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Hi everyone! I am in a Science Methods course currently and learning about how to implement 5E lesson plans in the elementary classroom. How can I most effectively utilize 5E lesson plans, especially when science time is slowly dwindling to make room for more standardized subjects (reading and math)?
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Using 5E lesson plans in a science classroom is the best way to get students involved in inquiry and investigation. I do understand that science lessons seem to be cut short in order to make time for other subjects, but a quick, engaging lesson should be able to satisfy the learning expectations and plan for the lesson. If the student's attention is captured immediately and they are given a question that is easy enough for them to go straight into work, then the lesson should take less time, but still be just as effective. Also, because these 5E lesson plans are student based, students will be immediately be more intrigued in the subject rather than having to stand in front of the classroom to give a lecture in which the students will not benefit from as much. As long as you're satisfying the concept that needs to be covered and the students are learning through their personal investigations, then the lesson will be useful.
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The best thing about the 5E Approach is that it can be connected with other subjects. Of course, with the heavy demand for test prep and lengthy time spent on Math and Reading, it seems like there isnt enough time for Science. In this case, the 5E method is shown to produce the best results for students understanding and learning. I say, as long as you keep the students engaged and you meet your understanding goals, don't worry too much about timing. Make sure that the student learning is priority. The 5E is a great method, I have used it several times and i feel that the children can really benefit it. One quick hint can be during the Engage phase, use literature and find a book related to your topic. This can help you focus on Science while still introducing Reading and Language Arts.
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Hey Emily!
I'm also in a Science Methods course but at UMBC. We talk about this often in class and are very focused on inquiry based science. When using inquiry based learning I think it is possible to overlap in other subjects ultimately extending your science lessons. For example, if you're doing a lesson on plants you can do your lesson and possibly have class plant that you can take data on and and analyze in math or you could practice research skills during ELA. I hope this makes sense and helps!
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Hey Em! You have a good question... its seems as if teachers are scrambling to cover more content, and most of this refers to reading and math, with less and less time for important science and social studies concepts. We know inquiry-based experiences are among the best ways for authentic student learning, which I think can often take more time than other teaching methods. I think finding ways to overlap science topics with other content areas like reading and math can help maximize classroom time. For example, in lower grades you might incorporate a read aloud in the Engage section to help demonstrate a phenomenon. Students explore time may require math skills such as collecting and organizing data, or measuring and comparing length or volume. Incorporating math skills into science lessons can serve as a meaningful application or review from previous math standards. Writing can be used creatively as a way for students to share their conclusions during Explain or as a assumptive assessment. Science and social studies can even overlap in the form of an environmental or service project such as building a rain garden. This may take a bit of strategic planning, but hopefully it will increase student learning across the curriculum.
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Hi Em!! I think it is important to find a way to engage them. Using the 5E inquiry lesson makes the students want to learn science in a more interesting way. Also, the students are doing a more hands on activity versus just reading directly from the textbook. Students are able to remember the information even more.
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Hi Emily!
5E lessons are the best ways to get students more engaged in the lesson and give them a chance to get out of their seats and move around. The students can learn how make up investigations and come up with questions to make up better ways to go through the experiment. Hands-on experiments and activities help the students grasp what is being taught more than just reading a textbook and taking notes.
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5E lessons are a great way to get students interested in science. I think it tragic that science receives so little time in the elementary classroom. However, we have to be strategic with the little time we get and make sure that students are exposed to hands on, student driven experiments and investigations. The following websites might be of some assistance.
https://www.lookwerelearning.com/15-minute-science-experiments/
https://www.reallygoodstuff.com/community/science-on-the-go/
Picture Perfect Science also has great lessons that could help.
http://www.pictureperfectscience.com/about/our-program-1/
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5E lessons are a great way to get students interested in science. I think it tragic that science receives so little time in the elementary classroom. However, we have to be strategic with the little time we get and make sure that students are exposed to hands on, student driven experiments and investigations. The following websites might be of some assistance.
https://www.lookwerelearning.com/15-minute-science-experiments/
https://www.reallygoodstuff.com/community/science-on-the-go/
Picture Perfect Science also has great lessons that could help.
http://www.pictureperfectscience.com/about/our-program-1/
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Hello Emily.
I can truly relate to what you mean by how science time is slowly dwindling within the classrooms. To be honest, I really think it is really sad to find that happening. But, I think 5E lesson plans are really important within the class because it provides the way for the teacher to prepare themselves, making it into a students based teaching. The 5E lesson plan really helps teachers to plan out their lesson with inquiry and investigation. In which, I think while the teacher is getting the lesson plan down the teacher is learning within the lesson plan themselves. I think sometimes educators themselves do not really know the topic in-depth and in using the 5E lesson plan the teacher reviews and plans accordingly. I think even with science dwindling within the classroom it is really important for teachers to plan out the 5E lesson plan. It helps the students to be more engaged and it helps the teacher to manage class more efficiently.
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Learning and teaching a 5E lesson plan for the first time, the value of this teaching style is tremendous. Engaging in students curiously, critical self-thinking, and enlightenment of learning something new on your own (students) really sparks students learning. Yes, connecting self-learning lesson with teacher guidance should be connected to other subjects, but instructors should try to focus on the subject at hand.
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I am learning about the 5E lesson model this semester as well. I am in my second science course and last semester before my internship. I think the 5E learning cycle is so valuable when implemented correctly. I think most teachers worry about the time constraint due to focus on reading and math, but teaching science is so important and this method really gets the students thinking and investigating. I've noticed that they can't be done with just any lesson so the students will see it as a real treat when they get to do something hands on. Thanks for all the suggestions on this post!
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I am currently in a Science Methods class right now also and we are using the 5E lesson plans. I had the opportunity to use the 5E lesson plan a couple years ago for a management class and I loved using it and still to this day would use this type of lesson plan over any other type. Especially for science, using a 5E lesson plan is very beneficial simply because it gets the students up and involved and engaged and also to be able to do the investigation. The 5E plan allows for a quick engaging lesson that should be able to meet the learning expectations for the lesson altogether. 5E lesson plans are the way to go whether your lesson is short or long. You can always get your teaching point met and be happy with how the students are learning.
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5E lesson plans are extremely beneficial for teaching science classes. The ability to allow the children to conduct their experiments early in the teaching process invites and introduces the children to inquiry-based learning. Rather than presenting the children with the steps and exact facts, this allows for the children to learn throughout the whole entire process. Allowing the children to learn through their observations, experiments, and mistakes is crucial to dissolve any misconceptions brought into the classroom. The students will also find the hands-on activities more interesting and fun as well! Overall, using the 5E model may be difficult for specific topics and can be rather time consuming, but I strongly believe the benefits definitely outweigh the cons (when applicable to the model).
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I enjoy 5E Lesson Plans across all curricular subjects, however, I don't think I would make it my primary lesson plan. I think a 5E lesson is good for science in that it allows for you to stay on track and to keep up with where you're at in a manner that makes the materials easy for students to understand. They don't realize that the parts of a 5E Lesson plan are happening, but what happens is they are more engaged in the activities and the content of your lesson is being absorbed because they are having more fun. I think that 5E Lessons take out the boring, dull, dry lessons that I remember growing up with. I think they are great for science lessons!
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