What is the BSCS 5E Instructional Model?
Many of BSCS’s programs use an instructional model characterized by the 5 Es: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate. Each E represents part of the process of helping students sequence their learning experiences to construct their understanding of concepts. First, students are engaged by an event or question related to the concept that the teacher plans to introduce. Then the students participate in one or more activities to explore the concept. This exploration provides students with a common set of experiences from which they can initiate the development of their understanding. In the explain phase, the teacher clarifies the concept and defines relevant vocabulary. Then the students elaborate and build on their understanding of the concept by applying it to new situations. Finally, the students complete activities that will help them and the teacher evaluate their understanding of the concept. This 5-E model is based on a constructivist philosophy of learning (Trowbridge &
