The Engage lesson in this module, Lesson 1—
is directed toward inquiry science, students
The Brain: What’s Going On in There? , is designed to
succeed in making their own discoveries. They
• pique students’ curiosity and generate interest,
ask questions, observe, analyze, explain, draw
• initiate students’ thinking about the function
conclusions, and ask new questions. These
of the brain,
inquiry experiences include both those that
• encourage students to compare their ideas with
involve students in direct experimentation and
the ideas of others, and
those in which students develop explanations
• allow teachers to assess what students do or do
through critical and logical thinking.
not understand about the stated outcomes of
the lesson.
This view of students as active thinkers who
construct their own understanding out of
Explore
interactions with phenomena, the environment,
In the Explore phase of the module, Lesson 1—
and other individuals is based on the theory
The Brain: What’s Going On in There? and
of constructivism. A constructivist view of
Lesson 2— Neurons, Brain Chemistry, and
learning recognizes that students need time to
Neurotransmission, students explore the func-
• express their current thinking;
tion of the brain both as a body organ and as
• interact with objects, organisms, substances,
a collection of interacting cells. The lessons
and equipment to develop a range of
provide a common set of experiences within
experiences on which to base their thinking;
which students can compare their thoughts
• reflect on their thinking by writing and
about what they are observing and experiencing.
expressing themselves and comparing what
they think with what others think; and
During the Explore phase of the lessons, students
• make connections between their learning
• use their skills of observation, logic, and
experiences and the real world.
deduction to gain an understanding of the
process by which neurons relay information;
This module provides a built-in structure for
• acquire a common set of experiences with
creating a constructivist classroom: the BSCS 5E
their classmates so they can compare results
Instructional Model. This model sequences the
and ideas; and
learning experiences so that students have the
• observe, describe, record, compare, and share
opportunity to construct their understanding of
their ideas and experiences.
a concept over time. The model leads students
through five phases of learning that are easily
Explain
described using five words that begin with the
The Explain components of Lesson 2— Neurons,
letter “E”: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate,
Brain Chemistry, and Neurotransmission and
and Evaluate. The following paragraphs illustrate
Lesson 3— Drugs Change the Way Neurons
how the 5Es are implemented across the lessons
Communicate provide opportunities for students
in this module.
to connect their previous experiences and to
6
begin to make conceptual sense of the main
Evaluate
ideas of the module. This stage also allows for
The Evaluate lesson is the final stage of the
the introduction of formal language, scientific
instructional model, but it provides only a
terms, and content information that might make
“snapshot” of what the students understand
students’ previous experiences easier to describe
and how far they have come from where they
and explain.
began. In reality, the evaluation of students’
conceptual understanding and ability to use skills
In the Explain lessons in this module, students
begins with the Engage lesson and continues
• explain concepts and ideas about neuro-
throughout each stage of the model, as described
transmission;
in the following section. Combined with the
• incorporate the correct scientific terminology
students’ written work and performance of tasks
into their explanations;
throughout the module, however, the Evaluate
• add new information about the actions of drugs
lesson can serve as a summative assessment of
to their understanding of neurotransmission;
what students know and can do.
• revise their ideas;
• compare their current thinking with what they
The Evaluate lesson in this module, Lesson 5,
previously thought;
Drug Addiction Is a Disease—So What Do We Do
• listen to and compare others’ explanations of
about It? , provides opportunities for students to
their results with their own; and
• demonstrate what they understand about the
• become involved in student-to-student
function of the brain and the effects of drugs
discourse in which they explain their
on that function;
thinking to others and debate their ideas.
• integrate information from the previous
lessons to form a deeper understanding of
Elaborate
both neurobiology and drug abuse;
In Elaborate lessons, students apply or extend
• assess their own progress by comparing
the concepts in new situations and relate their
their current understanding with their
previous experiences to new ones.
prior knowledge;
• apply their knowledge to situations in the
In the Elaborate lessons in this module,
real world; and
parts of Lessons 3 and 4, Drug Abuse and
• ask new questions that take them deeper
Addiction, students
into a concept or topic area.
• add information about the effects of
drugs to increase their understanding of
To review the relationship of the BSCS 5E
neurotransmission;
Instructional Model to the concepts presented in
• consider the factors, including physical,
the module, see the chart Conceptual Flow of the
environmental, and social, that influence
Lessons, on page 3.
the outcome of an individual’s drug abuse;
• connect ideas, solve problems, and apply
When a teacher uses the BSCS 5E Instructional
their understanding in these new situations;
Model, he or she engages in practices that are
• draw reasonable conclusions from evidence
very different from those of a traditional teacher.
and data;
In response, students also participate in their
• add depth to their understanding of concepts
learning in ways that are different from those
and processes; and
seen in a traditional classroom. The charts What
• communicate their understanding to others.
the Teacher Does and What the Students Do, on
pages 8 and 9, outline those differences.
