Teaching Vocabulary in High School Science: The Frayer Model Method and a FREE Template
Somehow, when our students reach high school we forget to actually teach them vocabulary. Sure, we highlight key terms as we hand out our guided notes and give fill in the blank questions on tests, but as a high school science teacher it’s really easy to forget to embed explicit vocabulary practice. It’s kind of crazy to think about, because high school science has endless vocabulary that students need to understand to master content - but still, we forget!
After my first year of teaching high school biology, I got my state testing scores back and was, well, embarrassed. In my state, 9th graders take a state biology test in May - and that set of scores wasn’t pretty. I already knew from watching my students struggle all year that many were drowning in the dozens of new terms they encountered in each unit. After all, many middle schools don’t exactly prioritize science in their quest to increase math and reading state test scores. I can’t blame them, but it left many of my 9th graders scratching their head when they tried to keep our biology vocab straight. I turned to my best friend Google that summer and consulted a few veteran teachers, and I learned quickly that 1. I needed to embed explicit vocabulary practice time into my instruction and that 2. there are a million ways to do it. But I lucked out and found a research article on this thing called the Frayer model and I loved it immediately - even before I read about all the studied benefits of using it for vocabulary acquisition.
What is the Frayer Model?
There are a few different variations, but my favorite and the one that I use in my class is a model with the vocabulary word placed in the center of a 4-square graphic organizer. Each of the four squares is labeled definition, characteristics, examples, and relevant non-examples. I have seen other variations that ask students to draw a picture, use the vocabulary word in a sentence, or rewrite the given definition in their own words, and I think these are great options too.
The great thing about using these four particular tasks when introducing the vocabulary word is that students engage with best practices for teaching new vocabulary - explicitly defining a new word, contextualizing a new word, actively processing a new word, and multiple exposures to a new word - but the examples and non-examples tasks push students to think about how the word connects to other words in a particular unit. This means students are building relationships between words and concepts, rather than just memorizing definitions independently without building a deeper understanding. Let’s dive into the individual components of the Frayer model to see how students should respond to each task.
The Components
Definition
The first box on most Frayer models is a definition box. This is where students should record the formal or accepted (but still student-friendly) definition of the vocabulary word. You can project the definition for word on the board, or have students look up the definition in their textbook notes. Whichever way you choose, double check that students have the correct definition on their sheets before proceeding. I’ve seen some crazy answers when leaving students to their devices sometimes. I do tend to err on providing definitions for each word, so that I know students are working through the term with correct information.
Characteristics
Here’s where students begin dive deeper into the meaning of a term than just reciting the definition. Students contextualize the word by listing characteristics and attributes of the term. They might be referring to their class notes, relying on prior knowledge, or researching to complete this section of the model. Students are asking themselves, “What are features of this word that might help me identify or recognize it?”
Examples
In the examples task, students give context to the word they are working with. They might write synonyms to the word, or write down a concrete application of the word (or how the word us used). I mentioned earlier that I have seen Frayer models that ask students to draw a picture of the word - the examples task is actually a great way to do that. Sometimes, sketching the word is the best example a student can give. Take the word “photosynthesis” - the best example of photosynthesis is truly to draw a quick sketch the the cycle from the capture of sunlight to the final production of glucose and release of oxygen.
Relevant Non-Examples
Relevant non-examples is probably the task that trips students up the most, so it’s key to explain how students should tackle it. In the non-examples task, students are thinking about antonyms, incorrect but commonly made uses of the word, illustrations that show the opposite of the word, or words and examples that are almost correct but not quite. For example, return back to “photosynthesis” - for a relevant non-example, students might write down “cellular respiration” or draw the cycle of cellular respiration to show that it is a reaction opposite to photosynthesis.
Implementing Frayer Models
Using Frayer models in class is straightforward. Introduce each word that you want students to work on. Project the definition of the word, or have students look up the definition. Use the first word on your list to model all four tasks to students. Send them on their way!
It really is that simple - but when should you implement? One of my favorite ways to implement the model in biology and anatomy & physiology (the classes that I rely on the Frayer model most heavily) is to hand out or digitally assign the Frayer model with words for that day’s content and give students the definition of each word before beginning new instruction. This allows students to preview the vocabulary before we contextualize each word in the day’s lesson. Then we proceed with instruction as normal, taking notes, labeling diagrams, and all that good stuff. When we finish instruction on the topic, I turn students loose to complete the characteristics, examples, and relevant non-examples task now that they have seen how each word fits into the larger context of a topic. It’s a great way for students to actively review the day’s content, and serves as the perfect quick homework assignment that is really just active studying.
If you love the idea of embedding explicit vocabulary practice into your class, then this freebie is for you! Click here to grab an editable template for my favorite Frayer model. You can use them over and over, with any words, in any subject. Happy Vocabulary Practice!
