ENERGY UNIT

Summary:
Students will investigate the various types of energy and light present on the
world around us through observation and experimentation. Lesson activities
will focus on prediction, observation, sorting, and summarizing skills.
Long Term Goals:
I: Students will be able to discuss different forms of energy, explain how they
work and list many examples of each.
Standards Addressed:
NJ: Core Curriculum Content Standards: Science (2009)
5.2 Physical Science: Physical science principles, including fundamental
ideas about matter, energy, and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for
making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science.
A Properties of Matter: All objects and substances in the natural world are
composed of matter. Matter has two fundamental properties: matter takes up
space, and matter has inertia.
5.2.4.1.4 Categorize objects based on the ability to absorb or reflect light
and conduct heat or electricity.
C Forms of Energy: Knowing the characteristics of familiar forms of energy,
including potential and kinetic energy, is useful in coming to the
understanding that, for the most part, the natural world can be explained
and is predictable.
5.2.4.C.1 Compare various forms of energy as observed in everyday life and
describe their applications.
5.2.4.C.2 Compare the flow of heat through metals and nonmetals by taking
and analyzing measurements.
5.2.4.C.3 Draw and label diagrams showing several ways that energy can
be transferred from one place to another.
5.2.4.C.4 Illustrate and explain what happens when light travels from air
into water.
D Energy Transfer and Conservation: The conservation of energy can be
demonstrated by keeping track of familiar forms of energy as they are
transferred from one object to another.
5.2.4.D.1 Repair an electric circuit by completing a closed loop that includes
wires, a battery (or batteries), and at least one other electrical component to
produce observable change.

Essential Question:
I.
How do the properties of materials determine their use?
II.
How do we know that things have energy?
III.
How can energy be transferred from one material to another?
IV.
What happens to a material when energy is transferred to it?
Understandings:
I.
II.
III.

IV.
V.
VI.

The structures of materials determine their properties.

Energy takes many forms.
Energy forms can be grouped into types of energy that are
associated with the motion of mass (kinetic energy), and types of
energy associated with the position of mass and with energy fields
(potential energy).
Changes take place because of the transfer of energy.
Energy is transferred to matter through the action of forces.
Different forces are responsible for the transfer of the different
forms of energy.

Knowledge & Skills:

Knowledge:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.

Students will be able to name different forms of energy

Students will know objects absorb and reflect light
Students will know that energy can be transferred. Heat energy is
transferred from warmer things to colder things.
Students will know that electrical circuits require a complete loop
through a conducting material in which an electrical current can
pass.
Students will know that light travels in straight lines unless it travels
from one substance to another, in which case, it changes direction.
Students will know that thermal energy (heat) results when
substances burn, when certain kinds of materials rub against each
other and when electricity flows through wires.
Students will know that metals are good conductors of thermal
energy (heat).
Students will know that increasing the temperature of any
substance requires more energy.

Skills:
I.

Students will be able to repair an electrical circuit by completing a

closed loop that includes wires, a battery, and at least one other
electrical component to produce observable change.

II.

Students will be able to discuss several ways that energy can be

transferred.
III.
Students will be able to categorize objects based on their ability to
absorb or reflect light and conduct heat or electricity.
IV.
Students will be able to compare various forms of energy in
everyday life.
V.
Students will be able to compare the flow of heat through metals
and nonmetals.
Lessons:
Day One What is Energy?
1) Teacher introduces the class by asking for examples of energy &
writing these examples on the board.
2) Next, students turn & talk to discuss the question, What is energy?
3) Next, the class discusses their definitions of energy. Teacher then
hands out the Energy Concept Map. Students will compare their
definitions with the concept map definition.
4) Next, instruct students to think about energy in their everyday lives.
Have them brainstorm examples of energy and fill in the chart on the
Energy Concept Map handout.
5) Next, the teacher will divide students into pairs. Give each pair a
flashing, bouncing ball. Challenge students to explore what happens
when the ball bounces. Instruct students to record their observations in
the data collection chart. Have pairs discuss how the ball shows
evidence of each energy form. Students then write their own
explanations on the recording sheet.
6) Read Science Notes from Forms of Energy pg. 15-16.
7) Reflect back on the experiment. Ask students to share ways in which
they observe energy in our everyday lives (they can use the list they
came up with in step 2).
Day Two Mechanical Energy: Potential & Kinetic Energy
1) Teacher introduces class by playing video of Nitro rollercoaster ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8MXGYgfiXc (1:10 2:00) While
students are watching, ask them to make observations, especially
while the rollercoaster goes up and down hills. Tell them to recall what
they learned yesterday about energy when making their observations.
2) Discuss student observations. Point out that while the rollercoaster as
at the top of its first hill, all of its energy is potential. As it continues to
go up and down hill, the energy changes from potential to kinetic.
Going up hill, the rollercoaster loses kinetic energy and gains potential
energy. Going down hill, the rollercoaster gains kinetic energy and
loses potential energy.
3) Explain to students that today they will be making discoveries about
potential and kinetic energy.

