As you already know, teaching geography in middle school is much more than just memorizing locations on a map. Students are expected to extend their learning past the recall and identify stage in order to analyze, interpret, and predict. To accomplish this, we need much more than just maps and globes!   

Graphic organizers are a great tool to help students visualize new information. There are plenty of graphic organizers out there, but you must make sure the one you choose for your students is the best for the situation. 

For example, if students are expected to explain how population influenced agricultural and industrial locations in the United States after the Civil War, then a cause and effect graphic organizer will be best. That isn’t to say a sequencing or problem-solution organizer will not work - it just depends how you are using it and in which stage in the learning. Strategically switching the graphic organizers while covering one topic is a great way to challenge students to synthesize this new information.

Using the standard mentioned above, you might introduce the new information about how those factors influenced agricultural and industrial locations, then have students complete a cause and effect graphic organizer. The following day, you could have the students complete a problem-solution graphic organizer describing which problems those industries faced and how those problems were solved (by changing locations). Later, you might have students complete a sequencing or chronological graphic organizer that describes how the history took place (which would include the industries facing problems and solving them). 

Here’s my suggestion of graphic organizers aligned with some Georgia Standards of Excellence for middle school Social Studies: 

To me, having students complete a graphic organizer after learning any new information helps to solidify the new content. It can be a great way for students to process what they’ve just learned. This process can also be a great way for you to check for understanding and clear up any misconceptions. 

Here are some free generic graphic organizers you can use to enhance your geography lessons.