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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning

Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards

THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE LEARNING

Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.

When these concepts, such as "cause and effect", are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by "inquiry" in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

More about 3D Learning

GET TO KNOW

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 science content standards. Standards set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The NGSS were developed by states to improve science education for all students.

A goal for developing the NGSS was to create a set of research-based, up-to-date K-12 science standards. These standards give local educators the flexibility to design classroom learning experiences that stimulate students' interests in science and prepares them for college, careers, and citizenship.

Get to Know the Standards

IMPLEMENT

The NGSS call for a three-dimensional approach to K-12 science instruction. This represents a significant transition from previous state standards. That's why effective implementation demands a great deal of collaboration and patience among states, districts, schools, teachers, and students.

Thoughtful and coordinated approaches to implementation will enable educators to inspire future generations of scientifically literate students. That is the vision of the NGSS. This website provides a range of high-quality resources that empower educators, administrators, parents, and the general public to help bring this vision to life.

Find Tools and Resources

WHY

Science-and therefore science education-is central to the lives of all Americans.

A high-quality science education means that students will develop an in-depth understanding of content and develop key skills-communication, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, and flexibility-that will serve them throughout their educational and professional lives.

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Home Page | Next Generation Science Standards

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Improving Science Education Through Three-Dimensional Learning Quick Search Next Generation Science Standards Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard-or performance expectation-and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.

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Introduce your students to the wonders of science and nature with affordable books filled with simple science experiments, coloring pages about environmental issues and recycling, fascinating facts about human anatomy, and more.

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Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12

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NSTA, in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council, is pleased to announce the list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students. Representing the best science trade books published in 2025 for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the books featured on the list include captivating stories, compelling characters, and beautiful illustrations.

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A Framework for K-12 Science Education , the Next Generation Science Standards promote a three-dimensional approach to classroom instruction that is student-centered and progresses coherently from grades K-12.

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Founded on the groundbreaking report A Framework for K-12 Science Education, the Next Generation Science Standards promote a three-dimensional approach to classroom instruction that is student-centered and progresses coherently from grades K-12.

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In our last blog post on NGSS challenges, we discussed some of the issues facing teachers trying to implement NGSS in the classroom.

In this post, teachers will find three primary groups of NGSS resources to help them in the classroom. Two groups focus on those classroom resources with lesson plans and those without. The third group offers teacher tutorials to help educators deliver an NGSS curriculum.

These curated resources work with Legends of Learning's 90 lessons, 800 games, and thousands of assessment items based on NGSS and state standards. In addition, our Earth and Space lessons also have lesson plans. Check them out today!

And with that, please find the NGSS resources below.

Resources with Lesson Plans

1) eGFI: Engineering Go For It (eGFI) offers a wide variety of lesson plans for middle school science. These lessons help teachers meet the required science and engineering practices (SEP) aspect of NGSS implementation.

2) NGSS on the NSTA Site: Is it crazy to think that the curator of the NGSS standards would also have a great series of NGSS resources, too? Of course not. The NSTA provides an excellent source of lesson plans and content for their classrooms.

3) OpenEd: It will take some sifting, but OpenEd has an incredible amount of NGSS-aligned lesson plans, quizzes, homework assignments, videos, and games. Most of the content covers the DCI (Disciplinary Core Ideas) as well as crosscutting concepts (CCC). Search away!

4) PBS Learning Media: Like GLOBE (below), PBS Learning Media offers plenty of content in a wide variety of formats, from video to traditional documents and everything in between. The search feature allows you to sift through the content by topic or standard, and even find lesson plans. Enjoy this great series of NGSS resources!

5) Q?rius from the Smithsonian: The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History offers Q?rius resources for teachers seeking to bring the Smithsonian into their classroom. Q?rius delivers 30 Earth and Life Science topics, all of which include printable lessons.

Resources without Lesson Plans

6) The GLOBE Program: This resource provides content based on education standards from across the world, with a focus on the National Science Education Standards in the United States. While NGSS was not the focal point for the United States, GLOBE does focus on data collection and the scientific process, which meets the SEP component of the NGSS. You will need to use Teacher's Guide search to find NGSS compliant content, but there is plenty to find.

7)SERC K-8 Activities: The ultimate curated source of SERC activities, this site gives teachers access to hundreds of Earth and Space, Life, and Physical Science tools. You will find classroom activities, field activities, lab activities and more here.

8) Science Snacks: Science Snacks from the Exploratorium Teacher Institute offer a wide variety of hands-on science activities based on museum exhibits. A (linked) guide helps teachers align the activities to the NGSS standard set they are working on.

9) Sophia for Teachers: This site offers a series of NGSS lesson content, usually a video or written tutorial followed by a quiz. The library of NGSS content is far from complete here, but you can find some good complimentary resources.

10) Understanding Science: Offered by UC Berkeley, Understanding Science offers a group of 18 science sources for middle school. Content ranges from classroom resources, field resources, videos, and articles.

Teacher Tutorials

11) Bozeman: If you like video tutorials, this site is for you. Featuring Hamish Todd, the Bozeman site offers short tutorials for teachers to help them implement individual lessons as well as SEPs and CCCs. Check it out!

12) A Framework for K-12 Science Education: This book presents the logic behind the implementation of NGSS. It is a useful read for teachers trying to understand the new standards.

13) Inquiry-Based Learning Tutorial: If you are looking to expand beyond content and want to incorporate the scientific inquiry aspect of SEP into your classroom, then check out this video tutorial from the Ontario Science Centre. Find the first of four videos below!

14) Teaching the Next Generation's Science: Created by the Lewis Center's Academy for Academic Excellence, this online tutorial seeks to help teachers understand the NGSS.

Legends of Learning also maintains a Pinterest Board filled with NGSS resources. Follow it to be updated when we add something new!

