Frayer Model (PDF)

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Students thinking with &
about the ideas they are
learning
Limited goals are explored
in depth (essential skills &
concepts)
It’s : what the students are doing, not
what teacher is doing
Teaching for understanding occurs
over and extended period of time
Scaffolding, built on previous
experiences, occurs
Long-term,
thinkingcentered
1. EXAMPLES
process
2. NONEXAMPLES
Teacher was facilitator
Common understanding/different
products
Scaffolding throughout three rounds
Evidence of teacher prepared materials that
guided student work

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Assessment about deep understanding
occurs throughout the learning process
from beginning to end to guide instruction
and student learning, giving specific detail
about how to move to the next step
Ongoing : criteria, feedback, reflection
teacher teacher
developed student
st. constructed peers
guides student & guides teacher
Learning
Rich, ongoing
1. EXAMPLES 2. NONEXAMPLES
assessment
Students-review resource cards to select
the right info
End of unit for grading
Peer to peer discussions of reading & questions
Teaching without assessment
Check for understanding(ask ? of table groups)
Make list of materials
Should we allow them to come in?
El Salvador-symbolism in project
Instruction

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Conceptual models that
demonstrate understanding
Assisting : students in solving
nonroutine problems that ask them to
apply new ideas in unexpected ways
Imaginistic, intuitive & evocative
representations to support students
understandings
Powerful
1. EXAMPLES
representations
2. NONEXAMPLES
Songs, poetry, skits,
3D models
Formal dictionary
definitions of concepts
Notational representations
(i.e. I=E/R)

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Be aware of developmental stages but
don’t limit expectations of individual
students
Awareness : of developmental factors/characteristics
No rigid conceptions of what students can & cannot
do at certain ages
Development is not linear-students grow in complex
ways
Understand complexity is a critical variable
Allowing for multiple entry points in your lessons
and assessments
Pay heed to
developmental
1. EXAMPLES factors
2. NONEXAMPLES
Different tasks & different roles
Scaffolding of cognitive complexity
Most resources involved reading
Personalized & situational; authentic individual
Tasks not assigned for specific reasons
assessment
Projects show varied levels of complexity;
challenges each student at their level
Move beyond knowing to understanding &
evaluating when they answered questions at
personal level

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Unpack the structure & logic of
the disciplines taught
To induct students into the
discipline is to teach students
how people in the discipline
logically think to create new
understanding
The discipline : works toward a system of
thought
Performance of understanding
Teaching specific thinking skills in one
discipline needs to purposefully more
toward Teach for Transfer
Induct students
into the discipline
1. EXAMPLES 2. NONEXAMPLES
Introducing students to the
thinking & resources a
social scientist uses
Gave students the resources
Low level thinking skills
Recitation of facts as the performance

Frayer Model
4. DEFINITION 3. ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Helping student to cultivate
mental habits to make
connections from one context to
another
Explicit : teaching for transfer in an authentic
manner. It is interdisciplinary authentic
tasks that reach beyond the traditional
boundaries of the discipline.
Teach for
1. EXAMPLES
transfer
2. NONEXAMPLES
Lesson was designed with transfer in
mind given in embedded in all aspects
of the lesson literature, music, art integrated
in lesson