One question I often get asked by other science teachers is "Do you have a presentation to go with the notes?". And, many are often stunned when I say "I don't use presentations." I use guided reading articles and other exploration activities for teaching students concepts. That's right, I don't use presentations or lectures. You can even use guided reading articles for every E of the 5E model. Keep reading to learn more about how you can use guided reading articles in the science classroom and ditch the presentations.
But, first...
What is the 5E model?
The 5 E model is a pattern for teaching and learning you can use in your science (or other subject) classroom. There are five steps of the model: Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. This model is perfect for teaching big ideas or chunks of information to your students.
What is a guided reading purpose?
Guided reading articles are informational texts about a concept or standard with accompanying questions or tasks to complete to as the student reads.
Use Guided Reading Articles to Engage Students
When using the 5E model, first, we want to engage our students in the lesson. In other words, we want to grab their attention and get them interested in what they're about to learn. If they're engaged, they'll want to learn more, right? Present a scientific phenomenon or question to consider. Furthermore, connect the big idea to a real-life experience. For example, to begin our mini-unit on protein synthesis in high school biology, we perform a traits inventory. The students gather information about unique traits such as their ability or inability to roll their tongue. Next, we discuss the concept of traits. Eventually, I lead the students to an understanding that our cells carry out a process called protein synthesis to determine our traits. Now, we're ready to use the article for exploration!
Use Guided Reading Articles for Exploration
In the exploration step of the 5E model, students gather information through research or investigation. When you allow students to explore, you provide them with the chance to gain the information first (before you tell them the information). With guided reading articles, students read informational text to gather information about a particular topic. As they read, they complete tasks such as highlighting or coding specific vocabulary, recording answers to questions designed to guide students in acquiring essential information, or guided reading word work. Next, you can use the tasks and answers to questions to explain the concept with no presentation needed.
Use Guided Reading Articles for Explanation
Picture a teacher explaining a concept. Most of us would visualize a teacher standing in front of some type of board sharing information from a presentation with students copying notes on notebook paper or filling in blanks on some handout given to them by the teacher. I see explanation differently. In my science classroom, we simply use the exploration activity or guided reading group activities for explanation. If that exploration was an investigation, we discuss the investigation. We discuss the research, if that exploration was research. If we read a guided reading article, we discuss the tasks or the answers to the questions. Viola, they have the information plus notes to go in their notebook. I like to give the students options for differentiation and to meet individual student needs. For their notes, many choose the highlighted article. Some prefer to write and will choose the answers to the questions from the article as their notes. Now that the students have obtained the information, we simply provide them with an opportunity or learning experience to use the information.
Use Guided Reading Articles for Elaboration
For elaboration, students now apply their knowledge to a new situation or context. For this step of the 5E model, the students can take what they have learned and build something or create something using the information. Let's suppose after completing a traits inventory, the students read an article about protein synthesis. They learned about the various steps, where those steps take place in the cell, and more. To elaborate, the students could apply that information in an activity where they transcribe and translate traits of an organism. Here are a few of my favorite ones:
Use Guided Reading Articles for Evaluation
Finally, connect it all and have the students show you what they have learned in some type of evaluation. You could use similar questions or tasks to show understanding as the guided ones from the article. Or, try giving them 3 minutes of sustained silent writing to write about anything they've learned. Ask them to remain quiet and to continue writing for the entire three minutes (without picking up their pencil). Whatever your method of assessment, no presentation is needed for it or any of the other steps of the 5E model. Ditch the presentation and use guided reading articles for teaching science!
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