this module promote active learning: Students
are involved in more than listening and
Engage
reading. They are developing skills, analyzing
Students come to learning situations with prior
and evaluating evidence, experiencing and
knowledge. This knowledge may or may not
discussing, and talking to their peers about
be congruent with the concepts presented in
their own understandings. Students work
this module. The Engage lesson provides the
collaboratively with others to solve problems
opportunity for teachers to find out what students
and plan investigations. Many students find that
already know or what they think they know
they learn better when they work with others in
about the topic and concepts to be developed.
a collaborative environment than they can when
they work alone in a competitive environment.
The Engage lesson in this module, Lesson 1:
When all this active, collaborative learning
Chemicals, Chemicals, Everywhere, is designed to
is directed toward inquiry science, students
• pique students’ curiosity and generate interest,
succeed in making their own discoveries. They
• determine students’ current understanding
ask questions, observe, analyze, explain, draw
of the concepts of chemicals and routes
conclusions, and ask new questions. These
of exposure,
inquiry experiences include both those that
• invite students to raise their own questions
involve students in direct experimentation and
about chemicals and human health,
those in which students develop explanations
• encourage students to compare their ideas with
through critical and logical thinking.
the ideas of others, and
• allow teachers to assess what students do or do
This view of students as active thinkers who
not understand about the stated outcomes of
construct their own understanding out of
the lesson.
interactions with phenomena, the environment,
and other individuals is based on the theory of
6
Explore
• compare their ideas with what scientists
know and understand about toxicology
In the Explore phase of the module, Lesson 2:
testing and the application of the results to
The Dose Make the Poison, students explore the
human systems.
effect different doses of chemicals have on seed
germination. This lesson provides a common
Elaborate
set of experiences within which students can
compare what they think about what they are
In Elaborate lessons, students apply or extend
observing and experiencing.
the concepts in new situations and relate their
previous experiences to new ones.
During the Explore lesson, students
• interact with materials and ideas during the
In the Elaborate lessons in this module, part of
seed investigation;
Lesson 4: Individual Responses Can Be Different
• consider different ways to solve a problem or
and Lesson 5: What Is the Risk? , students
answer a question;
• make conceptual connections between new
• acquire a common set of experiences with
and former experiences, particularly with
their classmates so they can compare results
respect to the dose of medicine they take and
and ideas;
the effect of the caffeine they drink;
• observe, describe, record, compare, and share
• use what they have learned to explain the
their ideas and experiences; and
acetaminophen mystery and the tragedy that
• express their developing understanding of the
happened in Minamata, Japan;
effects of chemicals on seed germination orally
• connect ideas, solve problems, and apply their
and by making graphs.
understanding in these new situations;
• use scientific terms and descriptions;
Explain
• draw reasonable conclusions from evidence
and data;
The Explain lesson provides opportunities for
• add depth to their understanding of concepts
students to connect their previous experiences
and processes; and
and to begin to make conceptual sense of the
• communicate their understanding to others.
main ideas of the module. This stage also allows
for the introduction of formal language, scientific
Evaluate
terms, and content information that might make
students’ previous experiences easier to describe
The Evaluate lesson is the final stage of the
and explain.
instructional model, but it only provides a
“snapshot” of what the students understand
In the Explain lessons in this module, Lesson
and how far they have come from where they
3: Dose-Response Relationships and Lesson 4:
began. In reality, the evaluation of students’
Individual Responses Can Be Different, students
conceptual understanding and ability to use skills
• explain concepts and ideas about their seed
begins with the Engage lesson and continues
investigations in their own words;
throughout each stage of the model, as described
• listen to and compare others’ explanations of
in the following section. Combined with the
their results with their own;
students’ written work and performance of tasks
• become involved in student-to-student
throughout the module, however, the Evaluate
discourse in which they explain their thinking
lesson can serve as a summative assessment of
to others and debate their ideas;
what students know and can do.
• revise their ideas;
• record their ideas and current understanding;
The Evaluate lesson in this module, Lesson 6:
• use labels, terminology, and formal language to
Environmental Hazards, provides opportunities for
describe dose-response relationships;
students to
• compare their current thinking with what they
• demonstrate what they understand about the
previously thought; and
concepts of toxicology and how well they can
7
Implementing the Module
Chemicals, the Environment, and You
implement the skills of assessing risk and
aligned with the most commonplace instructional
deciding on risk management;
strategies found in U.S. science classrooms (as
• share their current thinking with others;
documented by Weiss et al., 2003). Both groups
• apply their understanding and knowledge of
had the same master teacher.
the relationship between chemicals in the
environment and human health in a unique,
Students taught with the BSCS 5Es and
but related, situation;
an inquiry-based approach demonstrated
• assess their own progress by comparing
significantly higher achievement for a range of
their current understanding with their prior
important learning goals, especially when the
knowledge; and
results were adjusted for variance in pretest
• ask new questions that take them deeper into a
scores. The results were also consistent across
concept or topic area.
time (both immediately after instruction and four
weeks later). Improvements in student learning
To review the relationship of the 5E Instructional
were particularly strong for measures of student
Model to the concepts presented in the module,
reasoning and argumentation. The following
see Table 2.
chart (Table 4) highlights some of the study’s key
findings. The results of the experiment strongly
When a teacher uses the 5E Instructional Model,
support the effectiveness of teaching with the
he or she engages in practices that are very
BSCS 5Es.
different from those of a traditional teacher.
