Categories: All - synthesis - assessment - biology - scaffolding

by Simon Chiang 5 years ago

490

Graphic Organizers in Biology

Graphic organizers in biology education serve multiple purposes, enhancing learning and comprehension through structured visual aids. They can be utilized at various stages of a lesson to consolidate knowledge, facilitate activities, and activate prior understanding.

Graphic Organizers in Biology

Graphic Organizers in Biology

Assessment

Assessment of Learning -Claim-Evidence-Reasoning graphic organizer -diagram and labelling of cycles such as Kreb's cycle
Assessment as Learning Graphic organizer such as a checklist can be extremely beneficial for students in assessing their own (self) learning or peer assessment
Assessment for Learning -Activating prior knowledge through a minds-on in the form of a mindmap -Provides a template for students to synthesize information and make connections

When?

Evaluate Graphic organizers that organizes Claim-Evidence-Reasoning as a Assessment of Learning could be beneficial for students
Extend Further synthesis and reinforcement of concepts can be guided using a graphic organizer as well as help make connections to previous topics or concepts
Explain Students are given an opportunity to analyze and synthesize the information they obtained from Engage or Explore through a graphic organizer to help organize their thoughts and observations
Explore When students are conducting an investigation such as a dissection, a graphic organizer could be helpful for them to organize their observations then guide their analysis
Engage Students are given an opportunity to activate their prior knowledge and compare/contrast or discuss with classmates that is scaffolded by a graphic organizer

Where?

Consolidation A graphic organizer can be created in the form of an exit ticket to assess student learning at the end of a lesson (AforL or AofL) E.g. Students are given a diagram of the Kreb's cycle that they have to label certain parts of (AforL)
Activity A graphic organizer can be created with the goal of providing a template in which students synthesize information from a reading into a flow chart or mindmap (AforL) E.g. Students read about the Kreb's cycle and categorize certain steps as anabolic or catabolic
Minds-On A graphic organizer can be created with the goal of activating prior knowledge (AforL) E.g. Students are asked to create a mindmap of everything they know about Energy in the Human Body with the organizer containing prompting categories such as Where? Why? How?

Why?

Scaffolding Students within a particular classroom will likely have varying cognition ability therefore providing tools of scaffolding are critical in the success of a student
Making Connections -This visual representation may allow students to potentially make connections which they may not have previously realized or that the organizer helps guide
Organizing Information -Many topics in Biology can be overwhelming to students especially when looking at a 12th grade Biology textbook/ -The graphic organizer helps the student condense and synthesize important information
Dual Coding (in place of Learning Styles) -Many students benefit from Dual Coding which is the combination of visuals and words -These visuals can include pictures, diagrams, graphic organizers, mind maps, flowcharts, etc.