Energy Unit - Lesson Plans

Days 1-3
What is Energy? What are the different kinds of energy?
Grade Level: Fourth
Length of Lesson: Three 1-hour periods
Purpose:
Students will gain an understanding of what energy is. They will explore the different
types of energy, including: biomass, coal, geothermal energy, hydropower, natural gas,
petroleum, propane, solar energy, uranium, wind, and electricity. After gaining
familiarity with different sources of energy students will work in groups to make posters
and present them to the class.
Objectives:
 Students will develop research strategies and skills for information gathering and
problem solving (S.IA.04.14).
 Students will communicate and present findings of observations and
investigations (S.IA.04.12).
Materials:
 26 copies of Elementary Energy Info Book (pages 6-7 and 10-33)
 List of students groups picked out
 Fact recording sheet for each group (topic and pages on it)
 26 energy poster rubrics
 Posterboard
 Markers, crayons, pencils, erasers, etc
 Worksheet for students to take notes on
Management:
Students will be free to move around the room and work in any free space available. I
will pick the groups out beforehand so that each group is composed students that can
work well together and be successful. Uranium and electricity are more difficult topics
so I will place more advanced students in those groups. All group members will be
expected to participate in the note taking, poster making, and the presentation. Groups
will be given a rubric so that they can see what they are being graded on and what needs
to be accomplished. Students will be asked to return to their seats to work if there is
misbehavior.
Activities:
Day 1 and 2:
1. Hook: “This year you are all really lucky because we are going to be studying
energy, something that most other fourth grade classes don’t get to do. Energy is
kind of a confusing idea though. I am wondering if people have any ideas about
what energy might be?”
2. Take student responses and create list for students to reference later. Read pages
6-7 of the Elementary Energy Info Book.
3. Introduce different energy sources poster making project.
 -Read Article
 -On fact sheet, record important facts, pictures, or charts that you want to
present.
o Must give a definition in your own words
o Must say if it is renewable or nonrenewable
 -Then, get posterboard
 -Work on poster
 -Practice presenting
4. Break students into assigned groups.
Day 3:
5. Hand out note taking worksheet. Explain to groups that they will be filling this
out as students present. They must record if the source is renewable or
nonrenewable and a definition in their own words. Explain to students that these
will be collected at the end of presentations and will be counted towards their
final project grade.
6. Students present.
Conclusion:
You all did such a wonderful job presenting! Your posters turned out amazing and you
were so considerate when people were presenting. Nice job everyone.
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on how they worked together as a group, the number of ideas
they share, the attractiveness/ understandability of their posters, and their listening skills.
I will use the attached rubric for this formal assessment.
Facts Recording Sheet
Topic: __________________________________ Pages: ___________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Poster Groups
Biomass
Jordan
Ally
Ayla
Coal
Chris
Miranda
Geothermal
Reem
Amanda
Hydropower
Travis
Lucio
Natural Gas
Sabrina
Riley
Ali
Petroleum
Natalie
Howard
Propane
Hamoudy
Sean
Solar
Kristin
Julie
Uranium
Jessie
Tommy
Lindsey
Wind
Mikaela
Mitchell
Electricity
JP
Carolyn
Brendan
Name: ___________________________
Energy Source Renewable or Definition

