KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
I learned about the Frayer Model early in my teaching career. It was one of the first graphic organizers that became popular, usually for vocabulary development. It is still on of those tried and true teaching tools (gotta love my alliteration). The problem is that using the Frayer Model for an entire vocab list is time intensive. Science teachers like me and reluctant learners like my students, don't want to devote that much time to a vocab list.
So, what is a science teacher to do when she has a professional development training on the Frayer Model in 2023 and is expected by admin to use it at some point during 4th quarter? Option 1, do not meet admin's expectations (trust me I thought long and hard about this option). Option 2, meet the requirement in the traditional way and be a good minion. Option 3, make the usage of the Frayer Model relevant and meaningful to the work we are already doing to do what's best for students and their learning (and maybe impress admin). If you know me, you know I went for Option 3. The Frayer Model asks that the learner put a vocab word in the center box of the organizer. The student then defines the term, applies the term (usually in a sentence), gives an example, and then gives a non-example to complete each of the four quadrants of the organizer. Some variations to the plan include finding synonyms and antonyms, illustrations, citing characteristics or facts, etc. This allows the teacher to make the purpose of the Frayer Model applicable to the content regardless of subject area or grade level. Here's what I did in my physics classes. We were learning the Laws of Thermodynamics. I divided the class into 4 groups, one for each law. Each group collaborated to create one poster sized Frayer Model about their law. Then each group presented their poster to the class. This made the process interactive for my at-risk students, less time intensive because the work was divided amongst the groups, and helped them process difficult content by also having to talk about it in their groups. Below are some of the posters they created. This was a great way to spend two class periods toward the end of the school year. I could definitely see comprehension of the Laws of Thermodynamics improve among most students who participated. And...I was able to dust off an old tool from the teacher tool box and make it relevant again. How will you use the Frayer Model in your classroom?
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AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
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