The Explore-Before-Explain Guidebook for Science Education

This guidebook uses an Explore-before-Explain instructional sequence to help you facilitate the design of active meaning-making lessons in science.

Author Pat Brown models and breaks down how an Explore-before-Explain approach ensures students' conceptual understandings are constructed primarily on evidence-based experiences in the classroom. From prompting students to ponder patterns, helping them identify cause-and-effect relationships, to focusing on development of their thinking rather than validating ideas, you can use Explore-before-Explain instruction to help your students feel confident in their thinking and become more self-directed learners. Chapters focus on developing your students' conceptual science understanding through the investigation of natural occurrences. Content and module examples are provided, as well as attention to contemporary standards and safety in science. Rather than acting as a prescriptive program, however, this book adds another element to your curriculum design, showing how lessons can and should include critical elements of active sensemaking when designing an Explore-before-Explain sequence. In addition, the author shows the benefits of bringing Explore-before-Explain outside the classroom to create high-quality professional and curriculum-based learning.

This resource is ideal for K-12 science teachers, as well as building administrators who are looking for a practice-oriented and research-based approach for their science curriculum. As a classroom educator, you can use these strategies for leveraging research into hands-on, minds-on activities to promote more robust and equitable learning environments. For leaders, this resource can be used to develop professional learning experiences for sustained departmental improvement.

Patrick Brown is the executive director of STEAM and career education for the Fort Zumwalt School District in St. Charles, Missouri.