Science Instruction Using the 5E Method

This workshop equips educators with practical strategies to implement the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate—aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Teachers learn how to design lessons that center on phenomena, student inquiry, and sensemaking, ensuring students construct understanding through active participation. The session emphasizes addressing misconceptions, scaffolding learning, and integrating authentic investigations to promote deep conceptual understanding. Participants also explore NGSS-aligned assessments that prioritize application, problem-solving, and evidence-based reasoning.

‍

• Overreliance on rote teaching methods that prioritize memorization over inquiry and sensemaking.
  
  
• Student misconceptions left unaddressed, limiting deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
  
  
• Lack of structured instructional models that integrate NGSS practices with engaging, student-centered learning experiences.

1. Implementing the 5E Model for Inquiry: Educators will learn how to design and facilitate lessons using the 5E cycle to spark curiosity, promote exploration, and guide students toward evidence-based explanations and applications.
   
   
2. Addressing Misconceptions and Supporting Sensemaking: Teachers will develop strategies to identify and clarify common student misconceptions, using questioning, scaffolding, and driving phenomena-based questions to foster deeper understanding.
   
   
3. Designing NGSS-Aligned Investigations and Assessments: Participants will practice creating investigations and authentic assessments—such as projects, portfolios, and open-ended tasks—that measure student application of scientific practices and crosscutting concepts, rather than simple recall