diff --git a/core/variable_model.js b/core/variable_model.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f705d0bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/variable_model.js
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Visual Blocks Editor
+ *
+ * Copyright 2017 Google Inc.
+ * https://developers.google.com/blockly/
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Components for the variable model.
+ * @author marisaleung@google.com (Marisa Leung)
+ */
+'use strict';
+
+goog.provide('Blockly.VariableModel');
+
+/**
+ * Class for a variable model.
+ * Holds information for the variable including name, id, and type. 
+ * @param {!string} name The name of the variable. This must be unique across
+ *     variables and procedures.
+ * @param {?string} opt_type The type of the variable like 'int' or 'string'.
+ *     Does not need to be unique. Field_variable can filter variables based on
+ *     their type. This will default to '' which is a specific type.
+ * @param {?string} opt_id The unique id of the variable. This will default to 
+ *     a UUID.
+ * @see {Blockly.FieldVariable}
+ * @constructor
+ */
+Blockly.VariableModel = function(name, opt_type, opt_id) {
+  /**
+   * The name of the variable, typically defined by the user. It must be
+   * unique across all names used for procedures and variables. It may be
+   * changed by the user.
+   * @type {string}
+   */
+  this.name = name;
+
+  /**
+   * The type of the variable, such as 'int' or 'sound_effect'. This may be
+   * used to build a list of variables of a specific type. By default this is
+   * the empty string '', which is a specific type.
+   * @see {Blockly.FieldVariable}
+   * @type {string}
+   */
+  this.type = opt_type || '';
+
+  /**
+   * A unique id for the variable. This should be defined at creation and
+   * not change, even if the name changes. In most cases this should be a
+   * UUID.
+   * @type {string}
+   * @private
+   */
+  this.id_ = opt_id || Blockly.utils.genUid();
+};
+
+/**
+ * @return {!string} The id for the variable.
+ */
+Blockly.VariableModel.prototype.getId = function() {
+  return this.id_;
+};
diff --git a/tests/jsunit/index.html b/tests/jsunit/index.html
index 294ad28b0..2b27758ce 100644
--- a/tests/jsunit/index.html
+++ b/tests/jsunit/index.html
@@ -20,5 +20,6 @@
     <script src="workspace_test.js"></script>
     <script src="xml_test.js"></script>
     <script src="json_test.js"></script>
+    <script src="variable_model_test.js"></script>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/tests/jsunit/variable_model_test.js b/tests/jsunit/variable_model_test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a2d2ac3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/jsunit/variable_model_test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Blockly Tests
+ *
+ * Copyright 2017 Google Inc.
+ * https://developers.google.com/blockly/
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Tests for variable model.
+ * @author marisaleung@google.com (Marisa Leung)
+ */
+'use strict';
+
+var variable;
+
+function variableTest_tearDown() {
+  variable = null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * These tests check the constructor of the variable model.
+ */
+function testInit_Trivial() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test', 'test_type', 'test_id');
+  assertEquals('test', variable.name);
+  assertEquals('test_type', variable.type);
+  assertEquals('test_id', variable.id_);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
+
+function testInit_NullType() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test', null, 'test_id');
+  assertEquals('', variable.type);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
+
+function testInit_UndefinedType() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test', undefined, 'test_id');
+  assertEquals('', variable.type);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
+
+function testInit_NullId() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test', 'test_type', null);
+  assertEquals('test', variable.name);
+  assertEquals('test_type', variable.type);
+  assertNotNull(variable.id_);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
+
+function testInit_UndefinedId() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test', 'test_type', undefined);
+  assertEquals('test', variable.name);
+  assertEquals('test_type', variable.type);
+  assertNotNull(variable.id_);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
+
+function testInit_OnlyNameProvided() {
+  variable = new Blockly.VariableModel('test');
+  assertEquals('test', variable.name);
+  assertEquals('', variable.type);
+  assertNotNull(variable.id_);
+  variableTest_tearDown();
+}
\ No newline at end of file