Inquiry and 5E Instruction Model

What is Inquiry-Based Learning? 

When teaching science to students, a great type of lesson to use is an inquiry-based lesson. Inquiry lessons aren't exactly the same as hands-on experiences nor do they use the scientific method. Inquiry is all about problem solving and critical thinking. When learning in an inquiry-based learning, students go through a process of exploring, by experimenting, or observing, and also solving questions that they have about life or the world around us. This can be achieved by using the 5E instructional model.

What is the 5E Instructional Model? 

The 5 E Instructional Model is a inquiry-based approach provides students with stages of how to problem solve and explore. Students can construct new conclusions and get a better understanding from their experiences by following these steps.

What are the stages of the 5E Instructional Model?

The five stages of the 5E Instructional Model include: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate.

1. Engage: This is the first stage of the 5E Instructional Model. In this stage, students become familiar with the task and make connections from their past experiences. Students ask questions and their curiosity and interest is increased.

2. Explore: This is the second stage of the 5E Instructional Model. In this stage, students get involved with the task by developing an understanding of that topic. Students investigate given materials or their environment. Students should be questioning, creating hypotheses, testing their hypotheses, and drawing conclusions. They also should be communicating with each other by sharing questions and data.

3. Explain: This is the third stage of the 5E Instructional Model. In this stage, students look over and clarify their findings by verbal communication. The students can also display new skills they've learned so far. Teachers can also assist students by providing the students with concepts or definitions.

4. Extend: This is the fourth stage of the 5E Instructional Model. In this stage, students apply what they've learned by making connections to other topics and real-life experiences. They also develop deeper understandings of the topic.

5. Evaluate: This is the fifth stage of the 5E Instructional Model. In this stage, students should be assessed to make sure the objectives of the lesson are met. This stage lets teachers learn what the students understood from the lesson.

This model can be very successful in teaching students new concepts and engaging them in the concepts. After reading the given articles, I can say I got a good understanding of how the 5E Instructional Model works. I can't wait to create an inquiry lesson plan for fieldwork and teach it to the fifth graders!