The Frayer Model is a graphic organizer that many teachers use to support vocabulary development. It can be easily adapted to facilitate fun icebreaker activities at the start of the school year.
I created the template below using Google Slides then added a quirky, fun question to each section of the graphic organizer. I use Google Slides for this activity because students can answer the questions with a combination of text, images, and videos. I can share one slide with each student, or we can work collaboratively on a class slide deck so that every student can see their peers’ responses.
When I coach teachers, I encourage them to create an example to share with students. I share the example below so students can get to know me. I also hope it will serve as a model so that students include media in their responses. Although some students know how to navigate Google Slides, others may not realize they can insert images and videos or hyperlink to resources. This is a simple way to get them to explore the functionality of Google Slides.
There is a long list of icebreaker questions on the Museum Hack website that teachers can use to create their fun with Frayer icebreaker activities!
If you have icebreaker activities you use and love, please take a moment to post a comment and share them here! I’d love to hear about the strategies and activities that teachers are using to engage their students and break the ice in the first few weeks of school!
13 Responses
I treally like this icebreaker. I can’t get the google slide link to work.
Sorry about that, Ann! I’ve just gone back and updated the link. Try it now to see if it works for you!
Catlin
The template doesn’t let me make a copy, love this idea and want to translate it for my dual immersion Spanish class.
Hi Sonia,
I just checked the link and it is working for me. I wonder if it has something to do with your school account. Sometimes school accounts make it challenging to copy Google docs, slides, etc. directly. Can you try making a copy into your personal Gmail account? Then if it works you can share it with yourself at your school email. Let me know if that works!
Catlin
That must have been my issue as well. Thanks! 🙂
I tried from both a personal account and a school one and the link didn’t work for either one.
Hi Amy,
The link is to a forced copy, but if you are not logged into (or do not have a Gmail account), it won’t have anywhere to save. I’ve included a direct link below to see if that works for you. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe your school domain is limiting your access. Let me know if the link below works!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gamJxos2KhU_B5OHDEy0RruAkHaRhhM9zeWUc9QxAOo/edit?usp=sharing
Take care!
Catlin
Thanks for new “get to know you” ideas. I would like to encourage you to think of something other than “spirit animal,” however. What about “patronus”?
Hi Katie,
I shared my most recent version of this activity, but you are welcome to make a copy and change that question to whatever you prefer. I have linked to a collection of questions, so feel free to grab one that works for you.
Catlin
Thanks for sharing Caitlin. I’m retired now, but last year I loved my icebreaker. I used a collaborative Google slide deck, and had students divide their one slide into quarters. They had to “display” three truths and a lie either in words, pictures or both. They also put their name on their slide. What I really liked most was the quarters corresponded to a corner of the room, so when the student “presented” the slide, their classmates walked to the corner of the room that they thought was the lie. It kept the kids active, it visibly allowed the presenter to see how many people they had fooled, and it was just pure fun. We reviewed about 5 or 6 per day, and the students loved it.
Thank you for sharing this icebreaker idea, Janice! It’s a fun on the two truths and a lie activity!
Catlin
Hello,
In its truest format a Frayer Model is meant to be used to help define a word, idea or…with the following words in the 4 quadrants:
Definitions Characteristics
Examples Non Examples
With the word or idea in the center…
Just thought I would share.
The way in which you are using it is more of a graphic organizer around the student.
Because Catlin modified it for an ice breaker for getting to know students.