1. The 5 E Instructional Model
A Framework for
Inquiry-Based Instruction
This powerpoint was originally made by former Earth Central staff member, Tarin Weiss, who didn’t join us this summer because she got a full time assistant professor’s job at Westfield State. I have adapted it for our use this year. Actually, they forced me to do it. And while indeed I was an English teacher for 30 years, the art of teaching doesn’t vary much from one discipline to another.

2. Process Skills of Science
Science Content
Concepts of Science
Process Skills of Science
So you all know that we can’t just take everything to know about science and just plunk into our kids head. We make decisions every day: What am I going to teach, how am I going to teach it, and how will I know my students know it. Sometimes teachers lose sight of that – what am I going to teach? Uh, a video on deciduous trees.
But you – as a dedicated group of science teachers, some veterans, some fresh out of college, know that teaching science isn’t just about textbooks and tests – an approach that will only benefit thirty percent of your students. You know that you have to get the students involved, to capture their interests, and then get that info into their skulls. It’s a balance of concepts and skills…. Not unlike teaching English, except, without the chemicals and fetal pigs. Oh, and the math.
So here is a list of process skills that are essential in science.

3. Science Process Skills
Observing
Communicating – writing objectively
Classifying
Measuring
Relating objects in space & time
Predicting
Inferring
Controlling variables
Defining operationally
Experimenting
Notice on level two – the writing part. As an English teacher who worked closely with a science teacher, I actually taught my students how to write objective observations. You know, they had to write in the third person, remember what that is? use a lot of nouns and adjectives, refrain from using opinions and prior knowledge… to observe in detail is a skill a lot of them simply have never been taught: if you don’t teach it, then expect to get lab reports that say things like, “I like looking at the moon. I am afraid of the dark…etc.
You are familiar with Bloom’s taxonomy – what is it again? It’s one of those concepts tossed around in ed courses at college – later on, most of us just remember that it has to do with the level of understanding – from the thin literal level to the concrete level and finally to the analytical level. A learning theory that is still being used in education courses all over the country.

4. Here is is – just a quick refresher before we get into the 5 E’s.

5. Elicit Engage Evaluate Explore 5 E’s Science Lesson Extend Elaborate
The 5 E's is an instructional model based on the constructivist approach to learning, which says that learners build or construct new ideas on top of their old ideas. The 5 E's can be used with students of all ages, including adults. Constructivism is a learning strategy that draws on students' existing knowledge, beliefs, and skills. With a constructivist approach, students synthesize new understanding from prior learning and new information.
The constructivist teacher sets up problems and monitors student exploration, guides student inquiry, and promotes new patterns of thinking. Working mostly with raw data, primary sources, and interactive material, constructivist teaching asks students to work with their own data and learn to direct their own explorations. Ultimately, students begin to think of learning as accumulated, evolving knowledge. Constructivist approaches work well with learners of all ages, including adults.
Recently, two more E’s have been added to the model. Elicit was added to the Engage part which adds the important step of accessing students’ prior knowledge. This is an important part of getting kids ready to learn. And “extend” was added to the elaborate component as a way to get kids to transfer some of their knowledge into other learning opportunities. This important part is how students will ultimately connect their learning in science to the world, starting with other school subjects, and beyond that to the working world. We need to show our students how the concept or skills is practical or useful in real life. That’s why the “extend” was added.
Notice that the arrows go back and forth in this model, of course indicating that learning is a cycle not a linear list of steps.
Extend
Elaborate
Explain

6. Engage
Refers to strategies or activities designed to elicit thoughts or actions by the student that relate directly to the lesson’s objectives, while assessing the learner’s prior knowledge and bringing the learner’s mind into the frame to learn something new.
Demonstration
Reading
Free Write
Analyze a Graphic Organizer
KWL (Know already ~ Want to know ~ Learn) This is the “elicit” part
Brainstorming
Student asks questions such as:
Why did this happen?
What do I already know about this?
What have I found out about this?
Shows interest in the topic.

7. Explore
Learners work collaboratively to complete activities that help them use prior knowledge to generate ideas, explore questions and possibilities, and design and conduct a preliminary inquiry
Perform an Investigation
Read Authentic/Primary Sources to Collect Information
Solve a Problem
Construct a Model

8. Explain
Allows the learner to construct an explanation. The teacher encourages students to explain concepts, relationships, and definitions in their own words. Teacher may provide some information to increase the accuracy of student responses.
Student Analysis & Explanation
Supporting Ideas with Evidence
Structured Questioning
Reading and Discussion
Teacher Explanation
Thinking Skill Activities: compare, classify, error analysis

9. Elaborate
Refers to activities that build on, extend and refine, and/or require the application and use of the scientific concepts and vocabulary in new situations. Activity is designed to increase the depth and breadth of student understanding.
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Experimental Inquiry
Thinking Skill Activities: compare, classify, apply

10. Evaluate
Provides an opportunity for learners to assess their own understanding and be able to demonstrate the depth and breadth of that understanding to others, including the teacher. Also, may allow the teacher to assess student performance and/or understandings of concepts, skills, processes, and applications.
Any of the Previous Activities
Develop a Scoring Tool or Rubric
Performance Assessment
Produce a Product
Journal Entry
Portfolio
And remember that we are adding the “extend” part of the 5E model by helping the students make connections to other learning.

11. Comparing the BSCS 5 E Model to the FERA Model
Engage
BSCS
FOCUS
FERA
Evaluate
BSCS
Elaborate BSCS
Apply
FERA
Explore BSCS
Explore
FERA
Pass out handouts instructional models
Compare the BSCS 5-E Instructional Model to the FERA Model
STC kits in elementary and middle school science are designed around the FERA model
Both models are examples of a learning cycle
Explain BSCS
Reflect
FERA