In my English clinical class they were beginning to discuss Folklore and Urban Legends. The students had a pretty dense reading that he had given them and as a reading strategy taught them the Frayer model. I wasn't expecting this transition but after I saw him do it, it worked really well! Especially when what they were reading was about one specific thing. He drew it up on the board and then the students were to read, take notes, and create their own Frayer model. Afterwards, they put together a class-created Frayer model.
I really liked how he did this because when a text is more informational/concept based texts, it gives students an opportunity to go through each section and "define" the information. (I could see this being difficult with novels...)
Now that I am talking about it, I realized that vocabulary strategies are just essentially reading strategies. Yes there are some strategies that are use more for vocabulary quizzes and just knowing the words, but mostly where we are introduced to vocabulary necessary we find in informational texts.
The nice part about Frayer models (or most reading/vocab strategies) is that they are cross-media. So I have teeny-tiny homework. I challenge to whoever responds to this blog to, on a sheet of paper draw a Frayer model, and fill it in as you are watching the video about Natural Selection (you might have to watch it once or twice, it is just that epic). Then in your comment just leave a little blurb about what you got in each section.
Okay, I know I am an English major, but I can still enjoy this pretty awesome video! And Biology majors...no cheating!