7
Implementing the Module
The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction
What the Teacher Does
Stage
That is consistent with
That is inconsistent with
the BSCS 5E Instructional Model
the BSCS 5E Instructional Model
Engage
• Piques students’ curiosity and generates
• Introduces vocabulary
interest
• Explains concepts
• Determines students’ current understanding • Provides definitions and answers
(prior knowledge) of a concept or idea
• Provides closure
• Invites students to express what they think
• Discourages students’ ideas and
• Invites students to raise their own questions
questions
Explore
• Encourages student-to-student interaction
• Provides answers
• Observes and listens to the students as
• Proceeds too rapidly for students to
they interact
make sense of their experiences
• Asks probing questions to redirect the
• Provides closure
students’ investigations when necessary
• Tells the students that they are wrong
• Asks questions to help students make sense • Gives information and facts that solve
of their experiences
the problem
• Provides time for students to puzzle
• Leads the students step-by-step to
through problems
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 students
• Asks questions that help students express
gathered from previous lessons
understanding and explanations
• Dismisses students’ ideas
• Requests justification (evidence) for
• Accepts explanations that are not
students’ explanations
supported by evidence
• Provides time for students to compare their • Introduces unrelated concepts or skills
ideas with those of others and perhaps to
revise their thinking
• Introduces terminology and alternative
explanations after students express
their ideas
Elaborate • Focuses students’ attention on conceptual
• Neglects to help students connect
connections between new and former
new and former experiences
experiences
• Provides definitive answers
• Encourages students to use what they have • Tells students that they are wrong
learned to explain a new event or idea
• Leads students step-by-step to
• Reinforces students’ use of scientific terms
a solution
and descriptions previously introduced
• Asks questions that help students draw
reasonable conclusions from evidence
and data
Evaluate
• Observes and records as students
• Tests vocabulary words, terms, and
demonstrate their understanding of
isolated facts
concept(s) and performance of skills
• Introduces new ideas or concepts
• Provides time for students to compare their • Creates ambiguity
ideas with those of others and perhaps to
• Promotes open-ended discussion
revise their thinking
unrelated to the concept or skill
• Interviews students as a means of assessing
their developing understanding
• Encourages students to assess their
own progress
8
What the Students Do
Stage
That is consistent with
That is inconsistent with
the BSCS 5E Instructional Model
the BSCS 5E Instructional Model
Engage
• Become interested in and curious about the • Ask for the “right” answer
concept or 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
interaction with others (only
or answer a question
appropriate when exploring
• Acquire a common set of experiences
ideas or feelings)
so they 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
• Propose explanations from
own words
“thin air” with no relationship
• Base their explanations on evidence
to previous experiences
acquired during previous investigations
• Bring up irrelevant experiences
• Become involved in student-to-student
and examples
conversations in which they debate
• Accept explanations without
their ideas
justification
• Record their ideas and current
• Ignore or dismiss other plausible
understanding
explanations
• Reflect on and perhaps revise their ideas
• Propose explanations without
• Express their ideas using appropriate
evidence to support their ideas
scientific language
• Compare their ideas with what scientists
know and understand
Elaborate • Make conceptual connections between new • Ignore previous information
and former experiences
or evidence
• Use what they have learned to explain a
• Draw conclusions from “thin air”
new 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
• Offer only yes-or-no answers or
of others and perhaps revise their ideas
memorized definitions or explanations
• Assess their own progress by comparing
as answers
their current understanding with their
• Fail to express satisfactory
prior knowledge
explanations in their own words
• Ask new questions that take them deeper
• Introduce new, irrelevant topics
into a concept or topic area
9
Implementing the Module
The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction
How Does the Module Support
system must provide opportunities for students
Ongoing Assessment?
to learn to deal with contentious issues with
Because teachers will use this module in a
civility, objectivity, and fairness. Likewise,
variety of ways and at a variety of points in their
students need to learn that science intersects
curriculum, the most appropriate mechanism
with life in many ways.
for assessing student learning is one that occurs
informally at various points within the five
In this module, students have a variety of
lessons, rather than something that happens
opportunities to discuss, interpret, and evaluate
more formally just once at the end of the module.
