The

Lab Report K-12 Science Newsletter | Vol. III Issue I

Nearly 60 years ago, a 184-pound metal ball changed the face of science education in the United States.

The ball, known as Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union on Oct. 4, 1957. Shortly after, critics began accusing the U.S. of falling behind the Soviets in science and technology education and funding quickly became available to research effective teaching strategies.

One of the results was the 5E Instructional Model of Learning. Because this model has been extensively researched and highly tested, decades later, it is

Implementing the 5E Model in Curriculum

Continued on Page 2

What does “Engage” look like in Whitnall schools? The 5E model is applicable to all grade levels and the K-12 Science Team continues to develop, assess, and revise units of study that provide Whitnall students with meaningful science experiences.

Middle school teachers Jay Gullickson and Ashley Annachinno got students engaged in a unit on forces and motion by showing them this video clip. Were they watching a record-setting water slide jump or a hoax? Using marble launchers, students were challenged to design an investigation to make sense of force, mass, and acceleration and the affect they have on an object’s motion. In the end, students were able to draw conclusions about the validity of the water slide jump.

What Does “Engage” Look Like in Whitnall Schools?

considered to be a valid and reliable instructional method.

The 5E Model assists students in constructing their own understanding of scientific phenomena as they make their way through five steps: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. All of the steps are intentionally named with verbs to emphasize the importance of students active participation in the classroom.

This year, The Lab Report will focus on each step of the 5E Instructional Model beginning with “Engage.” The table explains the role of students and teachers.

5E Instructional Model for SciencePhase

Engage

What the Teacher Does What the Student Does• Asks questions• Makes connections with prior experiences• Identifies problem to be solved or

question to be answered

• Provide a high interest experience to prompt curiosity

• Activates and assess students’ prior knowledge• Poses problems and issues challenges

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School Forest Update

“Engage” continued from Page 1

First grade Hales Corners Elementary teachers brought their students to the Whitnall School Forest. This high-interest experience provided many opportunities for students to ask a variety of questions about the forest ecosystem which they wrote about as part of an English Language Arts small moments writing activity.

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Can you know about something without being able to see it? That’s what the WHS chemistry teachers asked their students. Using an ob-scertainer, students were challenged with the task of determining the pattern inside a closed container. The overall purpose was to introduce students to the idea of a scientific model and how it is revised over time.

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Students and staff continue to work together to manage the invasive species and upgrade trails and seating so the community can make use of this school district jewel.

WHS seniors (pictured to the far right) were not afraid of a little after-school volunteer work when they carry out the final chores before winter.

And 25 staff members (top) worked after school to cut down unhealthy or unproductive trees and then used them to build benches and bridges. Additionally, the area along 116th street was cleared of invasives and Songbird Trail was extended.

Although the work is hard and never ends, the reward is immeasurable as students of all ages, such as Edgerton Elementary students on a scavenger hunt (bottom), learn about and enjoy the forest.