Webs

The most common form of graphic organizer is the web, sometimes called a spider map, mind map, mental map, or story map. You have probably used this type of graphic organizer in your instruction more than any other. A web is an organizer that contains circles and/or boxes that are connected with lines that show relationships between ideas or objects. The example below is a simple web showing a topic with some related ideas. For example, weather is the topic; air pressure, temperature, clouds and wind are ideas; high and low describe the air pressure and nimbus, cirrus and cumulus are examples of types of clouds. This web uses color coding for the various levels of the web.

The most common use of webs is for brainstorming ideas before students begin a writing assignment, consequently it is usually limited to English or Language Arts classes. The good news is that you can use the web effectively in all content areas. The web below shows just a few concepts that can be illustrated by a web.