basic science and health issues, some in the light
Accordingly, integrated within the lessons are
of values and ethics. As students encounter issues
specific assessment components. These embedded
about which they feel strongly, some discussions
assessment opportunities include one or more of
might become controversial. How much controversy
the following strategies:
develops will depend on many factors, such as
• performance-based activities, such as
how similar the students are with respect to
participating in discussions of how drugs affect
socioeconomic status, perspectives, value
brain function or constructing graphs;
systems, and religious preferences. In addition,
• oral presentation to the class, such as
the language and attitude of the teacher factor
explaining analysis of data; and
into the flow of ideas and the quality of
• written assignments, such as answering
exchange among the students.
questions or writing about demonstrations.
The following guidelines may help teachers
These strategies allow the teacher to assess
facilitate discussions that balance factual
a variety of aspects of the learning process,
information with feelings.
such as students’ prior knowledge and current
• Remain neutral. Neutrality may be the single
understanding, problem-solving and critical-
most important characteristic of a successful
thinking skills, level of understanding of new
discussion facilitator.
information, communication skills, and ability
• Encourage students to discover as much
to synthesize ideas and apply understanding to a
information about the issue as possible.
new situation.
• Keep the discussion relevant and moving
forward by questioning or posing appropriate
An assessment icon and an
problems or hypothetical situations. Encourage
annotation that describes the aspect
everyone to contribute, but do not force
of learning being assessed appear
reluctant students into the discussion.
in the margin beside each step that
• Emphasize that everyone must be open to
includes an embedded assessment.
hearing and considering diverse views.
• Use unbiased questioning to help the students
How Can Controversial Topics Be
critically examine all views presented.
Handled in the Classroom?
• Allow for the discussion of all feelings
Teachers sometimes feel that the discussion of
and opinions.
values is inappropriate in the science classroom
• Avoid seeking consensus on all issues.
or that it detracts from the learning of “real”
The multifaceted issues that the students
science. The lessons in this module, however,
discuss result in the presentation of
are based on the conviction that there is much
divergent views, and students should
to be gained by involving students in analyzing
learn that this is acceptable.
issues of science, technology, and society.
• Acknowledge all contributions in the same
Society expects all citizens to participate in
evenhanded manner. If a student seems to
the democratic process, and our educational
be saying something for its shock value,
10
see whether other students recognize the
• Respect silence. Reflective discussions are
inappropriate comment and invite them
often slow. If a teacher breaks the silence,
to respond.
students may allow the teacher to dominate
• Create a sense of freedom in the classroom.
the discussion.
Remind students, however, that freedom
• At the end of the discussion, ask the students
implies the responsibility to exercise that
to summarize the points that they and their
freedom in ways that generate positive
classmates have made. Respect students
results for all.
regardless of their opinion about any
• Insist upon a nonhostile environment in the
controversial issue.
classroom. Remind students to respond to
ideas instead of to the individuals presenting
those ideas.
11
Implementing the Module
Using the Web Site
The Web component of The Brain: Understanding Getting the Most Out of the Web Site
Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction is
Before you use this or any other piece of
a wonderful tool that can help you organize
instructional software in your classroom, it
your use of the module, engage student interest
may be valuable to identify some of the benefits
in learning, and orchestrate and individualize
you expect software to provide. Well-designed
instruction. The site features simulations and
instructional multimedia software can
illustrations that articulate with the lessons.
• motivate students by helping them enjoy
learning—students want to learn more when
Hardware and Software Requirements
content that otherwise might be uninteresting
The site can be accessed from Apple Macintosh
is enlivened;
and IBM-compatible personal computers. Links
• offer unique instructional capabilities that
for downloading the Adobe Flash plug-in are
allow students to explore topics in greater
provided on the Web site’s Getting Started page.
depth—technology offers experiences that are
This plug-in is required for the activities to function
closer to actual life than print-based media
properly. The recommended hardware and
offer;
software requirements for using the site are
• support you in experimenting with new
listed below.
instructional approaches that allow students
to work independently or in small groups—
Recommended Setup
technology gives teachers increased credibility
• Pentium class IBM compatible running
among today’s technology-literate students; and
Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or higher,
• increase your productivity—technology helps
with at least 256 MB RAM
teachers with assessment, record keeping, and
• G4 Macintosh running Mac OS 10.4 or higher,
classroom planning and management.
with at least 512 MB RAM
• Screen resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels
The ideal use of the Web site requires one
or higher
com