Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies: Making Learning Visible in the Content Areas

• Problems with the charts in your math kit?
• Want to discover the science of content-area charts?
• Wish you could make pre-fab social studies charts history?

Then you’re ready for Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies!

In the original Smarter Charts, Marjorie Martinelli and Kristi Mraz helped you turn classroom literacy charts into teaching powerhouses. Now they show how to turn up the instructional energy on content-area charts, too.

“No matter what area of the curriculum, clear visuals, simple language, and constant reflection on charts are key to helping children gain independence and agency.”

You don’t have to be a graphic designer or a subject-matter expert. In Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies, Marjorie and Kristi share how they learned to make truly effective content-area charts with students. You’ll turn complex ideas into kid-friendly visuals, help children internalize content processes, and even increase your instructional time.

“The more we charted, the less repeating we did and the more teaching was possible.”

With dozens of examples from the content areas, including full-color photographs, the Chartchums reveal step by step how to create charts that show Routines, Genres and Concepts, Processes, Repertoires of Strategies, and Exemplars. Then their “Charts in Action” sections show how each type of chart builds engagement and improves independence as it gradually releases responsibility to learners.

Don’t be content with content-area charts made by someone else for generic students. Turn to Marjorie and Kristi for charts that make learning visible for the students in front of you, no matter what the subject.

Check out these videos from the authors!
Kristi Mraz and Marjorie Martinelli Show Us the Tools for Smarter Charts
Chart tips from the ChartChums: Part 1 Drawing People
Chart tips from the ChartChums: Part 2 Icons

Kristine Mraz is coauthor - with Christine Hertz - of Kids First from Day One, which provides a practical blueprint for increasing the child-centeredness of your teaching practice. She and Christine previously teamed up for the bestselling A Mindset for Learning (coauthored with Christine Hertz), which provides practical and powerful strategies for cultivating optimism, flexibility, and empathy alongside traditional academic skills. Kristi has also coauthored - with Alison Porceli and Cheryl Tyler - Purposeful Play, the book that helps you make play a powerful part of your teaching. She and Marjorie Martinelli wrote Smarter Charts and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies ?to get the most out of this classroom staple. Their popular blog Chartchums keeps teachers in touch with ongoing and relevant classroom issues and ways to use charts as a support. Chartchums is also on Facebook and on Twitter @chartchums! Kristi is a recent transplant to southern California, where she will be writing and consulting until the classroom calls again. You can follow all of her adventures on Twitter @MrazKristine or on her blog, found at kristimraz.com.

Marjorie Martinelli is coauthor - with Kristine Mraz - of Smarter Charts and the new Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies. Their popular blog chartchums keeps teachers in touch with ongoing and relevant classroom issues and ways to use charts as a support. Chartchums is also on Facebook and on Twitter @chartchums! While in schools as consultants with the Reading and Writing Project, the teachers they've worked with have begged them to write a how-to book about the amazing charts they introduce to consulting classrooms. Smarter Charts was that guide, and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies extends that work across the teaching day. She is Senior Research Associate and Co-Director of Reading Rescue at the Reading and Writing Project where for the past ten years she has lead numerous leadership groups and presented at many national and international educational conferences. Prior to joining the Reading and Writing Project, Marjorie was a New York City public school teacher, a teacher-researcher, and an adjunct teacher at Bank Street College of Education. She has an MA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from New York University and is a contributing author to Lucy Calkins' Units of Study for Teaching Writing. She is also the author of two Brain Quest Math decks for first and second grade. Listen to an interview with Marjorie and Kristi, the Chartchums, on Education Talk Radio.