Science Inquiry Using the 5E Model (K-6)

The advent of the 21st century science standards has virtually changed how science is taught and subsequently learned, and the 5E model of science instruction has been proven to stimulate students’ curiosity through an inquiry-based approach to learning. This online course is designed for K-6 teachers who wish to explore how to develop their students’ deep critical-thinking skills through an inquiry approach to teaching called the 5Es. After being introduced to the 5E model of scientific inquiry, teachers will take a deep dive through each of the five phases — engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Teachers will learn a variety of engaging instructional techniques and activities that are designed to encourage student exploration and stimulate students’ metacognitive skills. Teachers will learn a variety of strategies to elicit and develop students’ explanations of natural phenomena, including how to weave specific technology components into each phase of their 5E lessons so that students are further engaged in scientific inquiry. At the end of this course, teachers will be able to use the 5E instructional model to design and differentiate their science lessons and units so that the inquiry process becomes student-led, collaborative, and metacognitive.