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5E Lesson Plan Template

Plan an inquiry lesson around the five Es. Type into the template below, then download it as Word, PDF or Google Docs. No sign-up.

Your plans save automatically in this browser only. Nothing is sent to us or anyone else. Don't enter students' personal details.

The standards the lesson addresses: Common Core or state standard codes, with a short description.

What students will be able to do by the end. Start with a measurable verb: "Students will be able to…"

Everything you need to prepare: texts, slides, manipulatives, handouts, tech.

Spark curiosity and surface prior knowledge: a demonstration, puzzling question, image or short clip.

Students investigate hands-on before any formal explanation. You question and observe.

Students share what they found; you introduce vocabulary and clear up misconceptions.

Students apply the idea to a new situation to deepen understanding.

Students show what they understand; you check against the objective.

Support, extension, English learners, IEP/504 accommodations. Describe groups and needs, not named students.

What worked, what to change, who needs a re-teach.

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    Plans appear on the day set in their Date box. Click a plan to open it.

    What is the 5E model?

    The 5E model is an inquiry-based lesson structure with five stages: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. Students explore an idea hands-on before the teacher explains it, so new vocabulary attaches to something they have already experienced.

    It was developed in the late 1980s by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), a team led by Rodger Bybee, and it is built on constructivist learning theory. It is used most in science, but it works for math, social studies and any lesson where students can investigate a question.

    The five stages

    1. Engage. Hook students and surface what they already think. A short demonstration, a puzzling question or an image works well. Don't explain anything yet; collect ideas.
    2. Explore. Students investigate with materials, data or a text while you circulate and ask questions. This is usually the longest stage.
    3. Explain. Students share what they found. Now you introduce formal vocabulary, connect their findings to the concept and clear up misconceptions.
    4. Elaborate (sometimes called Extend). Students apply the idea to a new situation, which deepens and tests their understanding.
    5. Evaluate. Students show what they understand, and you check against the objective. Evaluation can also happen informally throughout.

    Tips for a strong 5E plan

    • Write the Engage question so it has no single obvious answer. "What will happen?" beats "What is buoyancy?"
    • Give Explore a clear task and a way to record findings, or it turns into free play.
    • Keep Explain short and student-led: their evidence first, your vocabulary second.
    • Put minutes on each stage. The maker adds them up and warns you if the plan is longer than the lesson.
    • One 5E cycle can run across several lessons. Give each day its own plan and use Week view to see the sequence.

    Some schools use a 7E version, which adds Elicit (find out prior knowledge) before Engage and Extend after Elaborate. You can write those steps into Engage and Elaborate in this template.

    Worked example: 5E lesson plan

    Here is a complete example made with the maker above. Use it as a model, or load it into the form and change it to suit your class.

    5E lesson plan

    Why do some things float?

    SubjectScienceGrade3
    DateLength55 minutes

    Standards

    State science standard on forces, matter and properties of materials.

    Learning objectives

    Students will be able to predict whether an object will float or sink and explain their prediction using the words "heavy for its size" and "displace".

    Materials and resources

    Clear tub of water per table, two oranges (one peeled), set of test objects (cork, coin, crayon, foil ball, flat foil boat, apple slice, paper clip), prediction chart, towels

    Engage (7 min)

    Show two oranges. Ask the class to predict what will happen when each goes in the water. Drop in the unpeeled orange (floats), then the peeled one (sinks). Collect ideas: "Why?"

    Explore (15 min)

    Groups predict, then test each object, recording float/sink on the chart. Challenge: can you make the foil ball float without adding anything to it?

    Explain (12 min)

    Groups share patterns. Introduce "heavy for its size" (density in kid-friendly words) and how the peel holds air. Students revise their explanations.

    Elaborate (14 min)

    Design challenge: build a foil boat that holds the most paper clips. Students explain how the shape helps it float.

    Evaluate (7 min)

    Quick write: "A friend says big things always sink. Do you agree? Use evidence from today." Check against the objective.

    Differentiation and accommodations

    Word bank with pictures; sentence frame "I think it will ___ because ___". Extension: test the same object in salt water and explain the difference.

    Planned time: 55 minutes of 55

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the 5 Es in a lesson plan?

    Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. Students are hooked, investigate, explain what they found, apply it to a new situation and then show what they have learned.

    Who created the 5E model?

    The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) developed it in the late 1980s, with Rodger Bybee leading the work. It grew out of earlier learning cycle models used in science teaching.

    How long should each stage of a 5E lesson be?

    There is no fixed rule, but Explore is usually the longest and Engage the shortest. In a 50-minute lesson a common split is about 5, 15, 10, 12 and 8 minutes.

    Can I use the 5E model outside science?

    Yes. It suits any lesson where students can investigate before being told: patterns in math, primary sources in history, or how authors build suspense in reading.

    Can I download this 5E template as a Word document?

    Yes. Fill it in (or leave it blank) and press Word (.docx). The file opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Pages. Blank Word template gives you an empty 5E form to print.

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