Teachers involved in the Chesapeake Teacher Research Fellowship are in the process of applying the 5E lessons developed from their research experience with students in their classrooms. Fellows have presented their projects at the Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association (MAMEA, http://www.mamea.org/) conference and at the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE, http://www.maeoe.org/) Conference to other educators from the formal and informal community. Following these presentations the ESEP team started working with teachers to develop their lesson so that it reflects and demonstrates the research they performed and the application of that research in the classroom. Their work is displayed on this page and we encourage you to use these resources with students in your classroom to encourage research projects and a greater understanding of the current research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

5E Lesson

The 5E lesson model is adapted from the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS, http://www.bscs.org/) and enhanced with more detail by the ESEP team for the Chesapeake Teacher Research Fellowship to provide a successful means for encouraging research in the classroom and in some cases incorporates field components to expand the investigation beyond the classroom walls. The 5E format was chosen to align with the needs of the Maryland State Department of Education and encourages inquiry, critical thinking, and the process of science.

The 5E's:

1. Engagement are activities that capture the students' attention, stimulate their thinking, and help them access prior knowledge.
2. Exploration provide students time to think, plan, investigate, and organize collected information.
3. Explanation have students involved in an analysis of their exploration. Their understanding is clarified and modified because of reflective activities.
4. Extension gives students the opportunity to expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and/or apply it to a real world situation.
5. Evaluation occurs throughout the lesson. Scoring tools developed by teachers and students target what students must know and do. Consistent use of scoring tools improves learning.

Hopefully these resources will be a benefit to you and your students and will help expand your knowledge of the research being performed in Maryland related to the Chesapeake Bay and it's watershed.