Doodle Wheel Organizers: Everything You Need to Know

Wheel organizers are an excellent way to enhance students learning whether you use them for math skills, icebreakers at the beginning of the year or even as literacy activities! This post includes a roundup of all the ways to use them in your middle school classroom!

One of my favorite resources to use in my classroom is doodle wheel organizers. I’ve discovered many fun and effective ways to incorporate these wheel organizers into my classroom lessons and I’m sharing it all with you. They’re fantastic at breaking down complex concepts into simpler steps, making it so much easier for my students to remember. The steps stick in their minds thanks to the main details being front and center, along with the colors and doodles. And. . . there’s a wheel for practically everything! Whether it’s for a get-to-know-you activity, an ELA concept, or anything else, these wheels work wonders. So whether you are new to using these doodle wheels or a pro, these tips, ideas, and answers to your questions are here to help.

What are Wheel Organizers?

This image highlights wheel organizers that can be used when learning about exponents.

What exactly are doodle wheel organizers? Think of them as graphic organizers in the shape of a wheel. I have taken this concept and built out doodle notes on them to help students take notes that they can reference again and again.

The circular shape makes them visually appealing and super effective for organizing information. Each section of the wheel helps break down complex ideas into more manageable parts, making it easier for students to grasp and remember key concepts.

They’re perfect for helping students see connections and relationships between different pieces of information. All while keeping their notes neat and structured. Plus, the visual nature of the wheel, with its colorful sections and doodles, really helps the information stick in their minds. Trust me, these doodle wheel organizers were a game-changer for my students and me when learning new concepts or reviewing old ones!

Doodle Wheel Organizers for Math

Now that we’ve covered the basics of these doodle wheel organizers, let’s dive into some posts that specifically focus on using these organizers in math. Over the years, I have done many different blog posts on Doodle Wheels and how you can use them. To save you time, I’m putting them all here in one place. These posts are packed with creative ideas and practical tips to make math concepts more accessible and engaging for our students.

FAQs About Math Wheel Organizers

The blog posts in this section answer the most common questions I receive about math wheels and doodle wheel organizers. In addition to answering your questions, these posts are also filled with teaching tips and ideas on how you can use math wheels in the classroom.

Using the math activity in this image, students will be able to learn all about combining like terms.

Doodle Math Wheel Organizers for Specific Skills

This next section includes a variety of blog posts for teaching a specific grade level or math skills. If you are looking for help teaching a specific skill this is a great place to start. If you are looking for a math wheel for a specific skill, don’t forget to check my TPT store for all the available options.

Grade Level Wheels

This activity will help students learn about finding the area of shapes in 3rd grade math.

Algebraic Expressions

Divisibility

Exponents

Fractions, Decimals, Percents

Wheel organizers like the one in this photo can be used to practice multiplying decimals.

Quadrilaterals and Triangles

Additional Math Wheels

This image showcases an order of operations wheel organizer.

Using Math Wheels for Intervention

ELA Wheel Organizers

With this wheel organizer, students can practice ELA skills like adjectives.

Math is not the only subject matter that you can use doodle wheel organizers. There are many language arts topics and skills that are perfect for this form of note-taking too! It’s time to shift gears and explore wheel organizers in the world of ELA. These blog posts are full of ideas and strategies to make ELA time more interactive and enjoyable for our students. So, let’s discover how ELA wheel organizers can bring a fresh twist to our lessons!

Icebreakers

Meet the mathematician, as shown in this image, is a great icebreaker activity to use in math classrooms.

And. . . if you thought doodle notes were just for learning academic skills, think again. This wheel organizer format is great for a variety of activities. I have even used these wheel organizers as icebreakers! These activities are perfect for getting to know each of your students while building a positive classroom environment right from the start. They are perfect for the beginning of the school year or any time!

Memory Wheel Organizers

As we wrap up the school year, wheel organizers can be a fantastic tool for reflecting on and celebrating all the fun memories we’ve made together. These organizers provide a creative way for our students to capture their favorite moments, accomplishments, and experiences from the year.

Tips and Strategies for Wheel Organizers

This testing strategies wheel organizer will help students to become better test takers.

I also use the doodle wheel organizers in other ways in the classroom. Any time there are multiple pieces of related information or something that can be broken down into steps, a wheel organizer is a great alternative to traditional notes. I have used doodle wheel organizers to review test-taking strategies and behavior expectations. Whether we’re preparing for an upcoming test or reinforcing classroom rules, these organizers help break down important information into clear, manageable chunks of information.

Wheel Organizers Take Your Teaching to the Next Level

And there you have it! Wheel organizers are a game-changer in the classroom. They offer endless possibilities to make learning fun, interactive, and memorable. From math and ELA to icebreakers, end-of-year reflections, and more, these tools have us covered. I hope this roundup inspires you to try some new ideas and make the most of wheel organizers in your teaching!