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14 NGSS Teaching Resources for the Classroom - Legends of Learning

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In our last blog post on NGSS challenges, we discussed some of the issues facing teachers trying to implement NGSS in the classroom. In this post, teachers will find three primary groups of NGSS resources to help them in the classroom. Two groups focus on those classroom resources with lesson plans and those without.

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In this lesson, students pop open their notebooks and get them ready for the year. Students will take time to insert a Table of Contents, number the pages, and complete their first reflective entry.

Students draw their idea of "a scientist doing science."

What makes a good scientific sketch? You can teach this lesson even if you think you can't draw!

Use "windowpanes" to take stock of materials at the beginning of an investigative unit.

Appropriate for: Kindergarten - 12th Grade

Activity Time: 45 minutes

Subjects: Obtaining & Evaluating Information, Planning Investigations, Science Notebooking

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Students insert a Table of Contents, number the pages, and complete their first reflective entry.

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By Mary Bigelow

Posted on 2017-02-25

Some of my students have little experience in lab investigations. My colleague suggested I "scaffold" my instruction to help them develop lab skills, but I'm not sure what that would look like. -C., Virginia

"Scaffolding" refers to guiding strategies designed to help students develop greater understanding of concepts and skills to become more independent learners.

Think of when you were learning to ride a bicycle. Someone first walked along with you, holding onto the seat as you pedaled. Your instructor probably gave you advice and encouragement, then let go for a few seconds until you started to wobble. Eventually you were ready to go on your own, and your instructor kept a watchful eye on you for a while.

One strategy to scaffold your students' skill learning is with an I do->we do->you do progression:

focused demonstrations of the skills, connecting them to what students already know

guided practice in a variety of contexts with teacher monitoring and feedback

opportunities for students to choose and use the skills independently (even if they make a few mistakes)

I observed an Earth science teacher scaffolding with a "think-aloud" as she demonstrated how to create graphs from a data table. This was a not a "how-to" lecture. She reminded herself of the graph's purpose and the steps of the process, asked herself questions as she worked, and deliberately made some mistakes (correcting them in real time). It was as if the students could peek inside her mind as she worked through the process. When she paused in her thinking, the students volunteered their own suggestions. In the second part of the lesson, students worked in groups to make graphs as she monitored each group, offering suggestions and feedback.

For more suggestions:

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Some of my students have little experience in lab investigations. My colleague suggested I "scaffold" my instruction to help them develop lab skills, but I'm not sure what that would look like. -C., Virginia

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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"The 5E Model of Instruction promotes active learning. Students are involved in more than listening and reading. They learn to ask questions, observe, model, analyze, explain, draw conclusions, argue from evidence, and talk about their own understanding. Students work collaboratively with peers to construct explanations, solve problems, and plan and carry out investigations." -Rodger Bybee

ENGAGE

The first phase of the 5E Model engages students by having them mentally focus on a phenomenon, object, problem, situation, or event. The activities in the Engage phase are designed to help students make connections between past and present learning experiences, expose prior conceptions, and organize thinking toward the essential questions and learning outcomes of the learning sequence.

The role of the teacher in the Engage phase is to present a situation, identify the instructional task, and set the rules and procedures for the activities. The teacher also structures initial discussions to reveal the range of ideas, experiences, and language that students use which become resources for upcoming lessons.

Student Behaviors

Asks questions such as, "Why did this happen?" "What do I already know about this?" "What can I find out about this?" "How can this problem be solved?"

Shows interest in the topic through curiosity and expression of wonderings

Demonstrates engagement by expressing ideas, sharing observations, and creating initial models

Expresses current understanding of a concept or idea

Teaching Strategies

Raises questions or poses problems

Elicits responses that uncover students' current knowledge

Helps students make connections to previous work

Posts learning outcomes and explicitly references them in the lesson

Invites students to express what they think

Invites students to raise their own questions

EXPLORE

Once students have engaged in activities, they need time to explore ideas. Explore activities are designed so all students have common, concrete experiences which can be used later when formally introducing and discussing scientific and technological concepts and explanations. Students have time to investigate objects, events, or situations. As a result of their mental and physical involvement in these activities, students question events, observe patterns, identify and test variables, and establish causal relationships.

The teacher's role in the Explore phase is to facilitate learning. They initiate activities and allow time and opportunity for students to investigate objects, materials, and situations. The teacher coaches and guides students as they record and analyze observations or data and begin constructing models or initial explanations.

Student Behaviors

Tests predictions and hypotheses; Forms new predictions and hypotheses

Discusses problems with others

Plans and conducts investigations in which they observe, describe, and record data

Tries different ways to solve a problem or answer a question

Creates initial models

Compares ideas with those of others

Teaching Strategies

Provides or clarifies questions or problems

Provides common experiences

Observes and listens to students as they interact

Acts as a consultant for students

Encourages student-to-student interaction

Asks probing questions to help students make sense of their experiences and redirect them when necessary

Provides time for students to puzzle through problems

EXPLAIN

The Explain phase consists of two parts. First, the teacher asks students to share their initial models and explanations from experiences in the Engage and Explore phases. Second, the teacher provides resources and information to support student learning and introduces scientific or technological concepts. Students use these resources and information, as well as ideas of other students, to construct or revise their evidence-based models and explanations. In engineering, students design solutions to problems based on established criteria.

