• Big Spring Middle School Science 5E Overview

    What is 5E?

    The 5E Model is a on hands-on learning curriculum in which students construct  knowledge and meaning from experiences. By understanding and reflecting on these activities, students are able to bridge new knowledge with previous ideas.

    Students are actively engaged and become problem-solvers.  Students are challenged to think critically on their own. The teacher provides guidance through the process, but students are responsible for their own learning.

     

    Stages  of the 5E  Model
    Engage:  Learning topic/task is initiated

    •       Students make initial observations
    •       Students listen, observe and discuss events  with peers
    •       Students ask “Why?” and “How?”
    •       Students connect prior information a new situation

     

    Explore: An activity that provides a common experience for the students

    •      Students participate in an activity/investigation/ experiment.
    •     Students test predictions and hypotheses.
    •     Students collect data, observations, information
    •     Students discuss findings and patterns with peers
    •     Students may ask additional questions and start to draw conclusions from information


    Explain: Students demonstrate their understanding after the explore phase.  The teacher supports the understanding through questioning and helping to scaffold the information. Definitions  may be provided at this point.

    •       Students start to report out based on their observations and data.
    •       Students make connections between concepts.
    •       Students listen to and question their peers.
    •       Students engage in argument based on evidence.
    •       Students provide reasoning for their claims based on the evidence (summarizing to a point)
    •       Students listen to questions and connecting points offered by the teacher.


    Elaborate (Extend): Students are asked to apply their understanding to a new situation.

    •       Students transfer and apply new information and knowledge to a different scenario
    •       Students utilize new labels, definitions, explanations as they apply their knowledge.
    •       Students refer to prior activities and information to complete a task or scenario.

     

    Evaluate:  Ongoing throughout the process. Allows students to be assessed on their understanding.

    •      May include a quiz/test/performance task

     

    Listed below are some of the common supplies needed for 5E activities that we could use throughout the school year. If you are able to send any of these in with your student, the supplies would be greatly appreciated. (The supplies can be brought to your science teacher and shared by all students.)

    • Plastic Cups
    • Plastic Spoons
    • Paper Plates
    • Sandwich bags
    • Potting soil
    • Playdoh/ modeling clay
    • Pipe cleaners
    • Craft paint brushes
    • PomPoms
    • Paper Towel Tubes
    • Marbles
    • Aluminum pie pans
    • Yarn
    • Cotton string
    • Shoe boxes
    • Legos / K’nex