4) Next, the teacher will divide students into pairs. Provide each pair with
3 different sized marbles, a ramp, a meter stick, and a milk carton.
5) Next, students will set up the ramp with the milk carton at the bottom
(the open end of the carton should face the top of the ramp). They will
place the meter stick at the bottom of the ramp beside the milk carton.
Holding the medium sized marble at the top of the ramp, students will
let the marble go and record how far the marble was able to push the
milk carton. Students will repeat these steps with the largest marble,
and then lastly, the smallest marble. *Make sure students predict how
far each marble will push the milk carton prior to actually performing
the experiment
6) If students finish early, allow them to try letting the marble go at
different spots on the ramp. What happens?
7) Reflect on the experiment. Ask students the following questions:
a. When did the marble have potential energy? *At the top of the
ramp
b. When did the potential energy change to kinetic energy? *When
it was dropped
c. Was kinetic energy or potential energy transferred to the milk
carton in order to make it move? *Kinetic
d. Which marble had the most potential energy? *The largest
marble
e. Which marble traveled the fastest? *The largest marble
f. Which marble moved the milk carton the furthest? *The largest
marble
Day Three Thermal Energy (Heat)
1) Teacher introduces class by playing clip from Bill Nye about thermal
(heat) energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1eAOygDP5s
Ask students to be thinking about examples of thermal energy as they
watch the clip. After watching the clip, ask students to share their
examples. Mention the difference between boiling water and cooler
water. The fast moving molecules in warmer liquids, objects, and gases
is visible in boiling water.
2) Teacher explains to students that today they will be investigating the
transfer of thermal energy.
3) Next, students will be divided into groups of 3-4. Teacher will provide
each group with a thermometer, cups made of 3 different materials
(paper, Styrofoam, glass), and a timer.
4) Teacher explains that for the investigation, students will measure the
temperature of the water in each cup to determine which container
keeps the water the warmest for the longest time. *For this
experiment, the containers need to be filled with hot water. I would

suggest having each group come to the sink one at a time and have
the teacher fill up one cup at a time for them.
5) After each group is situated, have one student from each group come
up with one of their cups to be filled by the teacher with cup of
water. Explain to students that they will make observations and fill in
their data on their Investigation Sheets one cup at a time. After they
finish their observations, they will bring up their next cup, and so on,
until they get to their last cup. (Experiment should take 15-20 min with
observations of temperature change of water in the cup lasting 5
minutes each)
6) Next, gather up the class and share results of the experiment.
7) Read Investigating the Transfer of Heat handout with students.
8) Reflect on the experiment. Note to students that the container that
kept the water warmest the longest, was the container that allowed for
as little heat as possible to be conducted to it.
Day Four Light Energy
1) Teacher hooks the class through a mini lesson. Teacher will turn off
lights and shine a flashlight at a piece of black construction paper.
2) Discuss with students how light moves in a straight line by shining light
at things. (show on flashlight).
3) Discuss with students how the only way to change the light traveling
straight is to bend or block the light (demonstrate with making
shadows and using mirror).
4) Divide students into groups of 3. Provide them with a flashlight, mirror,
and index card.
5) Explain that they will have 3 minutes to practice bending the light ray
to catch the index card.
6) Next, teacher explains to students that today they will be investigating
light energy.
7) Students will remain in their groups. One student from each group will
pick up Light it Up sheets for each member of their group, along with
their bowl of materials (cardboard, foil, paper towel, colored plastic
bowl, transparency).
8) Explain to students they will be testing the objects to see how much
light passes through them and that they will need to sort the objects
into groups by the amount of light that passes through them.
9) After the students complete the experiment, and before they Draw
Conclusions, discuss with students the terms: transparent,
translucent, and opaque. Have students add those names to the 3
categories under Make Observations.
10)
Students Draw Conclusions.
11)
Reflect on results of experiment.
12)
Watch video
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/energy-lightsound/light.htm

Have students fill out Light Energy sheet as they watch video.
Day Five Electrical Energy
1) Teacher explains to students that today they will be learning about
electrical energy.
2) Teacher breaks student into pairs.
3) Teacher provides each pair with one copper wire, one light bulb and
one battery, as well as one copy for each student of the handout that
says Cut out the pictures on the top, and a piece of string (1 for each
student).
4) Explain to students that they need to use the wire, battery and light
bulb to try and make the light bulb light up.
5) After they have discovered how to make a closed circuit, have them
make a visual of their design using the pictures on the handout and the
string.
6) Gather the class together. Reflect on the experiment. What worked and
what didnt?
7) To conclude the class, hand out the sheet with the various circuits and
have students cut and sort the pictures on the sorting sheet based on
which circuits would make the light bulb light up and which one
wouldnt. *this can be done as a whole class, individual, table, or
partner activity.
Day Six & Day Seven Culminating Project