Free Printable Tree Map Graphic Organizers

About these tree map handouts

A tree map sorts a general topic into categories and then into specific items. It reads from the top down: the topic at the top, categories on the first row of branches and examples below. The layout is useful whenever information has levels, such as animals sorted into vertebrates and invertebrates, or shapes into polygons and non-polygons.

The 2-branch version is a tall portrait page with five boxes under each category and room for two lines in each box, which helps when each item needs a short description. The 3-branch version is a landscape page with four boxes under each of three categories. Category bands are blank so students decide how to group the items, which is the thinking skill classification demands.

Use it to classify living things, types of government, parts of speech, number types or story genres. Type the topic in the Subject box to print it at the top of the tree. Ask students to explain the rule they used to sort the items, so each category has a clear name.

How to use them

1. Choose two or three branches depending on how many categories you expect.
2. Type the topic in the Subject box and print.
3. Students write a category name on each branch band.
4. Place at least three items under each category.
5. Check that each item belongs in only one category.

Classroom tips

• Brainstorm all the items on sticky notes first, then sort them into branches.
• Ask students to explain the sorting rule in one sentence.
• Use the same topic with different categories to show there is more than one way to classify.
• Tree maps are a good revision tool for a unit test: students build one from memory.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Handout Hero designs are original and made for this site. They are general reference material; check your own school, district or tradition where it matters.