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End Blank Page Terror Forever:

24 Pre-Writing Tools & Guidebook to

Organize Content, Take Notes with Ease &

Make Your Kids Confident Writers

By: Lily Iatridis


Copyright and Usage Information

The downloads provided by Fortuigence are protected under copyright. While

the resources are provided for free, there are a few things that I ask. Resources

are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.

You MAY:

Save these files to your computer and print off copies as necessary for your

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Demonstrate your family's/classroom's use of the resource, with proper credit

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Use any of my resources for personal profit

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© 2014 Fortuigence. All Rights Reserved.

Created by: Lily Iatridis

Designed by: Kat Reader

Published by: Fortuigence

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Hello!

In this workbook are tools to get past “blank page terror” quickly when faced with a writing assignment. These tools, called graphic organizers, can be used for note-taking and pre-writing with any type of assignment. Since Fortuigence is an online school that teaches writing to kids, we want to help make the process as easy and fun as possible.

Before you start writing a paragraph or a multi-paragraph paper, you’ve got to gather and organize your content first. That’s what graphic organizers do for you. Writing a perfect paragraph or more without a pre-writing activity with a graphic organizer is an unreasonable expectation. For some, it’s a form of torture. Remove the dread around writing by using the graphic organizers in this short workbook to get you started. You’ll fill up that blank page with lots of content quickly!

This workbook has a collection of 24 graphic organizers, with an explanation of when and how to use each one. Depending on their purpose, different types of assignments require a different approach. As you read the directions that go with each graphic organizer, you’ll know exactly which one to use when.

As a bonus for you, we’ve included discount coupon codes for several of our courses on the last page of this workbook. Make sure you keep them handy for when your kids are ready to start multi-paragraph writing!

To your children’s writing excellence,

Lily Iatridis, Founder Fortuigence (http://www.fortuigence.com)

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Sequence Chain 5

Mind Map 7

Description Wheel 10

Venn Diagram 12

Cause and Effect Chart 14

T-Chart 17

Facts and Opinions Chart 19

Timeline Matrix 21

Character Map 23

Story Map 25

Plot Development 27

Details and Main Idea(s) 29

Simple Problem / Solution 32

Decision Making Model 34

Problem Solving: Decision Making Organizer 36

Proposition: Arguments and Reasons 38

Perspectives 40

Part—Whole / Pie Chart 42

Wheel of Civilization Pie Chart 44

Classifying Information 46

Concept Definition with Attributes and Examples 48

Thank You and Special Coupons 50


Sequence Chain When to Use: If you’re writing about a step-by-step process or a series of actions that led to a major event, the sequence chain is the graphic organizer to use. This can be used for note-taking, or preparing for an expository essay, narrative essay, or personal statement essay like those requested in college applications.

Narrative essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing that tells a story, either factual or fictional.

Personal statement essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing that tells a

story about your interests, hobbies and aspirations. A personal statement essay is a type of narrative essay where you tell a story about yourself.

Expository essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing whose purpose is to

explain or inform. How to Use: Put what happened first in the first box, and then continue with what happened next in the next box, and so on, until you get to the end. Our graphic organizer has six boxes, but if you need more, by all means add more boxes!

Fortuigence offers a four week teacher graded course on the Expository Essay at http://www.fortuigence.com/

expository and the personal narrative essay at http://www.fortuigence.com/personal.

If you decide to make a purchase, be sure to use the coupon codes on the last page of this workbook!

http://www.fortuigence.com/expository


http://www.fortuigence.com/personal


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Wh

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Mind Map When to Use: The mind map is great for brainstorming ideas and getting them down on paper in an organized way. This can also be used when you’re preparing to tell a story in writing or write a narrative or expository essay.


Personal statement essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing that tells a

story about your interests, hobbies and aspirations. A personal statement essay is a type of narrative essay where you tell a story about yourself.

Expository essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing whose purpose is to

explain or inform. We’ve got two different arrangements of the mind map for you on the next two pages. You’ll be able to see the variety of mind map arrangements you can create at home. How to Use: In the large center circle, or whatever shape you want to use, write the topic of your brainstorming session. It can be about anything. As you come up with an idea to for that topic, write it in one of smaller shapes connected by a line to the big one with the topic’s name. If you don’t use all the smaller shapes, that’s fine, and if you need to add more, do so! We use mind mapping with our students in our Essay Rock Star courses, especially our Personal Statement and Expository essay short courses.

