The 7Es of Lesson 

Planning

I initially came across this idea a few years ago when I was using some materials provided by
Upd8 (Science ASE Resource) and then again when teaching WIKID, a KS3 Science scheme of
work.

I have since found out that the The 7es was an extension of the 5E Constructivist learning cycle
first created by Rodger Bybee when developing the Biological Science Curriculum Study
(BSCS) in America. See link for their work

Whilst the original concept was never meant to be a 5 or 7 part lesson I have personally found
that using the 5E/ 7Es provided a clear, rational framework for designing individual Science
lessons as well as schemes of learning. I tend to use all seven stages in a lesson but this
depends on the complexity of the subject matter I am teaching. Sometimes it may take more
than one lesson to complete the cycle.

So what is it? The 7 Es stand for the following. Elicit, Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate,
Extend and Evaluate. The following explanation is my take on the 7Es that has been adapted
from the BSCS 5E Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate.

In most cases you will start with the “Elicit”. Here you can find out what the students know (prior
knowledge). This can be done in a variety of ways, such as “Quick Quizzes, MCQs, Post-it
notes, mini whiteboards etc. This is also a good opportunity to deal with students
misconceptions or test material that you have visited previously that is needed to understand
the lesson. So for example in a Science lesson, where a student might be investigating whether
light is needed for photosynthesis I would test knowledge of photosynthesis, respiration and the
starch test as part of my quick quiz.

The next stage is the “Engage” stage. In this stage you want to engage interest and curiosity,
raise “The BIG questions” and introduce new learning through teacher explanation modelling.
Following on from the example above I might ask. “Do plants need light to make food?” I might
give them a brief explanation or some information about photosynthesis to help them make a
prediction OR to support the explore stage.
During the “Explore” stage, pupils should be given opportunities to work together following the
initial teacher input to solve/explore problems, building concepts through first-hand experience.
(This stage is independent of you, their teacher but may involve scaffolds depending on the
complexity of the task). As the teacher, you should set up the task, but then become the
facilitator, helping students by asking questions and observing. Again referring to the science
example above pupils would then undertake some practical investigative work to answer the big
question. NB Depending on the group and to reduce cognitive load I might break up the
practical guidance into several steps.

Following the explore stage I would next go onto the “Explain” stage of the lesson. During this
stage I would use what students had discovered to help them build the concept/knowledge
further. This would involve checking and asking questions. Using their knowledge gained from
experience to develop the concepts further. So again, using the science example above, the
teacher would draw out the findings from the experiment and ask students to compare to
predictions. Using deep questioning and also explanation/modelling the teacher builds the
scientific explanation.

The next stage is the stage that will be KEY in assessing their progress, knowledge and
understanding. This stage is “Elaborate” Students may work independently during this stage to
demonstrate learning. This is where students formalize and apply their learning. At this stage
the scaffolds are removed. Students would be involved in independent practice. Using the
example above the students would answer the big question. Does a plant need light to make
food? Explain why using your evidence and scientific knowledge.

In some cases you may require an additional “Extend” stage to challenge all learners. In this
stage you are encouraging the students to apply or extend the concepts and skills in new
situations. Students make connections not just in the subject/ideas studied but also beyond it.
They are able to apply ideas/generalize and transfer principles. This might involve students
explaining how they might test if chlorophyll was needed got photosynthesis or interpreting data
from other similar experiments.

While it is expected that evaluation will continue throughout the process, the evaluate section is
the section where you the teacher evaluate the learning that has occurred. This might involve
peer/self-assessment or marking. It might involve questioning or quick low stage quizzing to
establish understanding of the concepts. This should also include self-reflection and evaluation
from the student.