In response, students also participate in their
Evidence also suggests that the BSCS 5Es are
learning in ways that are different from those
effective in changing students’ attitudes on
seen in a traditional classroom. Tables 5 and 6
important issues. In a research study conducted
outline these differences.
during the field test for the NIH curriculum
supplement The Science of Mental Illness (2005),
What’s the Evidence for the
BSCS partnered with researchers at the University
Effectiveness of the BSCS 5E
of Chicago and the National Institute of Mental
Instructional Model?
Health. The study investigated whether a short-
Support from educational research studies for
term educational experience would change
teaching science as inquiry is growing (for
students’ attitudes about mental illness. The results
example, Geier et al., 2008; Hickey et al., 1999;
showed that after completing the curriculum
Lynch et al., 2005; and Minner et al., 2009). A
supplement, students stigmatized mental illness
2007 study, published in the Journal of Research
less than they had beforehand. The decrease in
in Science Teaching (Wilson et al., 2010), is also
stigmatizing attitudes was statistically significant
relevant here.
(Corrigan et al., 2007; Watson et al., 2004).
In 2007, with funding from NIH, BSCS conducted
How Does the Module Support
a randomized, controlled trial to assess the
Ongoing Assessment?
effectiveness of the BSCS 5Es. The study used an
Because teachers will use this module in a
adaptation of the NIH supplement Sleep, Sleep
variety of ways and at a variety of points in their
Disorders, and Biological Rhythms, developed by
curriculum, the most appropriate mechanism
BSCS in 2003. Sixty high school students and
for assessing student learning is one that occurs
one teacher participated. The students were
informally at various points within the six
randomly assigned to the experimental or the
lessons, rather than something that happens
control group. In the experimental group, the
more formally just once at the end of the module.
teacher used a version of the sleep supplement
Accordingly, integrated within the six lessons in
that was very closely aligned with the theoretical
the module are specific assessment components.
underpinnings of the BSCS 5Es. For the control
These embedded assessment opportunities
group, the teacher used a set of lessons based on
include one or more of the following strategies:
the science content of the sleep supplement but
8
Table 4. Differences in performance of students receiving inquiry-based and commonplace instructional approaches.
Mean for
Mean for
Students
Students
Measure
Receiving
Receiving
Effect Size
Commonplace
Inquiry-Based
Teaching
Teaching
Total test score pretest (out of 74)
31.11
29.23
Not applicable
Total test score posttest
42.87
47.12
0.47
Reasoning pretest (fraction of responses at
0.04
0.03
Not applicable
the highest level)
Reasoning posttest
0.14
0.27
0.68
Score for articulating a claim (out of 3)
1.58
1.84
0.58
Score for using evidence in an explanation
1.67
2.01
0.74
(out of 3)
Score for using reasoning in an explanation
1.57
1.89
0.59
(out of 3)
Source: Wilson, C.D., et al. 2010. The relative effects and equity of inquiry-based and commonplace science teaching on students’
knowledge, reasoning, and argumentation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(3), 276−301.
Note: Effect size is a convenient way of quantifying the amount of difference between two treatments. This study used the standardized mean difference (the difference in the means divided by the standard deviation, also known as Cohen’s d ). The posttest scores controlled for the variance in students’ pretest scores. The reasoning posttest scores controlled for variance in students’ reasoning pretest scores at the highest level.
• performance-based activities (for example,
How Can Teachers Promote Safety
developing graphs or participating in a
in the Science Classroom?
discussion of risk assessment);
Even simple science demonstrations and
• oral presentations to the class (for example,
investigations can be hazardous unless teachers
presenting experimental results); and
and students know and follow safety precautions.
• written assignments (for example, answering
Teachers are responsible for providing students
questions or writing about demonstrations).
with active instruction concerning their conduct
and safety in the classroom: Posting rules in
These strategies allow the teacher to assess
a classroom is not enough. They also need to
a variety of aspects of the learning process,
provide adequate supervision and advance
such as students’ prior knowledge and current
warning if there are dangers involved in the
understanding, problem-solving and critical-
science investigation. By maintaining equipment
thinking skills, level of understanding of new
in proper working order, teachers ensure a safe
information, communication skills, and ability
environment for students.
to synthesize ideas and apply understanding to a
new situation.
The following are important ways to implement
and maintain a safety program.
