4J Information Literacy Guide - Defining the Task


Information Literacy Guide \| Defining the Task \| Graphic Organizers	Resources \| Site Outline

Defining the Task: Graphic Organizers

Webs (Mind Maps)
Outlines
Tree Diagrams

Graphic organizers are a quick way to keep track of the research process.

It allows us to see what we have done and what we still have to do.
It allows us to keep track of new ideas and questions as we discover them in our research.

The one that works best depends on the nature of your project and the way you think. The program INSPIRATION is a popular electronic graphic organizer you can also use.

Using our hieroglyphics example, here is how some samples might look:

Webs ( Mind Maps)

Using a WEB, also called a MIND MAP, allows us to think about all the smaller ideas in our big topic and how they are connected.
A WEB is more graphic and feels a little less structured than an OUTLINE.
If you prefer, you can use pictures with words to create your WEB.

Here is how one might look in our hieroglyphics example.

You would fill in the ovals and add others as you did your research.
The ovals can be filled with brief sentences as well as single words.

Outlines

To make an outline, you need to think about your topic from bigger to smaller ideas.
Traditionally, we would use a combination of Roman numerals, letters and numbers.
You would need to add and subtract categories as you continue your research.
Here is what it might look like for our hieroglyphics example.

TOPIC: Hieroglyphics

I. Ancient Egypt

A. record keeping

1.

2.

B. architecture

1.

2.

II. Rosetta stone

A. discovery

1.

2.

B. translation

1. who?

2. what languages

a. Greek

b. demotic

3. process

C. description

III. Language

A. hieroglyphics compared to earlier languages

B. place in the development of language

IV. Codes

A. symbols

B. structure

V. British Museum

Tree Diagrams

The tree diagram is a combination of the graphics of the WEB/MIND MAP and the order of the OUTLINE.

Here is how one might look for our hieroglyphics example.

Here are some links to other examples of graphic organizers:

Here's a whole bunch of different kinds to print off and use from Teachervision .com

This list from Houghton Mifflin allows you to make a useable print copy if you have Acrobat Reader

At the eduscape site, there is an explanation and, if you scroll down, links to some examples.

A whole index to graphic organizers and examples

From the North Central Regional Education Lab

From the schools in California

Information Literacy Skills Jump Menu

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Last modified: October, 2003 by Steinke, Ague, Feuerhelm, Maxwell, and Warburg