There are several places to look for free graphic organizers for retelling a story. Some educational blogs offer them as free resources. For example, Scholastic's website sometimes has relevant materials. Also, your local school district's educational resource page might have some available for download.
First, familiarize yourself with the different parts of the graphic organizer, like the sections for characters, plot, and setting. Then, as you read the story, fill in the relevant information. For example, if it has a box for the main character's traits, note them down. After that, use the filled organizer as a guide to retell the story in a logical order.
The main benefit is that it helps to organize your thoughts. When you are trying to figure out the theme, there are so many elements of the story to consider. A graphic organizer gives you a clear structure to break down the characters, plot, and setting, and see how they all relate to a possible theme.
The plot mountain is a great graphic organizer. It clearly shows the build - up of the story from the start to the climax and then the falling action. Another good one is the story map, which can include details about the characters, the setting, and the sequence of events. A character web is also useful as it focuses on the relationships between characters.
They enhance comprehension. By visually organizing the elements of a novel such as characters, plot, and setting, it becomes easier to understand how these parts interact. For example, if you have a Venn diagram comparing two characters, you can quickly see their similarities and differences.
There's the plot pyramid. It starts with the exposition at the bottom, showing the initial situation and characters. Then it rises with the rising action, the climax at the peak, and then the falling action and resolution. For a mystery novel, it clearly shows how the mystery builds up to the big reveal at the climax.
One effective graphic organizer is the story mountain. It clearly shows the different parts of a novel's plot structure, like the beginning, build - up, peak, and end. Another is the character web, which maps out the relationships between characters in the novel. A third one could be the theme circle, where you write the main theme in the middle and then surround it with examples from the novel that support that theme.
Graphic organizers can be used in several ways to identify the theme of a story. For example, a concept map can help. You list the main characters, events, and settings in different sections. Then, look for the common thread that runs through all these elements. That often leads to the theme. For instance, in a story about a boy who overcomes bullying through kindness, the events might involve him being bullied, showing kindness to his bullies, and eventually making friends. The common element, kindness, could be the theme.
Graphic organizers can be used in several ways for summarizing a novel. For example, a plot diagram can help show the main events in order, like the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This gives a clear overview of how the story progresses. Another type could be a character map, which shows the relationships between characters, their traits, and how they change throughout the novel. It helps to focus on the important aspects of the characters in relation to the overall story.
One way is through character maps. You can draw a graphic organizer with the character's name in the center, and then branches for their traits, relationships, and their development throughout the novel. For example, in 'Pride and Prejudice', for Elizabeth Bennet, you could list her intelligence, wit, and her changing feelings towards Mr. Darcy as the story progresses.