1. 5-E Model of Instruction
Life Science Classifications
Tiffany Volkman

2. The 5-E model facilitates the implementation of the research based factors that influence learning with understanding in accessing prior knowledge at the engage phase, scaffolding at every phase, building learning communities, transferring knowledge, and continual assessment at every stage.

3. The 5 E’s
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate

4. Engage
This step is intended to create curiosity in the student and provide focus for the upcoming activity. The teacher may ask questions about the topic.
Example: Show students two jars and two bottles: one filled with rice, one with salt, one with juice and one with water. Engage the whole class in a discussion comparing and contrasting the contents of the jars. In table groups, the students will put the jars/bottles into categories and then group-share to the class what categories they chose and why.

5. Explore
This step guides the student as they gather information. They will use a variety of observational and experimental investigational procedures to gather the information.
Example: In groups, have students group themselves using shoe color as the object of classification. Start to combine table groups, so that eventually all like-colored shoes are in the same group. Within these shoe-color groups, have the students further split by another classifier such as height

6. Explain
The student will describe what information they have gathered in the explore stage. The teacher may guide them by asking questioning about what they observed.
Example: explain to class that scientists use classifiers to categorize organisms Taxonomy, the process of scientific classification, is important in showing scientists (and students!) how animals are alike and how they are different. Introduce vocabulary related to classification (ie., endothermic, ectoderm, vertebrate, etc). On the white board, write down ‘human’ and have the students offer five other animal suggestions to write on the board. In groups and using the provided thinking map, have the students write down as many characteristics that they can think of about these animals.

7. Elaborate
The student will use the information they have gathered in new learning and problem solving.
Example: Come together as a whole class again, and make a class list of the characteristics. As a group, make a large web that connects similar and different characteristics of these animals.
color
size
Mammal
Animal
Reptile
Bird

8. Evaluate
The student will make decisions based on the assessment data. The teacher will assess the student’s understanding.
Example: Students will create their own zoo using 10 different animals and group the animals by likeness. Students should provide a map (poster, brochure, diagram, diorama, etc.) that shows where the animals live. Student must also provide a journal that explains why animals are grouped near one another.

9. Reflection of Shared Lesson Plan
The shared Lesson Plan “Life Science”, a classification of animals, incorporates the 5-E’s with an activity for each step. It keeps the students thinking and active for the entire lesson. It sounds like it would be a fun activity, especially the evaluation portion where students create their own zoo based on classifications they made.