Student Behaviors

Shows models, explanations, answers, or possible solutions, to other students

Listens critically to and questions explanations offered by others

Explains using evidence from investigations

Uses labels, terminology, and formal scientific language

Compares current thinking with former thinking

Records ideas and current understanding

Adjusts ideas, models, and explanations as new evidence or reasoning is presented

Teaching Strategies

Encourages students to explain concepts and definitions in their own words

Asks for justification (evidence) and clarification from students

Formally provides definitions, explanations, and information through mini-lecture, text, internet, or other resources

Builds on student explanations

Provides time for students to compare their ideas with others and if desired revise their ideas

ELABORATE

Once students have constructed explanations of a phenomenon or design solutions for a problem, it is important to involve them in further experiences that apply, extend, or elaborate the concepts, processes, or skills they are learning. Some students may still have misconceptions, or they may only understand a concept in terms of the exploratory experience. Elaborate activities provide time for students to apply their understanding of concepts and skills. They might apply their understanding to similar phenomena or problems.

Student Behaviors

Applies new labels, definitions, explanations, and skills in new, but similar, situations

Uses previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions, design experiments, or complete a challenge

Draws reasonable conclusions from evidence

Critiques the models, explanations, or arguments made by others using evidence and reasoning

Makes conceptual connections between new and previous experiences

Communicates understanding to others

Teaching Strategies

Expects students to use vocabulary, definitions, and explanations provided previously in new contexts

Encourages students to apply the concepts and skills in new situations

Provides additional evidence, explanations, or reasoning

Reinforces students' use of scientific terms and descriptions previously introduced

Asks questions that help students draw reasonable conclusions from evidence and data

EVALUATE

It is important that students receive feedback on the quality of their explanations. Informally, this may happen throughout the learning sequence. Formally, the teacher can also administer a summative evaluation at the end of the learning sequence. The Evaluate phase encourages students to assess their understanding and abilities and allows teachers to evaluate individual student progress toward achieving learning goals and outcomes.

Student Behaviors

Gives feedback to other students

Evaluates progress or knowledge

Checks work with a rubric or against established criteria

Assesses progress by comparing current understanding with prior knowledge

Asks additional questions that go deeper into a concept or leads to additional learning

Demonstrates understanding of Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices

Answers open-ended questions by using observations, evidence, and previously accepted explanations

Teaching Strategies

Asks open-ended questions such as, "Why do you think...?" "What evidence do you have?" "How would you answer the question?"

Observes and records notes as students demonstrate individual understanding of concepts learned and performance of skills

Uses a variety of assessments to gather evidence of student understanding

Provides opportunities for students to assess their own progress

Sample Template for Developing 5E Learning Sequences

Prior to building a 5E learning sequence, teachers should consider learning goals and outcomes, select the phenomenon/problem, and identify the essential question(s) that will drive learning. The "Planning for Engagement with Big Ideas" tool can be used to help with this initial work.

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5E Model of Instruction - San Diego County Office of Education

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5E Model of Instruction - SDCOE serves our county’s most vulnerable students and supports school leaders, teachers, and students across the county.

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An inquiry-focused method gives students a way to connect scientific ideas to their experiences and apply their learning.

Try to recall the last science class you taught. It probably had many components over the course of 50 minutes, such as a video, a mini-lecture, an assessment, discussion, or a demonstration. What were all the components? Did your students discuss a question in small groups? Was it a whole-class discussion? Did you introduce a new concept? In what order did you introduce these components? How did you decide what came first? What is the optimal order of activities in an inquiry-based science classroom?

Engage Students' Curiosity

Teaching science using an inquiry approach requires instructional planning that encourages students to engage their curiosity to ask questions, explore solutions to socio-scientific issues, use evidence-based explanations to justify their reasoning, elaborate on possible effects, evaluate their findings, and predict potential outcomes based on different variables. In inquiry science, students are cognitively challenged as they engage in authentic problems while learning content, practicing reasoning skills, and communicating their ideas.

One approach to inquiry science is the 5E instructional model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate). The 5E model is a planning tool for inquiry teaching that provides a structure for students to connect science ideas with their experiences and apply their learning to new contexts. The 5E model comprises five phases that help teachers build a sequence of coherent and engaging learning experiences for students.

How the 5E Model Works

1. Engage. The teacher uses short activities to promote curiosity. The activity must connect prior knowledge to new learning experiences in order to expose any misconceptions and prepare students for new learning.

Novel questions, discrepant events, demonstrations, or a powerful visual are ideal ways to engage students and ascertain their prior knowledge or any misconceptions that might interfere with constructing new knowledge. For new concepts to become meaningful, students use their prior knowledge to connect their past and present learning experiences.The engagement phase doesn't have to be part of the class time. It can be structured as a homework assignment where students can read an article related to the new topic to be introduced, explore a website, watch a video, or answer a question related to their prior knowledge.

For example: Why are acidic drinks stored in a cold place?

2. Explore. A lab investigation or hands-on activities are usually introduced in this phase as students attempt to investigate a problem. Conflicting ideas, questions, and confusion are common and help students identify what they need to know before new terms or concepts are introduced in the Explain phase.

What is the problem I am trying to solve?

What do I need to find out?

What do I know already?

Students are provided with two identical soda cans, a bottle opener, hot water, and an ice bath. Students perform the activity in pairs or groups, write down their observations, and discuss their results in the group.
Encourage students to think of the following questions:

For example: Which soda, the warm or the cold one, had more dissolved carbon dioxide? List all the ways that you know.

3. Explain. With the teacher's guidance, students explain the concepts they explored in the previous phase and demonstrate their understanding of the new terms that were introduced. Depending on the topic and the grade level, teacher-led instruction might be necessary to address any confusion and questions that came up in the Explore phase. Questions can make learning more meaningful, interactive, and participatory.

Students provide a tentative explanation as they present their results to the whole class. The teacher may pose additional questions to support the discussion. It is recommended that the teacher introduce a formative assessment in this phase to identify if the students are ready to start the Elaborate phase and determine if additional instruction or assistance is needed.

For example: What is the best way to store an opened bottle of soda so that it doesn't go flat quickly?

4. Elaborate. Students apply their knowledge to new experiences and extend their conceptual understanding as they solve a problem in a new context before evaluation in the last phase of the 5E model. Elaboration activities can take place during classroom time, or they can be a homework assignment.