Be sure to use the coupon codes listed at the end of this workbook if you decide to make a purchase.

http://www.fortuigence.com/personal



Mind Map

TOPIC

Idea

Idea Idea

Idea Idea

Idea Idea

Idea


Min

d M

ap


Description Wheel When to Use: This simple graphic organizer helps you to determine the features of anything you wish and can be used for all grade levels.

Feature - a distinct characteristic or trait of something. How to Use: Write the name of the object, subject, or topic in the middle circle. On the lines that come out from the circle like rays of the sun, write down each feature. Add as many lines for individual features as you need.


Description Wheel

feature

feat

ure

feature

feat

ure

Object/item


Venn Diagram When to Use: The Venn Diagram is a picture of two overlapping shapes, in this case, circles. The Venn Diagram is used for comparing and contrasting information about two things. It makes an excellent visual display of their similarities and differences. How to Use: At the title area at the top of the page, write down the two things you’re comparing. Beside and outside each circle, also write the name of each of the two things you’re comparing. In the area where the two circles overlap, list the characteristics that the two things share. In the areas where the circles don’t overlap, list the characteristics that are different. When you’re done, you’ll have an organized content display that your kids can easily review, study and write a paragraph or more about!


Ve

nn

Dia

gra

m


Cause and Effect Chart When to Use: The cause and effect chart helps you identify the cause and its related effect for just about any topic you want. This is very useful when you’re studying the impact of a certain action or event. Remember, for every action, there is a reaction!

Cause - something or someone that makes something happen. Effect - a result or change that happens after something is done.

How to Use: Put the cause in the cause box, and its corresponding effect in the effect box. The first cause and effect chart is very useful because it shows the direct relationship between a cause and its immediate effect. For example, cause: freezing rain, effect: icy roads. The second cause and effect chart is a little different. In this cause and effect chart, you’re studying one major event that might have several causes and several effects. For example, the event might be climate change or the U.S. Civil War. Each one of those major events has many causes and many effects. See what I mean? Put the name of the event in the box titled event, write each cause in a cause box, and write each effect in an effect box.


Ca

use

E

ffe

ct


Cause and Effect

Event

Cause

Cause

Cause

Effect

Effect

Effect


T-Chart When to Use: In the T-chart, you look at one topic only and list two different types of information for a quick overview on your topic. For example, you would use the T-chart to list things like the pros and cons about a topic, make a list of facts and opinions, and so on.

Pros - positive features. Cons - negative features.

How to Use: At the top of the page, write your topic. For example, your topic could be hamsters as pets. On the left of the T-chart you could list the pros of having a hamster as a pet and on the right, the cons of having a hamster as a pet.


T—Chart

(Can also be used for facts and opinions)

PROS CONS


Facts and Opinions Chart When to Use: This graphic organizer offers a different way to display and show the difference between facts and opinions for a single topic. Sometimes when you study the facts and opinions around a single topic, you need more clearly separated spaces than a T-Chart offers. In this graphic organizer, you’re given a box for each fact and each opinion.

Fact - something that truly exists or happens. Opinion - a judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or

knowledge. How to Use: Write your topic in the vertical space between the facts and opinions columns. Then write each fact in a space under facts and each opinion in a space under opinions. When you’re all done, compare the two!


Fa

cts

O

pin

ion

s T

op

ic


Timeline Matrix When to Use: This is an excellent graphic organizer for note taking when you need to gather similar types of information about several different topics or events. Our Timeline Matrix is a wonderful tool to use to gather information for a timeline project. However, you can adjust the labels on the Matrix to gather and organize information for other types of activities too.

Matrix - something shaped like a pattern of lines and spaces. How to Use: In the event column, write a title for an event that would go in the timeline, and in the date column, write the date it occurred. In the description column, add a sentence or two clearly describing or defining what the event was. In the impact column, write the result or effect of that event.


Timeline Matrix

(For note gathering before creating a timeline)

Event Date Description Impact


Character Map When to Use: The Character Map is an excellent graphic organizer for studying a character in a novel or a famous person in history. When you tell a story about someone, you write about both their personality traits and the things they did. If you’re preparing to write a narrative essay about a person or character, this graphic organizer would be very useful.


Trait - a characteristic or quality.

How to Use: First, write the name of the character you’re studying in the center box in the middle of the page. Then, along a diagonal line, write one of that character’s most important personality traits. In the box labeled events connected to that trait, write down what occurs because of that particular trait. Do this for every major trait of the character.


