5E Inquiry Model: An Overview and Implementation Guide

Engage

To initiate the lesson

An engagement activity connects past and present learning experiences, anticipates new ideas, and organizes students’ thinking toward standards and outcomes.

· create interest

· generate curiosity

· raise questions and problems

· elicit responses that uncover students’ current knowledge about the concept/topic

· ask questions such as “Why did this happen?” “What do I already know about this?” “What can I find out about this?” “How can this problem be solved?”

· show interest in the topic

Explore

To provide students with a common base of experiences within which current concepts, processes, and skills are identified and developed

· guide students to work together without direct instruction

· observe and listen to students as they interact

· ask probing questions to redirect students’ investigations as needed

· provide time for students to puzzle through problems

· act as a consultant for students

· think creatively within the limits of the activity

· test predictions and hypotheses

· form new predictions and hypotheses

· try alternatives to solve a problem and discuss them with others

· record observations and ideas

· suspend judgment

· test ideas

Explain

To focus students on a particular aspect of their prior stage experiences

This stage provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their conceptual understanding and process skills. This stage may be an opportunity to introduce a concept, process, or skill.

· guide students to explain concepts and definitions in their own words

· ask for justification (evidence) and clarification from students

· formally provide definitions, explanations, and new vocabulary

· use students’ previous experiences as the basis for explaining concepts

· explain possible solutions or answers to other students

· listen critically to and question respectfully other students’ explanations

· listen and try to comprehend explanations offered by the teacher

· refer to previous activities

Elaborate

To challenge and extend students’ conceptual understanding and skills

Through new experiences, students develop deeper and broader understanding, more information, and adequate skills.

· expect students to use learned academic language in a new context

· encourage students to apply the concepts and skills in new situations

· remind students of alternative explanations

· refer students to alternative explanations

· apply new labels, definitions, explanations, and skills in new but connected situations

· use previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions, and design experiments

· draw reasonable conclusions from evidence

· record observations of explanations

Evaluate

To encourage students to assess their understanding and abilities and to provide opportunities for teachers to evaluate student progress

· refer students to existing data and evidence and ask, “What do you already know?” “Why do you
think . . .?”

· observe students as they apply new concepts and skills

· assess students’ knowledge/skills

· look for evidence that students have changed their thinking

· ask students to assess their learning and group process skills

· ask open-ended questions such as “What evidence do you have?” “What do you know about the problem?”

· check for understanding among peers

· answer open-ended questions by using observations, evidence, and previously accepted explanations

· demonstrate an understanding or knowledge of the concept or skill

· evaluate own progress and knowledge

· ask related questions that would encourage future investigations