Nonrenewable
Biomass
Coal
Geothermal
Hydropower
Natural Gas
Petroleum
Propane
Solar
Uranium
Wind
Electricity
Group Members: _________________________________________________________
Rubric for the Group Presentation
Category 4 3 2 1
Presentation All members shared One member of the group Members did not share
information with the did not share as much as their poster with class
class during the the other group members
presentation. did.
Facts The group shared at least The group shared four The group shared only The group shared less than
five important ideas that important ideas that found three important ideas that three important ideas that
they found in their in their reading. found in their reading. they found in their reading.
*These include: reading.
charts, pictures, and
facts.
Attractiveness/ The poster is The poster is attractive in The poster is acceptably The poster is distractingly
exceptionally attractive terms of design, layout, attractive although a little messy or very poorly
Creativity in terms of design, and neatness. bit messy. designed. It is not
layout, and neatness. attractive.
Conventions/ The poster is easy to read The poster is somewhat The poster is hard to read The poster is nearly
and understand. easy to read and and understand. impossible to read and
Understandability
Conventions are always understand. Conventions Conventions are rarely understand. Conventions
used. are usually in place. used. are not used.
Total: ___________ Percent: ____________ Grade: ___________
Group Members: _________________________________________________________
Rubric for the Group Presentation
Category 4 3 2 1
Presentation All members shared One member of the group Members did not share
information with the did not share as much as their poster with class
class during the the other group members
presentation. did.
Facts The group shared at least The group shared four The group shared only The group shared less than
five important ideas that important ideas that found three important ideas that three important ideas that
they found in their in their reading. found in their reading. they found in their reading.
*These include: reading.
charts, pictures, and
facts.
Attractiveness/ The poster is The poster is attractive in The poster is acceptably The poster is distractingly
exceptionally attractive terms of design, layout, attractive although a little messy or very poorly
Creativity in terms of design, and neatness. bit messy. designed. It is not
layout, and neatness. attractive.
Conventions/ The poster is easy to read The poster is somewhat The poster is hard to read The poster is nearly
and understand. easy to read and and understand. impossible to read and
Understandability Conventions are always understand. Conventions Conventions are rarely understand. Conventions
used. are usually in place. used. are not used.
Total: ___________ Percent: ____________ Grade: ___________

Day 4
Thermometer 1 and Exploring Heat 1 Experiment
Grade Level: Fourth
Length of Lesson: 40 minutes
Purpose:
To gain familiarity with a thermometer and to explore heat using water.
Objectives:
 Students will manipulate simple tools that aid in observation and data
collection of different forms of energy (for example: hand lens, ruler,
measuring cup, thermometer, spring scale, electric meter (S.IP.04.14)).
 Students will make accurate measurements with appropriate units
(centimeters, meters, milliliters, liters, Celsius, Fahrenheit, seconds, minutes)
for each measurement tool (S.IP.04.15).
 Students will use evidence from experiments and reading when
communicating ideas about energy (S.RS.04.15).
 Students will be able to identify heat, light, motion, and sound as forms of
energy (P.EN.04.12).
 Students will demonstrate and describe the effects that energy has on
temperature (P.EN.04.41).
Materials:
 26 copies of page 13 and 14 from Energy Works Student Guide
 1- 1000 ml pitcher
 2- 250 ml pitchers
 1 thermometer
 Cold and warm water
 Colored Pencils
Management:
Students will remain seated during our Thermometer 1 and Exploring Heat 1 class
discussion. Students will be expected to raise their hands when they want to share an
idea. I will have volunteers come up and make recordings and read measurements for the
class. Students who are sitting quietly with their hand raised will be called on.
Activities:
Thermometer 1
1. Hook: “In the last couple of days we have been learning about the different
sources of energy. Well today we are going to be learning about one of the forms
of energy which is called heat. Thumbs up if you have heard of heat before.
Great. Does anyone have any ideas about how we measure heat? What type of
tool might we use?”
2. Go over thermometer 1 with students. Have students read the different
temperatures at which water boils, freezes, and the temperature of the human
body. Ask students to predict the temperature in the classroom, outside, and in the
drinking fountain.
Exploring Heat 1
3. Now that we have brushed up on how to read a thermometer lets get some
practice!
4. Ask students to read over the procedure silently.
5. Go over steps in the procedure step by step
6. Discuss conclusions.
Conclusion:
Thanks for participating today everyone. I know that I am feeling much more confident
about using a thermometer, how about you? Tomorrow we will get more practice with
this.
Assessment:
As we are doing this class activity I will be walking around the room to see how students
are doing with reading a thermometer. I will also pay attention to who is sharing ideas
and who is not. I will also take note of the students who support their claims with
evidence from our experiment. I will collect the worksheets after science to see what
kind of conclusions students drew.
Computers:
Introduce the PowerPoint Project. Walk students through a PowerPoint tutorial by taking
control of their screens with the main computer. Give directions for the project. Show
them how to insert slides, select layouts, insert pictures and text, transitions, etc. Ask
students to make a title slide including, a title, a picture, and their name. Ask them to
make one additional slide defining what energy is in their own words. Hand out the
PowerPoint check list. Ask students to put there name on it and keep it in a safe place.
 Checklist for a Quality
PowerPoint Presentation 
I have a title slide. It has my name on it, a title, and a picture.
I have 5 slides containing the following:
What is Energy? This slide has a title and a definition of energy in my own
words.
Heat – This slide has a title, two things I have learned about heat, and a picture.
Light – This slide has a title, two things I have learned about light, and a
picture.
Sound - This slide has a title, two things I have learned about sound, and
a picture.
Motion - This slide has a title, two things I have learned about sound, and
a picture.
I have a conclusion slide. It says something catchy or concludes your

