Science and Design and

Technology Studies
5E Instructional Model

Samara Greer

Lesson one
The 5E instructional model has been used to develop a year two science
unit based around the following inquiry question; how does a push or a
pull affect make things move? The unit was centred around two content
descriptors from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting
Authority (ACARA), these being, a push or a pull affects how an object
moves or changes shape (ACSSU033) (ACARA, 2013) and, use a range
of methods to sort information, including drawings and provided tables
(ACSSIS040) (ACARA, 2013). These content descriptors were derived
from the strands; science understanding (physical science) and science
inquiry skills (processing and analyzing data and information),
respectively.
The engage stage is evident at the commencement of the unit, and
successively at the beginning of each lesson to engage students whilst
drawing on prior knowledge. This will be evident in lesson one whereby
students will create paper helicopters as manipulatives to assist their
learning. This additionally addressed differentiation via learning profile
incorporating kinaesthetic, auditory and visual learning profiles. Secondly
in the explore stage, students will investigate the concept of push and
pull through the use of a various hands on activities. By incorporating
these activities in the unit students are able to explore a variety of science
phenomenon using the scientific method of inquiry and will be guided by
questions designed by themselves and the teacher. In the explain phase,
students develop scientific explanations for their observations and
represent understandings whilst considering current scientific explanation.
One way of incorporating this into the unit is by supporting students to
represent and explain their understanding of how toys move or change
shape using the push or pull affect.
Furthermore, during the elaborate stage students will allow their
knowledge, understanding and skills to be extended to a new context or
concept. The teacher will support students in the planning and conduction
of an experiment investigating the factors influencing a paper helicopters
fall through air. Finally, in the evaluate stage, students should be rerepresenting their understanding and reflect on their learning journey,
whilst teachers collect evidence about the achievement outcomes.
Students in the summative assessment will work in pairs to create a
model that is able to move from point A to point B using the push or pull
effect. Each student must ensure they demonstrate an understanding of
the push and pull affect; demonstrate they have explored how different
strength of push or pull affects movement; can describe how their model
interacts through direct manipulation; can describe the components of
their model, the student model meets the distance requirements and the
students model uses a push or pull affect.
Ashlee Barnes
Esther Appleby
Marcia Dean
Natalie Alley
Samara Greer
Troy Robertson

2107819
2107429
2103478
2107580
2106736
2040404

barn0256@flinders.edu.au
appl0026@ flinders.edu.au
dean0139@flinders.edu.au
alle0250@flinders.edu.au
gree0468@flinders.edu.au
robe0462@flinders.edu.au

References
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2013). Home |
ACARA.
Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/default.asp
Primary Connections. (n.d.). Primary Connections Linking Science with
Literacy. Retrieved
from
http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/S7158/push-pull
2012/resources/push_pull_comp.pdf

Ashlee Barnes
Esther Appleby
Marcia Dean
Natalie Alley
Samara Greer
Troy Robertson

2107819
2107429
2103478
2107580
2106736
2040404

barn0256@flinders.edu.au
appl0026@ flinders.edu.au
dean0139@flinders.edu.au
alle0250@flinders.edu.au
gree0468@flinders.edu.au
robe0462@flinders.edu.au