As a district STEM Coach, I discovered that the 5E model of Science Instruction is new to many teachers, especially elementary teachers who may not be science content experts. Additionally, with the teacher shortage, many science teachers are entering schools from other industries and may not know the best practices in science pedagogy.

This notebook and the companion 5E teacher guides help teachers better implement this effective instructional model in their classrooms.

So you might ask yourself, what exactly are the 5E’s, and how can I teach them?

Visual guide to the 5E Model of Science Instruction: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This instructional model helps students deepen their understanding of scientific concepts, making it an essential tool for interactive science notebooks.

The 5E Instructional Model of Science

Engage

The Engage phase is designed to spark curiosity and interest in the topic. Teachers can use the Engage pages in the 5E notebook to pose thought-provoking questions or present intriguing scenarios related to the subject matter.

During the engage phase, students should be encouraged to brainstorm and respond using various multimedia formats such as videos, images, and audio. This approach not only captures students' attention but also activates their prior knowledge, setting the stage for deeper exploration and learning.

Explore

During the explore phase, students are encouraged to investigate and experiment. Teachers can design lessons incorporating virtual labs, simulations, and interactive activities, allowing students to explore concepts hands-on.

Providing models for students to explore enables them to witness scientific phenomena directly and also gives them the opportunity to determine the benefits and limits of scientific models. Through these exploratory activities, students build a solid foundation for understanding the concepts they will study in greater detail later in the explain phase.

Explain

The explain phase emphasizes understanding and explaining concepts. Teachers provide clear explanations, diagrams, and examples during this phase to help students grasp the material. Traditionally, this aligns with a lesson's more traditional "direct instruction."

Importantly, this phase occurs after students have been introduced to the scientific phenomena. This order is crucial to ensure that students first experience the phenomena without the barriers of vocabulary, especially tier 3 vocabulary specific to the science content. This approach allows students to build a conceptual understanding before introducing complex terminology.

Elaborate

Students apply their newly acquired knowledge to novel situations in the elaborate phase. Teachers can create opportunities that challenge students to think critically and use their scientific understanding in innovative ways. For example, students might design a solution to a real-world problem, conduct an inquiry-based lab activity, or engage in project-based learning tasks.

By applying their knowledge creatively, students deepen their understanding and develop practical problem-solving abilities.

Evaluate

This phase focuses on assessing student understanding and reflecting on the learning process. Unlike other phases, evaluation occurs continuously throughout the learning cycle rather than at a specific point. Teachers should implement both formative and summative assessments to monitor progress and check for comprehension.

This phase ensures students have achieved the learning objectives and provides opportunities for self-reflection and growth. In the notebook, I have created an opportunity for an authentic summative assessment of a student showcasing their knowledge, but this could be coupled with the teacher's traditional objective assessment. Teachers can also add pages where they might embed quick learning checks at any point in the notebook.