A graphic organizer doesn't have to be a big, complicated production. It can be as simple as asking kids to draw a few lines on their own paper. For instance, you might ask your students to create a K/W/L chart about the topic you're studying for the day. They would have to draw three columns on their paper, and in the first they would write down everything they know about the topic. In the second, they'd write everything they want to know. In the third, they would write down the information they learn about the topic as they read.
Another easy DIY graphic organizer is the t-chart. A t-chart is a two-column chart students can use for note-taking. You might tell them what to put in the first column, and they would fill in the second one as they read. So for instance, you might have them look up passages that explain how the characters feel. Then in the first column you would have them list the names of a few characters, and in the right column they would cite the text. Or you might have them look for specific literary devices, so in the first column they would list those devices and in the second they would cite samples of the devices from the text.
For a longer text, you might try a Divide and Conquer graphic organizer. In this type of organizer, you have students divide their paper into four sections; one section for each 1/4 of the text. Then you would have them divide each section into smaller ones, where they must list specific elements or make specific commentary for each section.