For example: Decompression sickness (DCS) occurs when divers swim to the surface too quickly (rapid ascent). What causes DCS to occur?

5. Evaluate. Students evaluate their learning and demonstrate their understanding and mastery of key concepts. Evaluation doesn't have to be limited to a quiz or test. It can be a product such as a presentation, a poster, a pamphlet, a journal article, or a final paper.
Many power plants condense steam by pumping cool river or lake water around the steam pipes. The steam cools and condenses as its heat is transferred to the water, which is then returned to the river or lake. What impact does this warm water have on the fish in the lake or river?
For example: In your opinion, why do fish wash ashore on hot summer days?

You may already be using these elements without being familiar with the 5E model's formal structure. Consider the phases discussed above and reflect on the activities you planned for the last science lesson you taught. Which component would you classify as an Engage activity? Explore? Explain? How well does the order you have planned reflect the 5E model?

The goal isn't to plan every science lesson according to the 5E model-it's to consider the order and sequence of activities to align with the model to maximize student learning.

Here are some final suggestions:

Start small. You might design a lesson with only two components of the 5E model. If your lesson already has a hands-on activity, you may want to start with Engage to get the students thinking about the hands-on activity they're going to complete in the Explore phase. A simple 3- to 5-minute activity such as a current events story, a video, an advertisement, a problem scenario, or a challenge statement based on a common misconception can engage students.

Explore before Explain. Lab investigations or hands-on activities in the Explore phase, no matter how simple, may be time-consuming. Yet, you can allow at least some exploration before explanation to prepare students to receive new information. They might attempt to solve a problem, make a prediction about an experiment or demonstration, or answer a complex question. Consider starting instruction (Explain) in the middle of the class session, as opposed to the beginning, after students have had time to do some exploration.

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How to Use the 5E Model in Your Science Classroom

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An inquiry-focused method gives students a way to connect scientific ideas to their experiences and apply their learning.

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The BSCS 5E Instructional Model is a research-based approach to designing instructional sequences within a unit where each phase (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) is used as the basis for one or more lessons.

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The BSCS 5E Instructional Model is a research-based approach to designing instructional sequences within a unit where each phase (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) is used as the basis for one or more lessons.

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The 5E lesson plan is based on an instructional model that consists of five phases or steps: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. This model enables teachers to create cohesive and engaging lessons that build up from one section to the next. The 5E instructional model was developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) in 1987. It was first proposed by Dr. Rodger Bybee as a way to structure science lessons and enhance students' understanding of scientific concepts. Although the 5E instructional model was initially developed for science education, it has become a popular instructional model across all subjects due to its effectiveness.

What are the benefits of the 5E model?

The 5E lesson plan offers a wide range of benefits for both teachers and students. For instance, it provides a simple and clear framework that teachers can use to easily plan standards-aligned lessons. The gradual progression from exploration to understanding also enables teachers to implement authentic learning into their lessons, creating engaging learning experiences and helping students relate newly acquired knowledge to the real world. In addition, the 5E lesson plan boosts student engagement and motivation through a constructivist approach. Students construct their own understanding of concepts and ideas through active learning, exploration, critical thinking, and inquiry-based learning.

Enhance instruction with Nearpod

Nearpod is the perfect platform to implement the 5E instructional model. Not only can teachers easily build these lessons and formative assessments into Nearpod, but the platform also provides an extra layer of engagement and interactivity that benefits all students, especially those with diverse learning needs. 5E lesson plan examples in Nearpod can include a wide range of visual aids, collaboration among students, and interactive activities, which could benefit English learners and other students with diverse learning needs. Additionally, Nearpod makes it easy to differentiate instruction for these students and incorporates multimodal learning strategies, such as recording audio, writing/typing text, and drawing.
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access the resources in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
Impactful 5E lesson plan examples in action

Here's the 5E lesson plan explained with examples! Let's break down each phase: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. We'll explore how these phases work together to create a comprehensive learning experience along with impactful 5E lesson plan examples you can use. Additionally, we'll show you how to seamlessly integrate technology into your lessons using Nearpod, providing you with practical examples of how to apply each phase.

Engage

The first phase of a 5E lesson plan is the Engagement phase. This phase piques student curiosity and helps students make connections with previously learned concepts, which aids in the retention of new knowledge. In this phase, teachers engage students and prime their thinking by activating prior knowledge through short activities.

For example, teachers can:

Introduce a problem that students might not be able to solve yet

Show and inquire about a series of images (or short video clip)

Ask a thought-provoking question to start a class discussion

Conduct a simple demonstration or experiment

Tell a story or anecdote

Nearpod is an easy and time-saving way to incorporate short, engaging activities into the engagement phase of a 5E lesson plan. For instance, teachers can use the Poll feature to ask a thought-provoking question and lead a discussion. Teachers can also embed YouTube videos into their Nearpod lessons and include interactive questions to access prior knowledge.

Explore

Studies show that people learn better when they make meaningful connections between their prior knowledge and new information. Therefore, the Explore phase of a 5E model lesson plan aims to do just that: connect concepts from the Engage phase to new concepts students will learn in the lesson. To help students make this connection, teachers use guided inquiry activities that allow students to share observations, use critical thinking, and collaborate.

For example, teachers can have students:

Look at primary or secondary sources to construct a timeline

Investigate and classify different objects

Read a piece of literature and answer guiding questions about it

Explore a problem or issue, and propose hypotheses and ideas to solve it

Guided inquiry activities can be incorporated into Nearpod in several ways. For instance, Nearpod's virtual reality (VR) feature and 3D Objects immerse students in a new topic, allowing them to explore and make observations. Students can then discuss and make connections on a Collaborate Board or use a Drag & Drop activity to classify objects or label a diagram.

