Title: Graphic Organizers: Organizing Facts about an ...



Title: Graphic Organizers: Organizing Facts about an American Inventor

Graphic organizers are schematic diagrams of big ideas in a chapter or part of a chapter that highlight the relationships among the ideas. These diagrams take different forms, ranging from clusters to flow charts to hierarchical maps, depending on the organization of the text. Children use graphic organizers as a framework or structure for previewing, reading, and studying a chapter in a content area textbook, informational book, or other text. In this lesson, children use a graphic organizer to compile facts gleaned during a reading of The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor by Wendy Towle.

Compendium Link: Page 349

Chapter Link: Page 240

IRA/NCTE Standard:

Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

Grade Level: 4

Objective: The students will complete a graphic organizer to organize facts before beginning to write.

Materials Needed:

Towle, W. (1995). The real McCoy: The life of an African-American inventor. New York: Scholastic.

Preparation:

1. The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor tells the story of Elijah McCoy, who patented more than 50 inventions. Because the text contains many details, teachers should prepare for the lesson by dividing the book into three or more sections. During the lesson, the teacher will read aloud one section and then help the children record ideas for that section on the graphic organizer.

2. The teacher should select an appropriate graphic organizer for the lesson. Samples are shown on page 240 in the textbook Literacy for the 21st Century: Teaching Reading and Writing in Prekindergarten Through Grade 4.

Procedure:

1. Ask the students if they know the meaning of the expression “The Real McCoy.” Discuss the meaning of this expression with the class. Tell the students that you will read aloud the text The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor to help them learn the meaning of the expression as well as facts about an American inventor.

2. Before beginning to read, create a graphic organizer on the chalkboard or on chart paper. Tell the class that they will use the graphic organizer to record facts as you read.

3. Read one section of The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor to the class. Discuss the portion you read and help the children record big ideas on the graphic organizer.

4. Read the second section of the text and help the class record ideas on the graphic organizer. Read the remaining sections and proceed in a similar manner.

5. Discuss the facts listed on the graphic organizer. Review the big ideas and key vocabulary and clarify any misconceptions.

6. Help the children use the graphic organizer to write a paragraph about the inventions of Elijah McCoy.

7. Provide time for the students to share their paragraphs with their classmates.

Assessment: Examine the students’ paragraphs to determine whether they used the ideas listed on the graphic organizer to enhance their writing.

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