-depth. It brings attention to various important factors about a person's life.
How to create it
Step 1: Gather as much information you can about the character you are studying. You can also refer to online resources, or ask from teachers or experts.

Step 2: As you analyze the information you have gathered, isolate the facts that stand out or you think are important.

Step 3: Use your biography graphic organizer to lay out the information in a presentable way. You can add images to make it more comprehensible as well.

KWL chart is used for gathering information from student's prior knowledge or experience. This 3 column chart captures the before (what the reader already knows), during (what the reader wants to learn) and after (what the reader learned) stages of reading.
How to use it
Step 1: Get students to brainstorm around the selected topic and write down everything they know about it in the K column.

Step 2: Ask them to generate a list of questions about what they want to know in the W column of the chart.

Step 3: During or after reading the book/ lesson get them to answer these questions in the L column.

Graphic Organizers for Teaching

6. Learning map

Learning maps visually depict the key takeaways - skills, ideas, knowledge - students should get from a lesson. It usually provides a high-level view of the lesson/ unit/ course that is to be studied and the connection between its different components. Students can also use learning maps in the classroom for note-taking.
How to use it
Step 1: At the center of the map, write down the topic (i.e. name of the lesson or unit)

Step 2: Brainstorm ideas and information related to it. Write these down on branches emerging from the center. Make sure that you place them in a way that makes sense to teach or in a logical sequence around the center.

Step 3: Add connectors between these elements and add labels to highlight the kind of relationship between them.

7. Analogy graphic organizer

The analogy graphic organizer uses analogy to help students identify similarities and differences between a new topic and a topic that they are already familiar with.
How to use it
Step 1: Select a topic/ concept that the students already know and is analogous in certain aspects to the new topic

Step 2: Introduce the new concept and get the students to read and discuss it

Step 3: Using an analogy graphic organizer, ask the students to brainstorm and write similarities and differences between the two topics.

Step 4: Based on the completed graphic organizer, ask the students to write a brief description of the new topic

8. Vocabulary graphic organizer

This tool can be used to assess the vocabulary knowledge of students. You can create graphic organizers including various elements to help students learn new words, and learn antonyms and synonyms.

9. Problem-solving organizer

Problem-solving graphic organizers can be used to improve the problem-solving skills of the students. It helps students identify and evaluate solutions to problems.
How to use it
Step 1: Identify the problem and write it in the problem box

Step 2: Ask students to then write down why they think it is a problem in the first place

Step 3: Get them to brainstorm all possible solutions along with the pros and cons relates to them.

Step 4: Once they select the best possible solution, ask them to list down all its possible consequences

Step 5: Students can then make suggestions to improve the selected solution further

10. Math Graphic Organizer

Math graphic organizers are used to describe math concepts graphically to students. It helps with simplifying and solving complex math problems.
How to use it
Step 1: Select the math problem you want to identify and a relevant graphic organizer that you can use to solve it.

Step 2: Invite your students or colleagues to collaborate as you wish.

Graphic Organizers for Learning

11. Timeline graphic organizer

Timeline diagrams are a type of graphic organizer that shows a sequence of events in chronological order.

They come in handy when studying history as you can use it to display major historical events that occurred during a period of time along with important details such as dates and locations in which they took place.

In addition, timeline charts can also be used to show the progress of something (i.e. growth of a business) or changes.
How to use it
Step 1: Identify the different events and the sequence of order in which they took place.

Step 2: Use a timeline template to arrange them chronologically

Step 3: Include significant details such as dates, locations and other additional information as needed.

T charts allow students to study two facets of a topic. For example, disadvantages and advantages, pros and cons, differences and similarities, etc.
How to use it
Step 1: Draw a T chart and write down the two areas you want to brainstorm around on each column head.

Step 2: Write down facts on each column as you carry out your brainstorming.

13. Hierarchy chart

Hierarchy charts visualize the elements of a system, organization or concept from its highest position to the lowest. Students can use this tool to understand the superordinate and subordinate categories of a topic and the relationship between them.
How to use it
Step 1: Identify the most important element under the topic you are studying. Write this down at the top of the hierarchy chart.

Step 2: List down the second layer of sub-elements stemming from the first component you have identified. Add a third and fourth as necessary.

Step 3: Connect these with lines to show how they are connected to each other.

14. Star diagram

Star diagrams are used to organize the characteristics of a chosen topic. It can also be used to brainstorm around new topics.
How to use it
Step 1: Select the topic you want to study and write it down in the center of the star diagram.

Step 2: Write down the characteristics or attributes related to the central topics on each point of the star. Adjust the points of the star depending on how many traits you write down.

Graphic Organizers for Brainstorming

15. Cluster diagram

Cluster diagrams can be used to facilitate a brainstorming session or structure idea generation and even to help with exploring new topics.
How to use it
Step 1: Pick your topic of interest to explore. This should be placed in the middle of the diagram.

Step 2: Brainstorm around this main idea and come up with sub-topics related to it. Place them around the center.

Step 3: Brainstorm around each of the sub-topics and write down related ideas around them.

Step 4: Add as many layers as you want. However, use color-coding to emphasize each branch of thought. This will make it easier for you to read and understand the cluster diagram.

16. Lotus diagram

Lotus diagram is an analytical tool that can be used to breakdown broader and more complex topics into smaller components for easy understanding. It can be used for brainstorming and studying new topics.
How to use it
Step 1: Draw a 3×3 grid in the center. On the square in the center, write down the main topic to be explored.

