Scientific Method and the 5-E Learning Cycles

Brett M. Overgaard
American College of Education
Modern Learning and Integrated Science Education: SCI5223
Professor Debbie Huffine
August 7, 2022
 Podcast Here!

Introduction:

In today’s podcast we will be discussing the 5-E model of teaching and learning, sometimes

referred to as the inquiry-based model, as well as the scientific method. We will be comparing and

contrasting the two styles, and talking about which one is the best fit for your STEM classroom. I will also

provide a brief overview of a lesson being taught using both the 5-E model and the scientific method.

The lesson will be the same, but you will be able to see the differences between the two models.

What is the Scientific Method?

According to Merriam-Webster the definition of the Scientific Method is as such, principles and

procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a

problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing

of hypotheses. The scientific method has been used for years, and it is the staple of the local science

fairs that you remember from your childhood. Observe, Question, Hypothesis, Test, Adapt if

necessary. The scientific method is thought of as a Hands-on, Minds-off method, as the students are

relying more on the teacher than their own thinking. During a Scientific Method lesson the teacher is

usually doing the heavy lifting. The teacher is supplying the students with necessary information, and

telling them what to do with it, to see if they can replicate the results. This is not the same as the 5-E

model.

What is the 5-E Model or Inquiry-Based Learning?

The 5-E Model, also known as the inquiry-based model, this means students have ownership of

the topic, presentation format and questions, the students are in charge of their own learning.
According to the Partnership for 21 st Century Skills, Inquiry based learning aims to increase student

engagement through the development of hands-on, minds-on skills. According to Lawson in 2005, the 5-

E instructional model was developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study and was based off

previous learning cycles. The 5-E model is comprised of 5 stages, as the name suggests. The 5 E’s are:

Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Let’s discuss each of those stages a little bit more in depth. First we have the Engagement stage.

During this stage the teacher involves the students in discussions and explores their ideas to uncover

their understandings and misconceptions. According to the article, “Making and the 5E Learning Cycle”

by Rodriguez et al., 2019, a good way to start a maker lesson is to engage students in a writing prompt,

such as “I wish I had…” or “I would love to build…” Using students identities in your maker lessons allows

for the lessons to become more personally meaningful for them. In the engagement stage it is also

crucial for students to make an understanding of the tools they will be using. Give your students time to

explore the tools necessary for the task at hand (Rodriguez et al., 2019).

After the Engagement stage comes Exploration which can be a very hands on, interactive, and

fun stage for students. As Rodriguez et al., discuss this stage is where students ask and answer their own

questions, and the teacher can help model this questioning process for the students at first. During this

stage students design and test out their ideas; mistakes are necessary part of this stage, and it is a low-

stakes environment for students. There are no right or wrong answers here, only learning opportunities.

Students are able to design, test, collect data, and redesign their prototype in this stage. During this

stage, students are working on developing their explanation.

The third stage of the 5E model is, Explanation. During this stage students are describing their

new found understandings, and describing their content or the process of their study. Students are

working on putting their understandings into their own words, this leads to deepening the students

understanding. As Rodriguez et al., say in their 2019 article, the Explanation stage in a maker centered
lesson is usually when students would be presenting their ideas to one another, either in a public

environment or a school fair of some sort. During this stage the teacher should be acting as a facilitator

to student learning. To help facilitate student learning teachers should be providing feedback and

clarification, providing prompts, asking relevant questions, providing academic vocabulary to students’

explanations. This is also a great time for teachers to make formative assessments on students work and

explanations.

Moving on, the fourth stage of the 5E learning cycle is Elaboration. During this stage think of

terms such as development, expansion, growth, and progress. This is where a lot of “learning” happens.

It is during this stage that teachers should be challenging students to expand their knowledge and limits,

and deepen their understanding through new experiences. During this stage of a maker lesson students

would be revisiting their design and making changes or adding new elements. The teacher should help

facilitate the learning in this lesson by asking the students questions, such as: What are the next steps in

your design? How did you make this decision? How does this design reflect the concept we are learning?

(Rodriguez et al., 2019). As with the other stages, this stage will provide ample opportunity for teachers

to collect data for formative assessment of their students.

Bringing up the rear of the 5-E learning cycle is the final stage, Evaluation. In the evaluation

stage the students are given a chance for self-assessment or reflection. Providing students the chance to

reflect on and evaluate their own ideas and the ideas of their classmates is a valuable opportunity for

them to learn (Rodriguez et al., 2019). Rodriguez et al., say that because the 5E model is a learning cycle,

the end of one cycle is also the beginning of the next. So in this stage, gathering students understanding

is helpful in guiding the teacher in the right direction for their next learning cycle. It is important to note

that while evaluation can come in the form of a quiz or a test, it is also beneficial to use the process or

the product that the students created as an assessment as well.

The 5-E model is similar to the scientific method because they are both answering questions.

They are both testing hypothesis’s, though often times the 5-E lesson is focused more on the designing

of a solution. The 5-E model is able to bring in other areas of STEM, whereas the Scientific Method is

focused mostly on the Science.

How are they different from each other?

I would argue that these two models are similar, but also different in their structure. The

Scientific Method is very structured and rigid in its form, it is set to answer one question at a time.

