Marzano Research, 2016.
Figure 3.13: Description graphic organizer.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Source: Marzano Research, 2016.
Figure 3.14: Comparison graphic organizer.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Source: Marzano Research, 2016.
Figure 3.15: Causation graphic organizer.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Source: Marzano Research, 2016.
Figure 3.16: Problem/solution graphic organizer.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Free-Flowing Webs
In this strategy, students place big ideas in central circles and then use lines to connect big ideas to smaller circles that contain important details about each big idea. Unlike a simple description graphic organizer, a free-flowing web should connect multiple subtopics by showing how they relate to a central topic. A free-flowing web works well for organizing students’ knowledge about an advanced concept or process. Teachers can ask students to complete a free-flowing web individually, but it can also serve as a group or whole-class review activity. Figure 3.17 shows a free-flowing web for the topic of pollution.
Figure 3.17: Sample free-flowing web.
Visit go.SolutionTree.com/instruction for a free reproducible version of this figure.
Following are possible uses for a free-flowing web.
• To compare the causes, effects, and possible solutions for a major global, political, or cultural issue
• To delineate different opinions in an argument or perspectives on a topic
• To diagram the steps, uses, purposes, and origins of a procedure
• To map the setting, players, and effects of an important historical event
• To describe the major story elements (such as plot, characters, setting) of a book or short text
• To compare the different subcategories within a category
Academic Notebooks
Students compile their notes to provide a permanent record of their thinking and make corrections to their thinking as they review previous entries. Students should date their entries and record reactions, questions, answers, and assessments of their progress. They can also make entries reflecting their conclusions and insights.
Figure 3.18 can help guide students’ use of this strategy.
Figure 3.18: Template for a page entry in an academic notebook.
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Dramatic Enactments
For this strategy, students role-play characters or act out scenes, processes, or events. They can also use their bodies to create symbols for concepts such as radius, diameter, and circumference. While dramatic enactments can be highly engaging for students, they can be superficial if handled incorrectly. For example, if students are simply given roles with lines to read from a script, no deeper understanding of the content is taking place. Teachers must budget time in class for students to explain the explicit connections between their enactments and the content they represent. Consider the following tips for effective dramatic enactments.
• Students must have a strong understanding of the content before performing a dramatic enactment. While students can engage in research and more extensive investigation of a topic before performing a dramatic enactment, if this is a new strategy in the classroom, it may be beneficial to directly teach key information. Creating dramatic enactments can also help clarify and distinguish content for students, but only if they have the requisite background knowledge.
• Dramatic enactments should engage students’ creativity and critical thinking skills. Dramatic enactments often ask students to reimagine content as something else or create a metaphor between content and movement. This concept might be challenging for students at first, so provide several examples for students to watch or help them map out a plan for their enactment before practicing it. If possible, save recordings of previous years’ enactments or find a similar activity online that students can reference while working on their project.
• Students should be able to describe the choices they made in their dramatic enactments. Teachers can ask students to write a short summary of why they chose to structure their enactment the way they did or have students explain their reasoning verbally for the class.
• Dramatic enactments should encourage students to explore different perspectives, cultures, time periods, and characters. Dramatic enactments can be particularly useful to help students put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Teachers can have students create short dramatic enactments that explore unique perspectives and then ask students how the dramatic enactment helped them better understand that perspective.
• Dramatic enactments should not focus on students’ acting or performance abilities. Not all students will feel comfortable with the idea of performing in front of their peers. Teachers should encourage students to present clearly and confidently but remind them that the enactment is primarily about engaging with the content and learning from their own as well as their classmates’ performances.
Mnemonic Devices
A teacher can use mnemonic devices to help students remember, record, and represent critical content. Mnemonic devices often link content to symbols, imagery, or patterns of sound to strengthen the memory of the user. A teacher can lead students in the use of mnemonic devices to encourage their continued engagement with content. Following are examples of mnemonic devices.
• Acronym mnemonics: Probably the most common acronym mnemonic is ROY G BIV, which represents the spectrum of colors found in the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet). Students can create their own acronym mnemonic by using the first letters from a series of words to create a new word. Acronym mnemonics can be helpful when trying to remember items that belong to a category or steps in a process or procedure.