Explain

The next phase of a 5E model lesson plan is the Explain phase. In this phase, students are introduced to new concepts or skills and further connect topics from the Engage and Explore phases. The Explain phase enables teachers to dive deeper into the topic and provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of new concepts they have learned.

Teachers can guide students to a deeper understanding by:

Delivering lectures about key concepts that lead to student discussions

Incorporating multimedia presentations with a range of visual aids

Creating concept maps and graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts

Using models or hands-on demonstrations to explain specific topics

Nearpod makes it easy for teachers to incorporate all these instructional strategies into their teaching, helping students gain a deep understanding of new concepts. For example, teachers can add a slideshow, educational videos, audio files, PDFs, 3D Objects, and VR images to their presentations. Teachers can also add activities for students to explain what they have learned, such as Drag and Drops, Collaborate Boards, Draw It's, Quizzes, and Open-Ended Questions. These features provide a fun and interactive learning experience while fully engaging students.

Elaborate

The fourth phase of the 5E lesson plan is the Elaborate phase. This phase invites students to apply what they have learned in more diverse contexts. Teachers can also use this phase to extend students' understanding and further connect the topic to the real world. By transferring knowledge in this way, students gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned.

For example, teachers can assign:

Project-based activities

Design challenges

Case studies

Role-playing activities

Debates and discussions

Nearpod can facilitate the Elaborate phase of a 5E model lesson plan through Collaborate Boards and Open-Ended Questions to encourage debates and discussions. Teachers can present design challenges by embedding a video clip or a PDF into a Nearpod lesson, and students can use Nearpod's Draw It or Drag & Drop activities to create their designs.

Evaluate

The last phase of the 5E lesson plan is the Evaluate phase. This is where all learning comes together. Teachers assess students' understanding and evaluate student progress to determine whether lesson objectives have been met. In this phase, students can apply skills and concepts they have learned throughout the entire lesson and receive feedback from the teacher about their learning. Teachers can also use this stage of the lesson to further differentiate their instruction.

For example, teachers can:

Provide scaffolds for students

Use multimodal responses

Use several types of assessments

Nearpod provides the perfect opportunity to apply these strategies. Teachers can use Nearpod features, such as Open-Ended Questions, Matching Pairs, Draw It, Drag and Drop, Quizzes, and Fill-in-the-Blanks. These activities can provide scaffolding for students by attaching reference media and allowing multimodal responses from students. They also provide different methods to assess students' understanding. Another useful assessment tool is Nearpod's Time to Climb, which gamifies student assessment and motivates students to become engaged, be competitive, and have fun.

Start using Nearpod today
New to Nearpod? Teachers can sign up for free below to access the resources in this post and create their own interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts.
In conclusion, the 5E lesson plan is a research-based framework for designing effective instruction. The phases of the 5E instructional model are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. They promote the activation of prior knowledge, critical thinking, collaboration, inquiry- and project-based learning, and authentic learning. Additionally, with the use of Nearpod, teachers can seamlessly integrate technology into their 5E lessons. Combining the 5E instructional model and Nearpod's interactivity, teachers can create impactful lessons that cater to the needs of all learners.

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Impactful 5E lesson plan examples in action

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Explore the 5E lesson plan model for effective instruction. Discover 5E lesson plan examples and tools to implement the instructional model.

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I first encountered the KLEWS teaching strategy in an article in Science and Children (NSTA 2015), "KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science." I shared the article and modeled the strategy with teachers who wanted to support their K-5 students in the science practice of constructing explanations. I really liked the KLEWS chart. About a month ago, I had the opportunity to collaborate with other educators (read as: I needed help) while developing a first-grade lesson about sound. I discovered how KLEWS charts honor students' ideas about phenomena, support students in developing explanations and models, and help teachers and students connect today with yesterday, and decide where to go next (coherence). Now I L-O-V-E the K-L-E-W-S chart!

The KLEWS chart is a revamped version of the KWL chart (What do we know? What do we wonder? What did we learn?) for science. Columns were added for evidence and s cience ideas and words (Hershberger and Zembal-Saul 2015).

But I'll return to the KLEWS chart in a minute.

The Sound Lesson:

I wanted to create an opportunity for students to make sense of the DCI element PS3.A: Sound can make matter vibrate, and vibrating matter can make soundand use the element of the CCCCause and Effect Events have causes that generate observable patterns as a lens to help students organize their thinking. The phenomenon I chose (and was really excited about) focused on Evelyn Glennie, a deaf percussionist who hears with her feet. In a clip from Sesame Street, Glennie removes her shoes as she prepares to audition for Oscar the Grouch's band. She tells a confused Oscar that this helps her hear the music.

I wanted to ask the first-grade students to draw a model to explain how someone can hear with their feet (SEP element: Developing and Using Models Develop a model to represent relationships in the natural world) but I wasn't sure they could. Maybe they could draw the model with some scaffolding, but I wondered how much would be needed.

I reached out to my friend Beth Pesnell for help. Beth is a former elementary school teacher and K-8 math and science curriculum specialist (she is currently pursuing a Ph.D.). She assured me first-grade students could draw a model. "Give them a blank piece of paper!" she said excitedly.

Beth also knew I wanted to give students the opportunity to revise models at different points in the multi-day lesson and asked if I had considered using a KLEWS chart. She listened to my ideas about the lesson and together we made the following plan (details are limited due to space constraints).
Kate and Beth's Plan

Post the KLEWS chart in the room.

Read The Listening Walk to the class. (This book does not steal students' "ahas" about how we hear or how sounds are made.) The book ends by asking, "How many different sounds can you hear right now? Close your book and count them!"

Ask students, "What do you think we know about how we hear?" Record their responses under K.

Introduce the phenomenon (Evelyn Glennie playing drums with Oscar the Grouch); ask students to share their thinking with a partner.

