Lifebooks THE BIGSPEARS graphic organizer

THE BIGSPEARS graphic organizer is an ELD support tool for educators, students, and groups to deconstruct various aspects of life into specific categories. The tool can be used as a vehicle for building empathy in the classroom as teachers model the process and present their lives through these frames. The introspective process of using this mind map to record their autoethnographies serves as a precursor to the writing process. Students then go on to create their own Lifebooks to present in class with their peers. Gaining a greater understanding of students, supporting their individualized expression of their stories and desires creates that thick, cohesive environment found in classes that are led by compassionate educators. After witnessing dozens of their peers' Lifebook presentations in class, and utilizing the academic language built into the mind map, THE BIGSPEARS can then be used to annotate rich text and support students' understanding of concepts and new vocabulary.