An assessment icon and an annotation that
• Provide eye protection for students,
describes the aspect of learning teachers can
teachers, and visitors. Require that everyone
assess appear in the margin beside the step in
participating wear regulation goggles in any
which each embedded assessment occurs.
9
Implementing the Module
Chemicals, the Environment, and You
Table 5. The key components of the BSCS 5E Model: What the teacher does.
What the teacher does that is
What the teacher does that is
Phase
consistent with the 5E Model
inconsistent with the 5E Model
Engage
• Piques students’ curiosity and generates interest
• Introduces vocabulary
• Determines students’ current understanding (prior • Explains concepts knowledge) of a concept or idea
• Provides definitions and
• Invites students to express what they think
answers
• Invites students to raise their own questions
• Provides closure
• Discourages students’ ideas
and questions
Explore
• Encourages student-to-student interaction
• Provides answers
• Observes and listens to the students as they
• Proceeds too rapidly for
interact
students to make sense of
• Asks probing questions to redirect the students’
their experiences
investigations when necessary
• Provides closure
• Asks questions to help students make sense of
• Tells the students that they
their experiences
are wrong
• Provides time for students to puzzle through
• Gives information and facts
problems
that solve the problem
• Leads the students step-by-
step to a solution
Explain
• Encourages students to use their common
• Neglects to solicit students’
experiences and data from the Engage and
explanations
Explore lessons to develop explanations
• Ignores data and information
• Asks questions that help students express
students gathered from
understanding and explanations
previous lessons
• Requests justification (evidence) for
• Dismisses students’ ideas
students’explanations
• Accepts explanations that are
• Provides time for students to compare their
not supported by evidence
ideas with those of others and perhaps to revise
• Introduces unrelated concepts
their thinking
or skills
• Introduces terminology and alternative
explanations after students express their ideas
Elaborate
• Focuses students’ attention on conceptual
• Neglects to help students
connections between new and former experiences
connect new and former
• Encourages students to use what they have
experiences
learned to explain a new event or idea
• Provides definitive answers
• Reinforces students’ use of scientific terms and
• Tells the students that they
descriptions previously introduced
are wrong
• Asks questions that help students draw reasonable • Leads students step-by-step to conclusions from evidence and data
a solution
Evaluate
• Observes and records as students demonstrate
• Tests vocabulary words, terms,
their understanding of concept(s) and
and isolated facts
performance of skills
• Introduces new ideas or
• Provides time for students to compare their
concepts
ideas with those of others and perhaps to revise
• Creates ambiguity
their thinking
• Promotes open-ended
• Interviews students as a means of assessing their
discussion unrelated to the
developing understanding
concept or skill
• Encourages students to assess their own progress
10
Table 6. The key components of the BSCS 5E Model: What the students do.
What the students do that is
What the students do that is
Phase
consistent with the 5E Model
inconsistent with the 5E Model
Engage
• Become interested in and curious about the
• Ask for the “right” answer
concept/topic
• Offer the “right” answer
• Express current understanding of a concept
• Insist on answers or explanations
or idea
• Seek closure
• Raise questions such as, What do I already
know about this? What do I want to know
about this? How could I find out?
Explore
• “Mess around” with materials and ideas
• Let others do the thinking and
• Conduct investigations in which they
exploring (passive involvement)
observe, describe, and record data
• Work quietly with little or no
• Try different ways to solve a problem or
interaction with others (only
answer a question
appropriate when exploring ideas
• Acquire a common set of experiences so they
or feelings)
can compare results and ideas
• Stop with one solution
• Compare their ideas with those of others
• Demand or seek closure
Explain
• Explain concepts and ideas in their own
• Propose explanations from “thin
words
air” with no relationship to
• Base their explanations on evidence acquired
previous experiences
during previous investigations
• Bring up irrelevant experiences
• Become involved in student-to-student
and examples
conversations in which they debate their
• Accept explanations without
ideas
justification
• Record their ideas and current understanding • Ignore or dismiss other plausible
• Reflect on and perhaps revise their ideas
explanations
• Express their ideas using appropriate
• Propose explanations without
scientific language
evidence to support their ideas
• Compare their ideas with what scientists
know and understand
Elaborate
• Make conceptual connections between new
• Ignore previous information or
and former experiences
evidence
• Use what they have learned to explain a new • Draw conclusions from “thin air”
object, event, organism, or idea
• Use terminology inappropriately
• Use scientific terms and descriptions
and without understanding
• Draw reasonable conclusions from evidence
and data
• Communicate their understanding to others
Evaluate
• Demonstrate what they understand about
• Disregard evidence or previously
the concept(s) and how well they can
accepted explanations in drawing
implement a skill
conclusions
• Compare their current thinking with that of
• Offer only yes-or-no answers
others and perhaps revise their ideas
or memorized definitions or
• Assess their own progress by comparing
explanations as answers
their current understanding with their prior