Learning Scientific Language with a Graphic Organizer

Resource Type
Description
This activity guides students through learning and using key scientific terms, culminating in the creation of a customizable diagram.
Scientific language instruction can help students deepen their understanding of scientific concepts, strengthen their scientific literacy and communication skills, and engage with scientific sources. The “Student Handout” for this activity guides students through learning and using a given scientific term (e.g., technical or specialized vocabulary) and culminates in creating their own graphic organizer from a template.
Templates and examples are provided in these formats: cards (PDF), poster (PDF), and slides (Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides). The “Educator Materials” include more information about how to use these templates and other implementation suggestions.
The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.
Student Learning Targets
- Develop multiple representations of a scientific term.
- Connect scientific language to everyday language, prior knowledge, and science concepts.
- Create a graphic organizer to make thinking visible and present key information.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
Frayer Model, language learning, science communication, scientific term, template, vocabulary
Terms of Use
The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS 2013
SEP8
AP Biology 2019
SP1
AP Environmental Science 2020
SP1
Common Core 2010
ELA.RST.6-12.4, ELA.RST.6-12.7, ELA.RST.6-12.10
Vision and Change 2009
DP5