Ask students to draw (individually) a model to explain how Evelyn Glennie hears with her feet.

Tell students to put their models away (or collect them) (don't ask them to share yet).

Give students the opportunity to explore sound at different stations around the room.

Say to students "You probably have some new ideas about sound and how we hear. What would you like to change or add to your model?" Give students time to revise their models.

Ask students to join their predetermined groups and share what they changed or added to their model, and explain why.

Ask students to share with the class what they heard other students say they added to their model and why. Record their responses in the L column. (I was intentional about where each response was recorded - keeping them next to/in line with related "things we think we know" in the K column.)

Each time a response is recorded in the L column, ask students for evidence to support the learning. Record the evidence under E, keeping it next to/in line with to the L response it supports.

In the S column, record the big science ideas students may have verbalized or described in their learning statements. Concepts are recorded in the S column throughout the lesson, when students connect the ideas with their learnings (L column).

As new "wonderings" are expressed, record them in the W column. (Again, I was intentional where I recorded their questions in this column.)

This learning experience and model will help inform the engineering design found in 1-PS4-4.

Wow! I was excited to teach the lesson, but also a bit nervous because I hadn't used the KLEWS chart like this before. I was unfamiliar with the intentionality of where ideas are recorded in the columns, the fluidity between columns, and the navigation back and forth between the chart and student models as the lesson progressed. I wondered if I could find a video to help me visualize how to use the KLEWS chart (spoiler alert: I did).

I found a Teaching Channel blog post titled KLEWS: Supporting Claims, Evidence and Reasoning. The blog instructs educators on how to begin using the KLEWS chart in their classrooms by inviting us to watch third-grade teacher Maria Katsanos and her students using the KLEWS chart for the first time in the classroom. In a series of videos, we see Katsanos use the KLEWS chart to plan her lesson, support student sense-making, and reflect on how it required her to change the way she thought about teaching science. (Thanks to Katsanos for bravely trying something new with an audience for the benefit of other educators and their students.)

As I watched Katsanos and her students, I made notes on my lesson: What should I listen for in students' conversations? What questions could I ask to get students thinking about their evidence? Which anticipated student "learnings" might lead to concepts/words to record in the S column? I suddenly realized I was collaborating with Maria Katsanos like I had with my friend, Beth Pesnell.

Now I was really excited to teach this lesson.

Before teaching this lesson in the classroom, I planned to use it as an immersion experience for elementary teachers who were new to three-dimensional teaching and learning in service to phenomena. On the morning of the workshop, a teacher expressed concern that she didn't teach science every day and didn't know how to help students connect their sense-making from one class period to the next. It was a great question! And when the answer occurred to me, I smiled. Let's just say I helped her and her colleagues get a KLEWS.

Do you want to collaborate on a KLEWS lesson? Whether you have questions that need answering or expertise to share, join the conversation by commenting below.

Resources:

More about Evelyn Glennie (children's book)

Millman, I. 1998 Moses goes to a concert. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

More About KLEWS Charts

Zembal-Saul, C., K. L. McNeill, and K. Hershberger. 2013. What's your evidence? Engaging K-5 students in constructing explanations in science. Pearson.

Hershberger, K , and C. Zembal-Saul. 2015. Methods and strategies: KLEWS to explanation-building in science. Science and Children 52 (6): 66-71.

Kate Soriano Note: This article is featured in the May issue of Next Gen Navigator, a monthly e-newsletter from NSTA delivering information, insights, resources, and professional learning opportunities for science educators by science educators on the Next Generation Science Standards and three-dimensional instruction. Click here to sign up to receive the Navigator every month. Visit NSTA's NGSS@NSTA Hub for hundreds of vetted classroom resources, professional learning opportunities, publications, ebooks and more; connect with your teacher colleagues on the NGSS listservs (members can sign up here); and join us for discussions around NGSS at an upcoming conference. The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. has more than 20 years of experience teaching K-12 students science in both formal and informal educational settings. Currently, she is supporting teachers in their transition toward the Next Generation Science Standards. Soriano is an NSTA NGSS Professional Learning Facilitator and Instructional Coach. She also serves on the EQuIP Peer Review Panel for Science. She holds a BS in geology and geophysics from Boston College, an MS in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MA in education from Humboldt State University.
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I first encountered the KLEWS teaching strategy in an article in Science and Children (NSTA 2015), "KLEWS to Explanation-Building in Science." I shared the article and modeled the strategy with teachers who wanted to support their K-5 students in the science practice of constructing explanations. I really liked the KLEWS chart.

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Segment Transcript

IRA FLATOW: This is Science Friday. I'm Ira Flatow.

It's that time of the year when you're making your list, checking it twice for science gifts for the kids in your life, and my next guests are here to help. Their picks for some of the top kids science books of 2024 and make recommendations, yes, based on questions that you, our listeners, have shared with us.

Let me introduce them. Mahnaz Dar, young readers' editor at Kirkus Reviews in New York, and Carrie Wolfson, collection development librarian at the Boulder Public Library in Boulder, Colorado. Welcome to Science Friday.

MAHNAZ DAR: Great to be here.

CARRIE WOLFSON: Thank you. Good to be here.

IRA FLATOW: Nice to have you, of course. OK, let's go right to these because I know folks are waiting to hear your recommendations. Broadly speaking- let me ask both of you, and Mahnaz, you can go first. What makes a good kid's science book?

MAHNAZ DAR: Obviously, you want something that's going to be informative, that's going to be accurate. But I think it's also important to have a good entry point, something that's going to be original, grab a kid's attention, and I feel like humor is often a really good way to do that. We've been seeing a lot of books with graphic formats, just a way to spice up the information.

I remember when I was a little kid, I had a lot of science books in the library, but they didn't quite have the fun that a lot of these books now have, which I think is such a great thing about them, nonfiction and science in particular.

