One strategy that I plan to use in my classroom is using a graphic organizer to promote high-level thinking. There are many forms of graphic organizer and teacher can design a template the fit their lesson plan. I want the students to use the graphic organizer to research and record information they find from their research. Using a graphic organizer allows the students to gather their information and keep in organized.  Graphic organizer promotes critical thinking because it will enable the students to collect information on the topic and sort the information into groups, rows, columns, sections and many more. How the students decide to organize the information that they gather is what is considered critical thinking.

The rationale behind graphic organizer is it allows students to group the information that they gathered in a meaning way that helps them understand it. It requires the students to think about social studies and how the different pieces fit together. I want to implement graphic organizers during research projects, individual work time, group work or when asked to read informational text. I would have the student or group of students research a social studies event, and have the student use the organizer that I provided to organize their learning of the event. I would also use this strategy when students are reading for information about a social studies event. I would give the student with a chart and ask them to organize the facts while reading. This strategy is very valuable because it can be used in everyday learning in the classroom, can connect social studies to other subjects and promotes critical thinking. Graphic organizers are also easy for the teachers to plan because the students can make it. The strategy also helps the students to keep work neat and organized instead of scattered and lost.

Graphic organizers can keep my lesson engaging for the students because it allows the students to be active in their learning. They also benefit me as a teacher, because it shows me who is truly understanding the content presented to them. The graphic organizers that they create during social studies can be used in other content areas. It can help connect across disciplines because students can use their gathered information on the graphic organizers to write informational writing and read other books about the events to collect even more information. To differentiate, I would provide those students with websites, books or other sources to find their facts for the organizer. I would also provide those students with a graphic organizer with charts or webs help organizer their thoughts. This strategy requires students to thinking critically by gathering information, reading for information but most importantly classifying that information.

References

Graphic Organizers [Photograph found in Getty Images]. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2018, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/examples-of-graphic-organizers-2162277

O’Donnell, C. (2017, September 26). How Graphic Organizers Increase Critical Thinking. Retrieved July 26, 2018, from https://classroom.synonym.com/graphic-organizers-increase-critical-thinking-26356.html