Step 2: Write down the related sub-topics around it as you brainstorm.

Step 3: Draw 8 more 3×3 grids around the one in the center. Each of these can be used to write down facts that you brainstorm around each subtopic.

17. Cause and effect graphic organizer

This type of graphic organizer shows the causes and effects of an event. The cause is the reason why something has happened, and effect is the result of what has happened. Visualization helps clearly understand the different cause and effect relationships.
How to use it
Using a cause and effect graphic organizer, identify the causes and effects related to the problem you are studying or writing about. There could be several models of cause and effect events, such as one cause leading to one effect or multiple effects, or multiple causes leading to one effect or multiple effects.

One cause leading to several effects

Several causes leading to one effect (You can use a fishbone diagram here)

Each cause having one related effect

One cause triggering another cause that leads to another

A mind map is a tool that helps capture the free flow of thought and is widely used for brainstorming around topics. Additionally, it can also be used to organize and group information about a topic.
How to use it
Step 1: Write down the topic you are brainstorming around in the center.

Step 2: On branches emerging from the middle, write down brainstormed ideas/ thoughts.

Step 3: Expand each sub idea with more facts. You can keep on adding more information to your mind map until you have enough.

Graphic Organizers for Compare and Contrast

Here we have listed 19 types of graphic organizers for teaching and learning. Based on their varied purposes, you can utilize them in reading, writing, researching, brainstorming, and analyzing. Best of all you can use our Compare and Contrast Chart Maker to draw them.

19. Double bubble map

The double bubble map is one of the popular thinking maps. It is much like a Venn diagram and is used to identify similar and different qualities between two things.

How to use it?

Step 1: Write down the two ideas/ topics you are comparing in the two bubbles in the center.

Step 2: As you brainstorm and analyze the topic, write down the differences in the bubbles radiating from the center.

Step 3: Write down the similarities in the bubbles that are common to both topics.

20. Venn diagram

Another graphic organizer that helps you visually represent a comparison of differences and similarities between two subjects, is the Venn diagram. What makes it different from the double bubble map is that it can include more than two topics and one common area.
How to use it
It works similar to the double bubble map.

Step 1: Write down the topics being compared on the top of each circle.

Step 2: Writ down the differences or unique characteristics inside its own sector avoiding the overlapping area.

Step 3: List the similarities in the common area.

Add to Our List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students

Although we have covered 19 types of graphic organizers in this post, there are plenty more that can be useful to our users. Know more? Mention in the comments section below to keep expanding the list of ultimate graphic organizers.

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19 Types of Graphic Organizers for Effective Teaching and Learning

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Graphic organizers integrate both text and visuals. This has been scientifically proven to be an effective way of teaching and learning. Using them can be extremely useful for both teachers and students as they will make lessons more engaging as well as easily comprehensible.

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Amazing! Sign up for quill.org to gain access to multiple lessons that can be used with students in class or remotely. Connects into your Google Classroom for easy access.

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Join edpuzzle and access multiple supports for understanding different concepts in literacy. It can be attached to your Google Classroom and students can access the content.

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Manitoba English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (2020) - Living Document

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Manitoba English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (2020) - Living Document

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This document was downloaded from the website November 2022. Be sure to always visit the website for the most up to date document as this is a living document.

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Welcome to the English Language Arts Website!

What's New!

English Language Arts Curriculum Framework: A Living Document (September 2020)

The latest iteration of the ELA curriculum framework is available. The framework is a living document and, like our cellphone applications, will be updated as needs and opportunities occur. Use the current version of the framework found here and check for occasional updates.

(October 2019)

For Manitoba educators, The ELA Place on MAPLE (Manitoba Professional Learning Environment) includes the latest iteration of the English Language Arts Framework with additional wraparound supports. Updates are ongoing.

Curriculum Overview

The goal of the living ELA curriculum is to give students opportunities to:

practise within the field of English language arts as full participants

develop flexible and versatile ways of thinking and using language to meet personal, social, and academic needs

build a sense of self, identity, community, and the world

sustain a lifelong sense of curiosity, a passion for learning, and an appreciation of the power and beauty of literature, language, and multiple forms of text

The ELA Curriculum Framework: A Living Document supports educators in designing rich learning experiences that begin with the students and the communities in which they live. Educators are able to respond to different learners and contexts while working toward high learning expectations. The purposes of the framework are to:

set out the underpinnings and common learning expectations for English language arts

present the four ELA practices and ways learners enact the practices through elements and grade band descriptors

describe multiple ways that students engage in practices at various points in learning

provide direction for designing, assessing, and reflecting on learning

support equity and inclusion by emphasizing relevant and meaningful learning contexts and deep flexible thinking for all learners

embed professional learning to align curriculum and professional practice

The framework allows for responsive ongoing development based on the field, current research and reviews of curricula. This ongoing development involves consultations and contributions from teachers, students, consultants, administrators, academics, and community members.

'The ELA Place,' on MAPLE (Manitoba Professional Learning Environment) supports leadership and instructional design for the success of all learners in Manitoba. In addition to the latest iteration of the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, educators can explore and contribute to local stories of teacher practice, professional learning resources, and design tools. Join The ELA Place.

>>Learn about the ELA curriculum status and implementation and curriculum supports.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English Language Arts Curriculum Framework: A Living Document (September 2020) The latest iteration of the ELA curriculum framework is available. The framework is a living document and, like our cellphone applications, will be updated as needs and opportunities occur. Use the current version of the framework found here and check for occasional updates.