5E Lesson Plans – How And Why To Use Them In Your Classroom

If you are interested in 5E lesson plans, you’re in the right spot. I have been using them in my class for a few years now and they are a terrific way to manage, organize, and carry out your curriculum no matter what you are teaching. Personally, I use them to help differentiate my teaching style. I don’t want to just lecture but sometimes it can be difficult to know how and when to incorporate something that is hands-on. 5E lesson plans also force you to introduce and conclude your topic which is great because I find sometimes I just dive right in and perhaps, not wrap things up as well as I should.

It’s not just me though. In addition to the thousands of teachers that use 5E lesson plans to organize their classrooms, the NRC (National Research Council approves as well. In their paper, ‘How People Learn‘, they came to three main conclusions. Each one can easily be paired to a phase in the 5E model.

First, students must be interested and engaged in what they are learning and find it useful and meaningful.

Engagement and Exploration Phases

Second, students must be actively involved in the process of teaching and learning, comparing new information to previous ideas, constructing new understandings, and quite simply changing their own minds about how the world works.

Explanation and Exploration Phases

And third, students need opportunities to apply what they have learned to new situations, to check the completeness of their understanding, and to evaluate their own learning for themselves.

Elaborate and Evaluate Phases

By incorporating this 5E lesson, you will provide your students with a meaningful and coherent way of learning that best suits their needs. You will also utilize technology in a way that creates order and promotes understanding.

If you’re ready to use 5E Lesson Plans in your classroom, have a look at the ones I have available.

Physics 5E Lesson Plans

Chemistry 5E Lesson Plans

Biology 5E Lesson Plans

Earth and Space Science 5E Lesson Plans

I took my 5E lesson plan organizer and created a template. If you are interested in making your own 5E lesson plan, it would be an excellent place to start. If you’d like to download my 5E Lesson Plan template, just click the image below. It’s a fully editable document that includes an outline for each phase.

How does the 5E model facilitate learning?

5E Lesson Plans emphasize inquiry, critical thinking, and the process of science. The process is backed by countless scientific studies that demonstrate its effectiveness as it is built around the idea that humans construct knowledge and meaning from their learning experiences. That they build upon their prior knowledge and to be effective, learning needs to be active and allow the participants to construct new knowledge from their experiences.

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What’s Included In Each 5E Bundle?

Engagement Phase

This could involve a short video with probing questions or a discussion based on current events, common misconceptions, etc.
Creates interest and excitement for your students
Asks questions and probes their initial conceptions

For example, this is what I use in my Rock Cycle 5E

Your task: Watch the video and answer the following questions.

Answer these questions:

Which type of rock is the first in the rock cycle and how do they form?
How are sedimentary rocks formed?
How do we get different types of sedimentary rocks?
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
Which type of rock has crystals? Which kind of that rock type is missing the crystals?
Which type of rock is often layered or striped?
Which type of rock usually has fossils embedded in it?
Which type of rock has lines of mineral grains?
What are the three types of metamorphic rock?

These questions would most likely be used as a discussion starter which would lead us to our next phase, exploration.

Exploration Phase

Students use and develop creative thinking skills, make observations, record results, and make connections
I design my 5E lesson plans to include a lab station activity within the exploration phase.
These allow the students to can gain real experiences with the topic as well as determine what they already know about the subject.
Note: At times I’ve switched the exploration and explanation phases as it was apparent that my students needed instruction before they’d be able to perform the required tasks.

Explanation Phase

The instructional phase where concepts are presented to the students in a clear and applicable way
Students develop an understanding of the content
Observations and experiences are discussed and critiqued
Students develop vocabulary
Students are able to connect the content presented to previous experiences

Sticking with the Rock Cycle, here is the lesson I included in the 5E bundle. You can download it below.
Download

Elaborate Phase

This phase involves the students completing an activity or assignment that forces them to expand their thinking and knowledge of the topic. They will propose solutions and extend their learning to new situations
My 5E lesson plans usually include a digital scavenger hunt or comprehension reading. I find this allows my students to utilize their knowledge in new ways

Evaluate Phase

Your students will demonstrate their understanding and evaluate their own progress
This phase involves the students completing an activity or assignment that forces them to expand their thinking and knowledge of the topic. They will propose solutions and extend their learning to new situations
The evaluation section generally includes a quiz that will allow you to evaluate your students’ topic understanding in a quick and efficient manner.