A little more about 5E Lessons

The 5E instructional model in a research-based instructional model that can help students learn the big ideas found in the science curriculum. Each phase of the model has a specific function designed to facilitate a constructivist approach to the learning process. The phases of the model are engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. Following these phases creates a learning environment that promotes opportunities that encourage and support the building of understanding.

The Engage Phase is an introduction to the lesson that motivates or hooks the students’ interest in the learning to follow. Activities in this phase are used to tap into prior knowledge about the concepts, engage the students’ curiosity, and uncover what students know and think about the concept or topic. Possible engage activities include demonstration (e.g. P.E.O.E.), reading, free write, K.L.E.W. chart, or brainstorming.

The goals of this phase of lesson planning are to create interest in the topic, generate curiosity, encourage “I wonder…” questions, and to allow students to share what students know or think they know about a concept (e.g. asking questions, discussions, cooperative activities).

The Explore Phase allows students to have experiences with the concepts and big ideas of the lesson. Students begin to construct their own understanding as they work together without direct instruction from the teacher to observe, question, and investigate the concepts. As students puzzle through problems, test predictions & hypotheses, and try alternative solutions they develop fundamental awareness of the nature of the materials and ideas involved in the concepts being studied. Possible Explore activities include investigations, read authentic resources to collect information, solve a problem, or construct a model.

The goals of this phase of lesson planning are to allow students to begin to construct their own understanding, develop the skills of scientific investigation, student discussion of concepts, activation of prior knowledge and provision of experiences that students can draw from later. Studies have shown student attitudes toward science instruction are more positive when they are allowed to explore concepts through experimentation or other activities before discussing them (p. 7, 5E Origins BSCS.pdf).

The Explain Phase allows students to explain concepts and definitions in their own words asked to justify and clarify their ideas, make use of their previous experiences (engage, explore) as a basis for explaining concepts, provide justification (evidence) and clarification of ideas, and hear alternative explanations for what they have observed. Possible explain activities include supporting ideas with evidence, structured questioning, reading and discussion, teacher explanation. chalk-talks, films, formal definitions.

The goals of this phase of lesson planning are to promote student discussion of concepts, allow students to test out their personal hypotheses and seek confirmation of their understanding, provide accepted explanation of phenomena, and correct misconceptions that may have been developed during the engage and explore phases.

The Elaborate Phase allows students to apply their new labels, definitions, explanations and skills in new, but similar situations. Students may be asked to take action on a local or global problem (e.g. anti-idling campaign, save the rainforest) or to use previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions and self-design and carry out experiments. Possible elaborate activities are experimental inquiry, investigative projects, problem solving and decision making, taking action on an issue.

The goals of this phase of lesson planning are to expand what they have learned by making connections to their everyday lives, allow students to explore their own questions related to the unit of study, and to encourage students to make decisions and take action.

As you can see there are a variety of activities that can be incorporated into the 5E instructional framework. Research shows that the instructional model is most effective if all three phases of the model are included in instruction, and the exploration phase must precede the explain phase. The specific instructional format may be less important than including all phases of the model, but laboratory work (typical in the exploration phase) is more effective for many students, provided it is followed by discussion (explanation) (p. 7, BSCS Origin.pdf).


Coming next... ENGAGE/EXPLORE Activities