It is one of the simplest graphic organizers and is easy to incorporate into every lesson plan. Teachers that have used T-charts report that they are easy to use at every grade level and for any content.
One type of T-chart contains a central concept (e.g., democracy, cells, multiplication, persuasive literature, etc.) and allows for identifying
main ideas and
supporting details or facts that define the concept. For example, you could identify the
characteristics of democracy, the
functions of the cell, the
process of multiplication, or the
character development in a story as supporting details for explaining concepts.
A second type of T-chart addresses the understanding of concepts by sorting or categorizing ideas. In this type, students might do tasks such as sort fruits and vegetables, living and non-living things, words with long vowel sounds and short vowel sounds, or anaerobic and aerobic exercises.