IRA FLATOW: Yeah. Carrie, you agree?

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah, absolutely. There's just such a wonderful array of choices and creative formats out there now that have really exploded over the last decade or so. One of the things that you might think about is what kind of kid you're buying for. There are a bunch of different kinds of nonfiction for children. You've got sort of active nonfiction. That's like your cookbooks or your outdoor exploration or your craft books. So if you have a kid who's really into creating and making and doing, that might be a good format for them.

You also have more sort of literary nonfiction where it might have a really great narrative. It might use the same kinds of things that a fiction book does. So the characters will be brought to life. It will be told as a linear story. So if a child really enjoys that kind of reading, think about that. And then we also have browsable stuff where you can just hop in anywhere, and a kid can come back to it again and again and experience the book that way.

IRA FLATOW: It's been my experience as a father and a grandfather that there are books that you love as an adult, but the kids don't seem to really appreciate it as much as you do, Carrie.

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah, absolutely. Some of a kid's favorite nonfiction books might be ones adults might turn their noses up at a little bit. But like Mahnaz is saying, these are often ones that are really fun and engaging. So series like Who Would Win? which tracks animal characteristics. Sometimes it's even books of ghost stories or shipwrecks, that kind of thing. But at the end of the day, the best book for a kid is the book that they're going to read and enjoy.

IRA FLATOW: All right, let's get right into your picks. And, Mahnaz, you go first. Give me your first pick, please.

MAHNAZ DAR: Yeah so one book that I love is called The Observologist- A Handbook for Mounting Very Small Scientific Expeditions by Giselle Clarkson. And this is a book for young explorers. And you might think, well, I don't have access to the rainforest or any kind of rural setting, but you don't need to. You can live anywhere and go on little expeditions. The book teaches kids about something called observology, the study of looking, and it offers them pointers on identifying bugs that they might find and telling them where they might find them- on the pavement outside, in the garden, even behind the drapes in the living room.

And it's just so hands on. I feel like a kid will spend hours with it. They can read it straight through, or they can just pick a chapter. And it's the kind of book that's really going to stay with you. I think you read this, and then you just become a more observant person in all of your life, really.

IRA FLATOW: Right. And, Carrie, give me your first book.

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah, my first pick is called The Next Scientist by Kate Messner, illustrated by Julia Kuo. This is one of a series of books, and it is a chronicle of what famous scientists were up to as children. So we have folks like Isaac Newton and Mae Jemison and Jane Goodall but also a ton of scientists from across time and the globe that we might not have heard from before, and it's just a stunning picture book. It's got beautiful colors that fill the whole page. And it bounces back and forth between scenes of scientists as kids kind of messing around, maybe taking things apart, maybe building things, maybe doing sports or doing art, and then connects those scenes to how scientists use those traits in adulthood.

So it's a great one for showing the diversity of the scientific community and for showing kids kind of models of what they might look like as scientists themselves, and it's also really fun. Great engaging pictures and lots to share with kids and adults.

IRA FLATOW: Yeah. Mahnaz, you're up next.

MAHNAZ DAR: Yeah, so I've actually got a book that pairs really well with that one. It's for a slightly older audience, My Antarctica- True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and so Much More, by G. Neri, illustrated by Corban Wilkin.

And so the author, G. Neri, spent two months on a grant-funded trip to Antarctica, and he just was blown away by all the things he came across- a mummified seal, like in the title. He talks about how you dispose of poop in Antarctica. You've got to dispose of it safely and bring it back. And I think what really comes through is less the information- which is great- and more the idea that, really, STEM is for everyone because the author, G. Neri, struggled with science and math as a kid, and he didn't see, as a person of color, a lot of scientists or explorers who looked like him. But he realized on the trip that he had this great gift for translating science into stories and captivating other kids and showing them the beauty of science, and it's a book that really shows you that STEM is for everyone. Science is for all of us. Even if you're not going to become a scientist, you can still love science in your own way.

IRA FLATOW: I'm putting that on my list because as someone who's been to Antarctica, I want to see what that book is all about.

MAHNAZ DAR: Oh my God, so you can actually fact check that one.

IRA FLATOW: Especially the part about the poop. I remember that one.

Let's move on to some of the requests we've received from our listeners. Kay from Charlottesville, Virginia, is looking for a book for a 13-year-old boy who likes looking for critters in streams. What would you recommend? Mahnaz, you've got anything for our listener?

MAHNAZ DAR: I do. I have a book that's about lakes. It's called Spooky Lakes by Geo Rutherford. And the author is a TikTok creator, and the book has spun off of these TikTok videos. And it's just all these really cool stories about lakes all over the world. So I feel like it would be a really cool way for this kid to expand his interests a little bit, and it's got the kind of creepy element.

And I think then you could also check out the videos with some parental supervision, if you wanted.

IRA FLATOW: Carrie, you have a book, The Scientists in the Field series, right?

CARRIE WOLFSON: I do, but I can attest to Mahnaz's suggestion. That one is really popular at our library, doing really well.

So I would recommend The Scientists in the Field series. First of all, looking for critters in streams just sounds like a wonderful, wonderful activity, so that sounds really fun. The Scientists in the Field series follows scientists as they're out in the wild doing science, and there are a number related to marine biology. So for a kid who's maybe interested in river systems, this has wonderful photographs, lots of really interesting storytelling, and showcases a lot of wonderful scientists.

IRA FLATOW: Sounds great. Sounds great. Our next question from our listeners is from Beth from southwestern Ohio. Here it is. "The child is a newborn, and I would like suggestions for books that will plant ideas in his little head that are related to plants and animals, both earth and sea. The baby shower included a call for books, so there are already many. Therefore, I am looking for something like a series or grouping of books that I could give as successive gifts off and on throughout his first two to three years." Carrie, any suggestions?

