Strategy Overview
A graphic organizer is a scheme for arranging information on a page so that the relationship among the concepts are made clear visually. For instance, a causal relationship might be shown with an arrow pointing from the cause to the effect, or subordinate details might be shown radiating from a main idea like spokes from the center of a wheel. For some learners, information is easier to process if the ideas are arranged graphically instead of in a linear fashion as is the case with traditional outlines, lists, or pages of notes. For most learners, such visual displays can be different types of graphic organizers. The one to choose depends on the kind of relationships that are inherent in the material or the relationship on which students are asked to focus.