Instructional Strategy Complex Organizers By Abby Hanna Jessica

Instructional Strategy: Complex Organizers By Abby Hanna, Jessica Lindblad, Morgan Bray and Taylor Issel

Activity: Before We Start As You Learn Grab a piece of paper and a writing utensil, or use a virtual concept map maker (linked in the chat). Pick out a new colour writing utensil and add any new ideas or concepts that stick out to you as we progress through the presentation! Write “Complex Organizers” in the center, and branch out with any ideas or understandings you already have on the topic.

About What is the strategy? Why is it important for learning? Complex organizers are a helpful learning tool used to organize, clarify or simplify complex information using a visual display or chart to show the relationships between different ideas, facts and information. Complex organizers should ultimately build a student’s capacity to draw upon what they learned in order to become independent readers, listeners, and problem solvers It is the act of gathering information and putting it into an organizational chart of your choosing. It has been known that students feel that the act of creating their own organizer enhances their grasp of the concepts because they have to look deeper into the information in a more critical way. In other words complex organizers can be used as a way to guide students towards a deeper understanding of learning. Complex organizers can also be important to student learning as using a visual can identify gaps within a students understanding of a concept.

Examples Cluster diagram Mind Map Analogy Graphic Organizer Venn Diagram Cause and Effect

Supporting Social & Ecological Justice - - Provides a lens to analyze large amounts of information Brings awareness to patterns and alternate perspectives Allows students to spit out ideas and discover new connections Activity must be designed to reach beyond “filling in blanks” Complex/Graphic organizers are meant to be a “start” to insight, not an end goal Teaching topics like Social/Ecological Justice involve critical analysis of material Complex organizers are great tools to drive inquiry, which allows students to explore the “How’s and Why’s” rather than simply the “What” of themes and topics Complex organizers can be an effective and enjoyable way to view perspectives and formulate opinion Can also work to eliminate bias of teachers and students, as it is necessary to explore all viewpoints of complex topics

Using Organizers for Social Justice (Example) - Pick a Social Justice topic - - Bullying Racism Poverty Language Diversity Etc Have students explore the perspectives of all parties Students need to think about “How & the 5 W’s” From the information gather & organized, students can then take a stance and use it to inquire further or “take action”

Curricular Connections English Language Arts: ● CR 1. 2 View and comprehend the explicit messages, feelings, and features in a variety of visual and multimedia texts (including pictures, photographs, simple graphs, diagrams, pictographs, icons, and illustrations). ● CR 3. 2 View and respond to grade-appropriate visual and multimedia texts (including videos, cartoons, illustrations, diagrams, charts, maps, and posters) explaining reactions and connections as well as visual features that convey humour, emotion, and mood. ● CR 4. 2 View and respond to visual and multimedia texts (including graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, multimedia DVD, websites, television programs, advertisements, posters), explaining the creator's technique and the impact on viewers. ● CC 7. 5 Create and present a variety of representations including visual and multimedia presentations such as displays, illustrations, and videos, and enhance communication with appropriate graphic organizers, charts, circle graphs, timelines, maps, and sound effects. ● CR 9. 4 a View and demonstrate comprehension and evaluation of visual and multimedia texts including illustrations, maps, charts, graphs, pamphlets, photography, art works, video clips, and dramatizations to glean ideas suitable for identified audience and purpose.

Cross Curricular Connections: Light Sources CR 4. 2 View and respond to visual and multimedia texts (including graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, multimedia DVD, websites, television programs, advertisements, posters), explaining the creator's technique and the impact on viewers. LI 4. 1 Investigate the characteristics and physical properties of natural and artificial sources of light in the environment. Analogy Graphic Organizer Double Bubble Map Mind Map Venn diagram

Assessment ● Opportunity for differentiated assessment ○ ● ● Doesn’t require a test/series of questions Ensures student is taking an active role in their learning Complex organizers are an excellent form of formative assessment because they show a student’s thought process: Before Learning Experience ● ● Proof of preparation for discussions Assess prior knowledge During Learning Experience ● ● Analyze video or written passage Adding onto a web in another colour Post Learning Experience ● ● Show students’ thought process throughout the whole experience ○ Useful for both student and teacher Venn diagrams can be used to synthesize new information with information students already possess ○ Helpful for comparing two texts or subjects

Pull out the “Describe It!” graphic organizer and jot down a few ideas of what you could hear, taste, smell, touch, see if you were to jump inside this painting. “Summer story” by Nadia Gurkova (Canadian artist)

Wrap-Up Discussion On a piece of paper or a document on your computer, jot down three things you learned about graphic organizers, two things you found interesting or that you can see yourself using in the classroom, and one question you might still have. Once you’ve completed this, share one of the learnings, ideas, or questions you’ve written down in the chat.

Helpful Complex Organizers Resources. ○ ○ ○ The Ultimate List of Graphic Organizers for Teachers and Students https: //creately. com/blog/diagrams/typesof-graphic-organizers/#Brainstorming Organizers and Teaching Notes with tips for using graphic organizers https: //my. hrw. com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo. htm Organizers Grouped for Specific Tasks http: //www. educationoasis. com/printables/graphic-organizers/ Additional Organizers http: //www. eduplace. com/graphicorganizer/ Using Complex Organizers for Social Justice and Critical Topics https: //journals. sagepub. com/doi/pdf/10. 1080/10862968609547576 https: //www. teacherspayteachers. com/Product/Analysis-Graphic-Organizer-for-Social-Justice-Literature-4620409 ○ ○ ○ https: //minds-in-bloom. com/5 -graphic-organizers-for-social-studies/ Types of Advanced Organizers - Experiential Education https: //carleton. ca/experientialeducation/types-of-advanced-organizers/ Using Graphic Organizers Correctly https: //www. edutopia. org/blog/using-graphic-organizers-correctly-rebecca-alber Increasing the Value of Graphic Organizers https: //www. edutopia. org/article/increasing-value-graphic-organizers