Where as the 5-E learning cycle is more student guided, and it encourages them to ask and answer

multiple questions throughout the process in order to solve real world problems. The scientific method

is using observations to make a generalization or a claim, and then the students create tests or

experiments to reproduce their observation and claim. If they are able to reproduce it then they are able

to confirm their hypothesis. Where as the 5-E model has the students using more creativity to solve

problems. They are constantly questioning, and answering throughout the process, and are able to

revise their thinking throughout the process.

Which one best fits MY classroom learning style?

In MY classroom, I prefer to use the 5-E model of instruction and learning. Allowing students to

explore the content themselves gives them more ownership of their learning. At the beginning of the

school year it is important for me to model my thinking, and especially express my active questioning as

we are working through a lesson. Being scientific is always about exploring your curiosities, and always

looking for answers. I am always excited when students have questions in class, and instead of always
giving them the answer I like to say, “That is a great question, how do you think we could find the

answer?” Or “how do you think we could solve it?” Students love to explore, let their curiosities guide

them using the 5-E model.

Is it possible to integrate both into the classroom? Is it necessary for the students to be familiar with

both?

It is possible to integrate both of these into your science classroom. The scientific method has

historically been a part of science education, and it is weird to think of a science classroom that does not

at least address the scientific method. I believe it is necessary for the students to learn about both the

scientific method and the 5-E model, I am not sure that I would teach the scientific method explicitly in

elementary school, but it should at least be discussed. I feel that the integration of both models would

work well in a secondary science education classroom.

Describe a lesson using the Scientific Method: What areas do learners struggle with? How will this

model help?

A lesson that uses the Scientific Method may be a Shadow Tracker experiment. During this

lesson, the students use a paper plate, a straw, and some modeling clay to create a shadow tracker. The

students go outside with a compass and use the compass to point their shadow tracker in the right

direction. Throughout the day the students will go outside to collect data about their shadow tracker,

for example, how long the shadow was (in centimeters) and in which direction the shadow was pointing,

as well as what time of day they took each recording. Before the students go outside to make their

recording, the teacher would explicitly teach students about the rotation of the Earth on its axis. The

teacher would explain that though it looks like the sun is moving across our sky, it is actually staying in

one place while the Earth is rotating and orbiting around the Sun. After the lesson, students will make a
prediction about the shadows on their shadow tracker. They may suggest that the shadows length will

change throughout the day, but the direction of the shadow will remain the same, because we are not

moving the plates. Students may use previously made observations of shadows to help them with their

hypothesis. They may also look at the shadows of the trees outside to help them create an

understanding of which direction the shadows will point.

This lesson is really only answering one question, which direction to shadows point throughout

the day? It may also answer, does a shadow’s length change throughout the day? The answers are very

similar, and straightforward. The answer can be easily researched online as well. There is not a lot of

room for growth, or creativity in this lesson either. The students do not get to explore, and would be

following very rigid steps in their experiment. Some learners may struggle to create a hypothesis, but

after the teacher’s direct instruction I feel that many of them should be able to come up with a quick

hypothesis.

Describe a lesson using the 5E Model: What areas do learners struggle with? How will this model

help?

To take the same lesson, but now apply the 5-E model can be a little challenging. I like to begin

by thinking, how could I give my students more autonomy? To begin I would give each group a flashlight

and a graduated cylinder to play with in the classroom before we went outside. The students would also

be able to watch a video online of a tree and its shadow changing throughout the day. This would give

the students a better idea of how shadows act throughout the day, and would allow them to design

their shadow tracker to be most effective.

To Engage the students they would be allowed to explore the video online, as well as utilize the

flashlight and graduated cylinder to see how shadows work. After the students have been engaged in
the lesson, they will be able to explore. During the explore stage, students work together in groups of 4-

5 students to create a shadow tracker of their own design. Students will be supplied the materials, and

will be given an example of a shadow tracker used in the past, but they may create their own. The third

stage of the process is Explain, and in this stage the students should have already collected their data

throughout the day, and they are working in their groups to explain the patterns that they have found.

After they have firmed up a group explanation, they begin their fourth stage, elaboration. In this stage,

students begin to compare their findings with other students in the classroom, and provide feedback to

one another about their designs, and their findings. Think of this part as a mini science fair in the

classroom, where you all get to share your findings. Finally, the fifth stage is evaluation. The students

will be evaluated on their final product, their data collection skills, and their process of working as a

group to create and document their shadow tracker.

This method allows the students to be more creative, and gives them more of an opportunity to

take risks, and change their designs or hypothesis as their experiment goes on. Students are not afraid

to take risks in their groups, as they are aware that mistakes are just learning opportunities, and there

are no wrong answers in their learning process.

Which approach better fits this lesson? Why is it a better fit?

In my classroom the 5-E model of this lesson fits better. If I am looking for a quick lesson, mostly

guided by the teacher I will use the Scientific Method, but I firmly believe letting the students guide their

own learning is more powerful for each one individually. The students will see their education as

something more powerful, and will begin to respect their learning more, and seek out more learning

opportunities. Students are less afraid to take risks in the 5-E model, and that is something that I strive

for in my classroom, is risk taking. If students are taking risks that means that they feel comfortable with

the idea that they may not succeed, and that is a huge success in my books.
 Resources:

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. 2015. “Framework for 21st Century Learning.”

http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework.

Rodriguez, S., Allen, K., Harron, J., & Qadri, S. A. (2019). Making and the 5E Learning Cycle. The Science

Teacher, 086(05). https://doi.org/10.2505/4/tst18_086_05_48