Ch

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Ch

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Even

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Even

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Even

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Even

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Trai

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Trai

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Story Map When to Use: This is an excellent graphic organizer to use when kids have to write a book review, also known as a textual analysis essay. It helps them break down the elements of the story they’ll need to discuss in their review. On the other hand, if they’re crafting a story of their own, they can use this graphic organizer to determine the elements in their own story before they begin writing it all out.

Textual analysis essay - a short, multi-paragraph piece of writing that reviews something created by someone else, for example, a restaurant, a book, a game, a movie, and so on.

Setting - time, date, or place where a story occurs. Problem - main problem or conflict in the story. Solution - how the main problem is finally solved.

How to Use: When preparing for a book review or a textual analysis of a book, start at the top and work your way down to the bottom of this graphic organizer. On the other hand, if you’re sorting out ideas for your own story, fill in whichever box or space you know the answers to first and continue until you’re done. Write in pencil so that you can erase and rewrite as much as you need.

Remember, we do offer a short course on the Textual Analysis essay at http://www.fortuigence.com/textual. Be sure to use the coupon code given at the end of this

workbook if you make a purchase.

http://www.fortuigence.com/textual


Story Map Title:

Setting:

Problem:

Event 1:

Event 2:

Event 3:

Event 4:

Event 5:

Solution:

Characters:


Plot Development When to Use: This graphic organizer is helpful in reviewing and determining the parts of a story’s plot development. It works for all ages of students. This should be used when you’re preparing to write a review of something that tells a story, like a book, play, or movie.

Plot - the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work. Rising Action - actions that set the stage for the story and get it going. Culminating Event - the climactic action in the story; in some stories, this is the

major confrontation that determines the outcome of the story. Falling Action/Concluding Events - the ending part of the plot where the

aftermath of the culminating event is seen and the story comes to an end. How to Use: Write the rising action on the uphill sloped line, the culminating event at the crest of the curve or top of the wave, and the falling action on the downhill slope of the curve. At the bottom of the Plot Development graphic organizer are two boxes for you to include facts about the setting and main characters of the plot.


Plot Development

Setting Characters

Culminating Event


Details and Main Idea(s)

When to Use: Here we have two Details and Main Idea(s) graphic organizers for you. The first graphic organizer is to determine the main idea and supporting details in a single paragraph. The second graphic organizer is to determine the main ideas and their supporting details for a longer text or piece of writing with several paragraphs. These graphic organizers are very useful when you have to read a text and answer comprehension questions about it, or write a review also known as a textual analysis essay on something you’ve read. They can also be used to organize your content for something original that you’re going to write!

Main idea - the subject of the paragraph. This is introduced in a sentence somewhere in the paragraph, usually at the beginning or end, that tells what the paragraph is going to prove, demonstrate, or show readers.

Supporting details - examples, stories, or illustrations that help prove the main idea is correct and true.

Essay - a short piece of writing on a particular subject, usually longer than one paragraph.

Textual analysis essay - a review of someone else’s work to judge if that author achieved their goals. Book reviews, movie reviews, and product reviews are all examples of textual analysis essays. Fortuigence offers a short course teaching kids to write a textual analysis essay at http://www.fortuigence.com/textual. If you buy the course, be sure to use the coupon code given at the end of this workbook.

How to Use: These graphic organizers can be used in two ways:

Review the text you’re studying, and write the main idea sentence or sentences in the main idea box. Then, go back and list supporting details in the details boxes.

If you’re composing your own piece of writing, review your brainstorming notes to choose the main idea for your paragraph or the main ideas of your essay and write those in the main idea box or boxes. Then, decide on the supporting details that best prove each main idea and write them in the corresponding details boxes. Remember, if you’re writing a multi-paragraph article or essay, you shouldn’t use the same supporting detail twice!

http://www.fortuigence.com/textual


Details

Main

Idea

+


Main Idea Details

Main Idea Details

Main Idea Details


Simple Problem /Solution When to Use: This graphic organizer can be used when discussing a problem solved in a story kids read, or problem solving in daily life. It can be used for any sort of problem, and it works for kids of any age. How to Use: In the problem box, write down the problem. In the action to solve box, write what action or actions were taken to solve the problem. In the results box, write down what the results or effects of the actions were. Then, take a look with your kids and decide together if the problem was solved.


Simple Problem / Solution

Problem

Action to Solve Results


Decision Making Model When to Use: This graphic organizer is also for problem solving, but this is more applicable for middle or high school grade levels. Specifically, it’s used to guide students through a problem solving process. When you’re working on a problem solving project or activity, this graphic organizer is extremely helpful for keeping the problem and goals in the forefront of your mind as you work through the decision making process.

