A T-chart is a two-column graphic organizer for comparing two things side by side, named for the T shape formed by its title bar and the line dividing the columns. Each side lists the points for one item, option, or category. It's one of the simplest and most widely used comparison tools, common in classrooms and in any decision that comes down to weighing one thing against another.

T-charts are used wherever two things need comparing. The most common use is a pros and cons list for a decision. They also handle compare and contrast, advantages and disadvantages, cause and effect, facts and opinions, and problem and solution. In class they teach students to organize two sides of a topic; at work they make a choice between two options visible and easy to discuss.

Title the chart with the question or the two things you're comparing, then label the two columns, like Pros and Cons. List the points for the first side on the left and the matching points for the second on the right. Read the columns together to weigh them, then note the conclusion. The simple side-by-side layout is what makes the comparison easy to see.

A T-chart puts two things in separate columns and lists the points for each, with no overlap, which is ideal for pros and cons or a clean side-by-side comparison. A Venn diagram overlaps circles to show what two or more things share in the middle and what's unique to each on the outside. Use a T-chart for distinct lists; use a Venn when the overlap itself is the point.

The classic example is a pros and cons list, like this template's working-from-home chart. Others include fact versus opinion in a reading lesson, cause and effect in a history unit, advantages and disadvantages of two products, or problem and solution in planning. Any time a topic splits cleanly into two sides, a T-chart fits.