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah, one of my favorite new board-book series this year is from the Caldecott Honor winner Brendan Wenzel. He has a series of board books called Hello, Hello Colors, Hello, Hello Shapes, Numbers, and Opposites, and they all feature brilliant, colorful illustrations of real wildlife but also introduce those early concepts to young learners. So you'll see everything from a sloth and a cheetah for your opposite books and then animals of all kinds of different shapes and sizes and speeds. So recommend that one.

And then I'd also recommend, as that child gets older, to really use your public library. The folks there are there to know books, get to know your kid, and find stuff that really supports your family throughout a child's reading life and lifelong. So definitely get to know your local library professionals.

IRA FLATOW: Sounds great. All right, our next question comes from Suzanne P. from Morristown, New Jersey, and let's take a listen.

SUZANNE P.: My son Simon is 11 years old, and he's in sixth grade. He loves math, physics, pottery, and anything to do with plants or gardening. He also loves to swim, sail, and loves listening to Science Friday. Any book suggestions you have would be very welcome. Thanks.

IRA FLATOW: You're welcome. Thanks for that call. Mahnaz, suggestion?

MAHNAZ DAR: Yeah, the author, Jorge Cham, has a really great- well, it's a new series now. Last year, he had one called Oliver's Great Big Universe, and now there's a sequel, Oliver's Great Big Universe- Volcanoes Are Hot! And it's kind of I describe them as Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets good, hard, accurate STEM because they're very accessible. They're fun. They're written from the point of view of a young boy who's writing his own comic. And he just takes these really big concepts like volcanoes or the big bang theory and puts them into- makes comparisons that are just going to make a lot of sense to kids. And I think this kid sounds like a really fun, creative child, and I think he'd get a kick out of Oliver.

IRA FLATOW: Yeah. Carrie?

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah I'm a big fan of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series from Don Brown. These are nonfiction comic books that cover some great developments in the history of STEM. The latest one is called All Charged Up, and it's about the history of electricity. And it goes through the very earliest experiments with electricity all the way to the modern age and has wonderful artwork and a sort of scientist leading you through the book. And again, a great one for a creative kid who loves learning about all kinds of topics.

IRA FLATOW: That was my first experience with science books was electricity. It was just fascinating stuff, and I think it's a way to draw people in. It's really good.

CARRIE WOLFSON: Absolutely.

IRA FLATOW: This is Science Friday from WNYC studios.

Our next question is from Cathy from Vancouver, Canada, who says, a "12-year-old who loves reading and thinks of themselves as science-y. Went through a rock phase a couple of years ago but seems to be drifting to chemistry and biology." Carrie, what do you think?

CARRIE WOLFSON: Yeah, my pick for this reader is Frozen in Time- What Ice Cores Can Tell Us About Climate Change. This one is by Carmella Van Vleet, and it is a longer book for kind of older kid readers that goes through how scientists use ice to look into the history of climate and environment and analyze those samples to tell us what might be coming or what we can do in our own time. So it has a lot of hard science in it for a kid who's maybe getting into chemistry but is also just really engaging and well told. So recommend that one for Cathy's 12-year-old.

IRA FLATOW: Now, what's interesting is that Cathy said they went through a rock phase a couple of years ago. Carrie, any suggestions for geology lovers?

CARRIE WOLFSON: Absolutely. I'm so glad you asked. One of my other picks for the best STEM books of 2024 for kids or my favorites is called All the Rocks We Love. It's by Lisa Varchol Perron and Taylor Perron, illustrated by David Scheirer. This one is going to be great for younger kids, and it is a wonderful overview of different kinds of rocks. There are just stunning watercolors that show us some rocks up close, and then it has illustrations of kids in a ton of different natural environments, from rural areas to urban parks to suburban neighborhoods, exploring rocks and discovering these in their environment. So it would be a great one to pair with an outdoor adventure and perfect for those young kids who are seeking treasures outside and being little scientists themselves.

IRA FLATOW: I'm getting that one for myself.

CARRIE WOLFSON: You absolutely should. It's wonderful. And the authors are a couple. They're actually a professional poet and a professional geologist. So really great knowledge behind that.

IRA FLATOW: Wow, science and the arts, something we love here.

Marnie T. From Downers Grove, Illinois, asks, "I'm shopping for a 10-year-old girl. She's very creative, loves to sing, draw, paint, write poetry, and cook. She also loves experimenting with cooking and performing chemistry experiments. We have the Wow in the World books, and she loves those." Mahnaz, suggestion?

MAHNAZ DAR: Yeah, I've got one called What Is Color? The Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art by Steven Weinberg. This one sits really beautifully at the intersection of science, art, even history. So I think it's a really great book for our 10-year-old girl who seems like a real renaissance girl. It goes into the science of the electromagnetic spectrum, how different pigments were developed and also how that led to the creation of different artistic works of art.

And it's also a really funny book. The author inserts himself as a character as the narrator, and he has this really funny commentary. He explains science. He expounds on art from Michelangelo to O'Keeffe, even musing on, what even is art? So I think this is a really good one.

IRA FLATOW: And that's about all the time we have for now. Thank you so much to Mahnaz Dar, young readers' editor at Kirkus Reviews based in New York, and Carrie Wolfson, collection development librarian at the Boulder Public Library in Boulder, Colorado.

MAHNAZ DAR: Thank you so much.

CARRIE WOLFSON: Thank you. Good to be here.

IRA FLATOW: And if you need a specific type of kid's science book, Carrie and Mahnaz will be on hand for a few more recommendations during the upcoming week. So you can go to sciencefriday.com/kidsbooks and find out how to send us info for the kid on your list. Yeah, and to read their full list of their favorite kids books from last year, we have that all there up on our website.
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