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

Marjorie leads the art and design team at The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower. Her gorgeous anchor charts and one-day charts grace the walls of classrooms around the world and travel home nightly with students in their writing folders. Her art helps make complex and abstract concepts accessible for all kids. She is the lead artist for the Units of Study in Reading, Writing, and Phonics series, and she’s played an especially significant role in developing tools and resources for Writing Pathways.

Marjorie has extensive experience as a staff developer, senior research associate, and co-director of Reading Rescue at the Reading & Writing Project. In those roles, she has led numerous leadership groups and presented at many national and international educational conferences. Marjorie is a co-author of titles in the Units of Study in Writing Series for K-2 and for 3-5. In addition, Marjorie is co-author of Smarter Charts and Smarter Charts for Math, Science, and Social Studies, two books which teach teachers what they need to know about creating their own charts for their classrooms. Prior to her work as a staff developer, Marjorie was a New York City public school teacher, a teacher-researcher, and an adjunct professor at Bank Street College of Education. She has a MA in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from New York University, and she is the author of two Brain Quest Math decks for first and second grade.

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.