Plan essays with graphic organizers

Today we will learn how to plan essays with graphic organizers. Reading and writing help us share our ideas with others.

Planning with a graphic organizer transforms a blank page into a manageable task. Common organizers: Outline (hierarchical structure of main points and sub-points), T-chart (compare/contrast), Web/mind map (brainstorming connections), Story mountain (narrative structure), Venn diagram (overlapping similarities and differences), RACE chart (Reading, Answer, Cite, Explain for short answer). Before drafting: identify your thesis or purpose, list all potential main points, gather and organize evidence under each point, and decide the best order. A plan does not need to be complete—it needs to be enough to start writing. The investment of 10 minutes in planning saves 30 minutes of restructuring later.

Let's break this down step by step so it's easy to understand. Follow along with the examples, and don't worry if it takes some practice to get the hang of it!

Remember: Making mistakes is part of learning. If something is tricky, try again, look at the examples, or ask for help.