Support your students in organising their thinking across any subject area with the flexible and editable Fishbone Graphic Organiser Templates. These visual tools are ideal for helping students break down ideas into parts, sort details into categories, and structure their responses clearly and effectively.

Whether you're planning a writing lesson, exploring cause and effect in science, or brainstorming key ideas in HASS, the fishbone model provides a clear, structured way to help students visualise their thinking. It’s a great option for learners who benefit from seeing the connections between main ideas and supporting details.

This resource includes two layout variations, both offered in multiple line widths and with editable headings. Whether you're printing for hands-on classroom use or assigning digitally, these templates are flexible enough to suit a wide range of learning goals and year levels.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Organise thoughts and details into clear categories
• ✅ Use visual structures to support planning and comprehension
• ✅ Apply a flexible tool across multiple subjects and tasks
• ✅ Develop independent thinking and structured responses

What’s Included:

• Two fishbone graphic organiser versions
• Editable PowerPoint slides with customisable titles and headings
• Each version includes blank boxes, 12mm lines, and 9mm lines for writing support

Materials Needed:

• Printed organiser templates
• Optional: enlarged A3 versions for group tasks
• Devices for editing PowerPoint file if using digitally

How to Use:

1. Select the fishbone layout that best suits the subject or task.
2. Customise the headings in PowerPoint if you’re introducing specific content.
3. Print and distribute to students for individual or collaborative use.
4. Use as a whole-class model during brainstorming or shared planning sessions.
5. Follow up with a writing, discussion, or reflection activity based on their plan.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use for planning informative or persuasive writing
• 💡 Support reading comprehension by breaking down main ideas and supporting details
• 💡 Apply during science and HASS units to organise facts or investigate causes and effects

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Laminate blank versions to use with whiteboard markers in learning centres
• 💛 Provide sentence starters for students who need additional scaffolding
• 💛 Encourage students to use different colours for each ‘bone’ to visually separate categories

Fishbone Graphic Organiser Templates are a simple yet powerful addition to your classroom toolkit—perfect for helping students visually organise and communicate their thinking with confidence.