In this section you will find printable masters of graphic organizers, which help students to gather, organize, and structure information for writing. The graphic organizers on these pages are grouped by grade level and by writing genre and focus on specific organizational tasks within each genre. You'll find other graphic organizers, for a variety of levels and genres, under "Additional."

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Writing Genre: Descriptions
Describing Words Chart A Describing Words Chart helps writers sort out special features of a subject and to think of strong, colorful words to describe those features.
Describing Words Web A Describing Words Web helps writers think of the best words to create strong images in readers' minds.
Looks and Actions Chart A Looks and Actions Chart helps writers organize two different kinds of details about a subject.
Senses Chart Writers can use a Senses Chart to gather information about some or all of the five senses. This information can be used in descriptions.
Senses Wheel A Senses Wheel helps writers think of the best sensory words or details to create clear, vivid images in readers’ minds.
Sensory Words Web A Sensory Words Web helps writers think of the best words to create strong images in readers' minds.
 
Writing Genre: Personal Narratives
5 Ws Diagram A 5 Ws Diagram helps writers think about the key elements that create the framework of a narrative.
Action and Sensory Details Chart An Action and Sensory Details Chart helps writers gather and arrange sensory details for the beginning, middle, and ending of a narrative.
Chain of Events Diagram A Chain of Events Diagram helps writers put the events of a story in the right order.
Character Web (3 nodes) A Character Web helps writers organize details about the characters in a narrative. In a personal narrative, the writer is always the main character.
Character Web (4 nodes) A Character Web helps writers organize details about the characters in a narrative. In a personal narrative, the writer is always the main character.
Events Chart An Events Chart helps writers gather notes on what happened in the beginning, middle, and ending of a story.
Events and Feelings Chart An Events and Feelings Chart helps writers recall the feelings connected with each story event.
Sequence Steps Sequence Steps help writers to organize events from the beginning, middle, and ending of a story.
 
Writing Genre: Fictional Narratives
Beginning, Middle, and Ending Chart 1 A Beginning, Middle, and Ending Chart helps writers organize story events.
Beginning, Middle, and Ending Chart 2 A chart like this helps writers organize what happens in a story, from the beginning to the ending.
Character and Setting Chart A Character and Setting Chart helps writers set the stage for a story. The chart tells who is in the story and where and when the story takes place.
Plot Chart A Plot Chart helps writers organize story events to make sure they build to a climax and then reach a solution and conclusion.
Problem/Solution Chain A Problem/Solution Chain helps writers map out the problem on which a story’s plot is based.
Story Elements Chart A Story Elements Chart helps writers think about the five most important elements of a story.
Story Map A Story Map helps writers organize the key elements of a story, from the beginning to the ending.
 
Writing Genre: Expository Essays
Essay Diagram An Essay Diagram helps writers put ideas in order so that their essay has a clear beginning, middle, and ending.
Main Idea and Details Chart 1 A Main Idea and Details Chart helps writers think of the most important ideas about a topic and the details that support them.
Main Idea and Details Chart 2 A Main Idea and Details Chart helps writers think of the most important ideas about a topic and the details that support them.
Main Idea and Details Chart 3 A Main Ideas and Details Chart helps writers think of the most important ideas about a topic, and details to support each main idea.
Main Idea Spider Map A Main Idea Spider Map helps writers focus on one main idea about a topic and details that support the main idea.
Sequence Chart 1 A Sequence Chart helps writers put ideas in order.
Sequence Chart 2 A Sequence Chart helps writers put ideas in order so that the opinion has a clear beginning, middle, and ending.
Topic Web 1 A Topic Web helps writers think of the most important ideas about a topic.
 
Writing Genre: Opinions
Opinion Chart An Opinion Chart helps writers think about an opinion and the reasons and facts that back it up.
Reasons and Facts Chart A Reasons and Facts Chart helps writers organize information for an opinion. In the main box, writers jot down one reason that backs up their opinion. In the other boxes, they add supporting facts or examples.
Reasons and Facts Diagram A Reasons and Facts Diagram helps writers organize two different kinds of details about a subject.
Reasons and Facts Web 1 (4 nodes) A Reasons and Facts Web helps writers think about an important reason for their opinion and gather facts or examples to back up that reason.
Reasons and Facts Web 2 (3 nodes) A Reasons and Facts Web helps writers think about an important reason for their opinion and gather facts or examples to back up that reason.
Reasons Triangle A Reasons Triangle helps writers think of the best words to create strong images in readers' minds.
Sequence Chart 1 A Sequence Chart helps writers put ideas in order so that the opinion has a clear beginning, middle, and ending.
Sequence Chart 2 A Sequence Chart can help writers order their supporting reasons in the most effective way, from least important to most important.
 
Writing Genre: Summaries
Sequence Chart 3 A Sequence Chart helps writers put important ideas in order.
Sequence Chart 4 A Sequence Chart helps writers put ideas in order.
Summary Diagram A Summary Diagram helps writers put the main ideas for a summary in order.
Topic Chart A Topic Chart helps writers sort out the most important ideas from a longer passage.
Topic and Ideas Tree A Topic and Ideas Tree helps writers sort out the most important ideas for a summary of a longer passage.
Topic Web 2 A Topic Web helps writers sort out the most important ideas from a longer passage.
Topic Web 3 A Topic Web helps writers sort out the most important ideas from a longer passage. If the web gets too big, too many ideas have been included.