Picking the Right Graphic Organizer

You will learn to choose and build the right graphic organizer to show the data you collect in science.

A graphic organizer is a picture or chart that helps you sort information so it is easy to read. When you do an investigation, you gather data, which is the information and measurements you collect. Raw data written in a messy list is hard to understand. A good organizer turns that mess into something you can see at a glance.

Imagine your class grows bluebonnet seeds on the classroom windowsill. Each day you measure the plants with a ruler. First you use a table, which has rows and columns, to write each day and each height. A table is the best place to start because it keeps numbers neat while you collect them.

Next you choose a graph that matches your question. A line graph shows how something changes over time, so it is perfect for plant height day after day. A bar graph compares separate groups, so you would use it to compare the height of plants in sunlight against plants in a dark closet. If you want to compare two things and show what they share, a Venn diagram with overlapping circles works well.

Other organizers fit other jobs. A flow chart or sequence map shows steps in order, like the steps of the water cycle. A tree map or concept map sorts ideas into groups, like sorting matter into solids, liquids, and gases. An input-output table shows cause and effect, such as how many cups of water you add and how tall the plant grows.

The trick is simple. Ask yourself what your data is doing. Is it changing over time, comparing groups, showing steps, or sorting ideas? Then pick the organizer that answers that question.

Try it: If you counted how many cars, trucks, and buses passed your school, which organizer would you choose?