Goals - what you want to achieve. Alternatives - possible solutions to solve the problem. Pros - positive characteristics. Cons - negative characteristics or drawbacks. Decision - final solution chosen. Reason(s) - reasons the final solution was chosen.

How to Use: Start at the top of the page and work down to the bottom. Identify the problem and goal(s) first, and write those in their corresponding boxes. Then, write down possible solutions in the alternatives boxes. After you list each possible solution, weigh the pros and cons of each one, and write those in the corresponding pros and cons boxes. Finally, write down your best solution in the decision(s) box, and the reasons you chose that solution in the reason(s) box.


Problem

Goal(s)

Decision Making Model

Alternatives Pros Cons

Decision

Reason(s)


Problem Solving: Decision making Organizer When to Use: Like the graphic organizer for problem solving on the previous page, this is more applicable to middle and high school grade levels. While this graphic organizer can be used for problem solving, it can also work well to review a solution someone else has already tried, and come up with a better one if possible.

Cause - something or someone that makes something happen. Effect - a result or change that happens after something is done. Pros - positive characteristics. Cons - negative characteristics or drawbacks. Evaluation - how well the next solution attempted worked.

How to Use: Start from the top section of this graphic organizer, and work your way down. First, identify and write down the problem in the problem box. Then, write down the causes of the problem in the lines under causes and things that occur as a result of the problem in the lines under effects. Next, write down a solution chosen and tried in the solution box. Beside that solution box, list the positives of that solution under pros, and the negatives of that solution under cons. Then write down your new or adjusted solution (if you have one) in the new solution box. Finally, in the evaluation box, write down how well the new solution worked.


Problem Solving:

Decision Making Organizer

Cause: Effect:

Solution

New Solution

Evaluation

Problem


Proposition: Arguments and Reasons

When to Use: This graphic organizer is for high school levels. It can be used to craft a persuasive essay of your own or review someone else’s written work to judge how persuasive it is. When someone poses a proposition, you have to examine its arguments and reasons carefully. That way, you can judge the merits of that proposition to see if it’s one you should support as true or not.

For example, one of the propositions in the Declaration of Independence says, “All men have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” What are the Declaration’s arguments in support of this proposition, and what are the reasons that support those arguments? That could be an advanced middle or high school level writing assignment for an American History course.

Persuasive essay - a multi-paragraph piece of writing where the writer uses arguments to convince the reader that the writer's opinion is correct. This type of writing is often requested on college entrance exams. Fortuigence offers a short course on writing persuasive essays at http://www.fortuigence.com/persuasive. Be sure to use the coupon code listed at the end of this workbook if you make a purchase.

Proposition - a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion.

Argument - a reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

Reason - supporting factual information that proves the truth of the argument.

How to Use: First, identify and write down the proposition in the proposition box. If you’re reviewing a text, find the judgment or opinion in that text. If you’re writing a persuasive essay of your own, write down the opinion (proposition) that you plan to argue for or against in the proposition box. Next, write down each argument in the arguments boxes. If you’re reviewing a text, find the main arguments the author makes to support their proposition. If you’re writing your own persuasive essay, write down your three main arguments in each argument box that best support your position. Last, identify the reasons behind each argument and write each one on a reason line.

http://www.fortuigence.com/persuasive


Pro

po

siti

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Pro

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on

Arg

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en

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A

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2

Arg

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en

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Perspectives When to Use: This graphic organizer is another one generally used for middle or high school age children. It comes in handy when you’re looking at current global issues, current events, or law making. Whenever you look at those types of issues, it’s important to look at different perspectives to understand decisions made or perspectives to be considered when making a decision.

Perspective - a particular attitude toward something; a point of view. Broad problem - a problem or issue that impacts the entire world, either directly

or indirectly. How to Use: First of all, identify the broad problem and write it down in the broad problem oval. An example of a broad problem could be climate change. Then, go to the other boxes around the broad problem oval in whichever order you wish and write down a general statement describing each perspective on that broad problem. For example, for the world view, what is the international perspective on climate change? In the community’s view, how does your town or neighborhood view climate change? In the individual’s view, what’s your own opinion on climate change? Fill in as many boxes as you can. Once you’re done, you’ll have an overview of many perspectives on a particular issue in our world.


Perspectives

The Country’s View

The World View The State’s View

The Community’s View The Individual’s View

The Broad Problem


Part-Whole or Pie Chart When to Use: A pie chart graphic organizer is used to take notes on the different parts that make up a whole. You can use a pie chart for any topic that has several categories or parts you want to take notes upon. How to Use: At the top of the page, put a title for your pie chart. The title should be the topic you’re gathering information about. On the outside curved area of each piece of the pie, write a label for each category of the topic. As you collect information on each category, add that information into the corresponding piece of the pie.


Part—Whole (Pie Chart)


Wheel of Civilization Pie Chart When to Use: This is an example of a Pie Chart graphic organizer that can be used as a note-taking tool on the characteristics of a civilization for a World History or Ancient History curriculum. In those courses, you usually study a number of ancient civilizations, and it’s useful to do one of these for each civilization you study to compare them and prepare for quizzes, tests, final projects, or writing assignments. The category labels for this particular pie chart are at the middle school or high school level and are defined below.

Civilization - a group of people who live in together in one area that has the following characteristics:

Political System - a system of laws or decision making to keep order; a government.

Religion - a system of spiritual beliefs, practices, or traditional stories.

Social System - a system of social classes, purpose or responsibilities of the different social classes and traditional roles of men and women.

Economic System - types of trade and commerce with other civilizations, levels of education and specialized labor.

Human Expression - a written language system, art or drawing.

Science and Technology - tools, inventions, transportation methods, or products that satisfy a human need, for example, machines like stoves for cooking, wagons for transport, looms for weaving cloth, plows for farming, and so on.

Human Geographic Characteristics - how communities adapt to their natural environment, including architecture styles, types of shelters, and public works like public water sources and sewage systems.

Physical Geographic Characteristics - the natural climate, vegetation landscape, bodies of water and animal life in an area where a civilization exists.

How to Use: At the top of the Wheel of Civilization, write the name of the ancient civilization beside name of society. Beside historical time period write the period of time, in range of centuries, when the civilization existed, and next to present day location, write the name of the country that exists there now. As you read, watch, or listen to your sources of information on the ancient civilization, write down facts in the appropriate categories.


Part—Whole (Pie Chart) Wheel of Civilization

Name of Society:

Historical Time Period:

Present Day Location:


Classifying Information When to Use: This graphic organizer should come into use at the middle or high school level. It’s used to take large amounts of information about a broad topic and break it down into smaller groups or categories to organize and clarify all the information and avoid confusion. How to Use: The main idea or broad topic goes in the big circle at the top, and the smaller circles should contain the names of main categories of information you identify. Facts or bits of information that fit into each of the main categories go into the rectangular boxes underneath. For example, if you’re taking notes on animal groups, you would write Animal Groups in the big circle at the top, the different categories of animal groups (reptile, amphibian, mammal, etc.) in the smaller circles just below, and in the rectangular boxes examples of animals that go in each group.


Main Idea or Broad Topic

Classifying Information

Main Categories

Sub-Categories


Concept Definition with Attributes and Examples When to Use: This graphic organizer is also for the upper middle school or high school level, since concepts are generally theories or philosophies that can be interpreted or understood in many different ways. Concepts can be confusing because they’re abstract, not concrete or tangible. This graphic organizer defines and clarifies a student’s understanding of a concept. Examples of concepts could include the Golden Rule, Impressionism (an art movement of the late 19th century), or Galileo’s heliocentric theory (that the earth revolves around the sun, not the sun around the earth). Use only one Concept Definition funnel if you’re studying one concept or two if you’re comparing two related concepts.

Concept - a general idea about a thing or group of things, derived from specific instances or occurrences.

Attribute - a characteristic or quality of the concept. Example - an example of how the concept impacts or is seen in daily life.

How to Use: First, write down a basic definition of the concept in the concept box at the top. Immediately below, list as many attributes as you can find, one attribute per line. Last, list examples of how that concept is seen or impacts daily life on each of the example lines.


Concept Definition With Attributes and Examples

Concept A:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)

Concept B:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

Attribute:

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)

(example)


Hello again! I hope you’ve found this workbook useful. Whenever your child balks at any sort of writing assignment, go through this workbook and use one of our graphic organizers for a pre-writing activity to get them started. If you have any questions at all, email us at [email protected]. As we promised, below are 20% discount codes for our Essay Rock Star short courses for middle and high school students. Our courses are self-paced and teacher graded. We do the work for you while you learn our approach to teaching writing to your kids. Each class takes about four weeks to complete, and high school credit can be given for completion.

To your children’s writing excellence,

Lily Iatridis, Founder Fortuigence

20% Off Coupon Codes

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The Textual Analysis: http://www.fortuigence.com/textual20

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