PowerPoint.
My PowerPoint shows my personal best effort

Energy PowerPoint Rubric
Points Possible Your Points Required Elements
Title Slide
3 Title, your name, picture
What is Energy?
4 Title, definition of energy in your own
words
Heat Slide
5 Title, 2 things you have learned, complete
sentences, picture
Light Slide
sentences, picture
Sound Slide
sentences, picture
Motion Slide
sentences, picture
Conclusion Slide
3 Catchy phrase or conclusion, picture
35 TOTAL POINTS
Energy PowerPoint Rubric

Title Slide
3 Title, your name, picture
What is Energy?
4 Title, definition of energy in your own
words
Heat Slide
sentences, picture
Light Slide
sentences, picture
Sound Slide
sentences, picture
Motion Slide
sentences, picture
Conclusion Slide
3 Catchy phrase or conclusion, picture
35 TOTAL POINTS
Day 5- Instructional Cycle 1
Exploring Heat Experiments 2 and 3
Instructional Cycle Commentary from Previous Lesson:

After doing our first experiment I realized that students were struggling with the idea of
heat and how it is always moving to seek balance. This was visible to me in students
worksheets and when we had a class discussion and at the end of the experiment on what
was really occurring. Students struggled to see that the cold water and hot water ended
up balancing out. They weren’t sure how to figure this out. I tried to lead them to the
idea of averaging but there still seemed to be a disconnect. Also, I did not encourage
students to look at the visual data on the thermometer, which would have made this
relationship more evident. For this reason, I feel that this was a great lesson to get
students hooked and interested in heat, but would need further instruction in order to have
a full understanding of the ideas.
In order to try and help students develop these ideas more fully, students will read about
how heat always seeks a balance. We will then revisit yesterday’s experiment and see
how this plays a role. I will also demonstrate with a few students and myself as models
what is occurring with the molecules. Students will then do two more experiments that
deal with heat seeking balance and will also be asked to apply this to a real life situation
where they have observed this occur.
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore heat using water.
Objectives:
 Students will manipulate simple tools that aid in observation and data collection
of different forms of energy (for example: hand lens, ruler, measuring cup,
thermometer, spring scale, electric meter (S.IP.04.14)).
 Students will make accurate measurements with appropriate units (centimeters,
meters, milliliters, liters, Celsius, Fahrenheit, seconds, minutes) for each
measurement tool (S.IP.04.15).
 Students will use evidence from experiments and reading when communicating
ideas about energy (S.RS.04.15).
 Students will be able to identify heat, light, motion, and sound as forms of energy
(P.EN.04.12).
 Students will demonstrate and describe the effects that energy has on temperature
(P.EN.04.41).
 Students will be able to measure volumes of liquids and capacities of containers
in millimeters and liters (P.PM.04.17).
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading page 4 and 5)
 26 copies of pages 15 and 16 in the Energy Works Student Guide
 9 thermometers
 Cold and warm water*
 Colored pencils
 3 wallpaper pans
**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total. Three groups will perform Exploring Heat
2 and the other three groups will perform Exploring Heat 3 and then switch materials.
Management:
Students will be assigned to a group composed of 4-5 students that they will work with
during our science unit. Students will be assigned working areas and will be expected to
stay there until they switch to the next experiment. Groups will have a partner table so
that they know which table to switch to when they move to the next experiment.
Students will pick one member of the group to get supplies if necessary. If there are
questions throughout the experiment students will be asked to raise their hands. When
students are done with the experiments, one student from each group will be asked to
return materials to the back counter. Everyone else will remain at their seats to finish
working on conclusion questions. As a class we will discuss our conclusions. I will call
on students who are raising their hands.
Activities:
Exploring Heat 2 and 3
1. Hook: “Last week we began exploring energy in the form of heat. Today we are
going to continue exploring heat using cold/ hot water mixtures and
thermometers.”
2. As a class students will read pages 4 and 5 of Energy Works Student Guide.
Discuss any questions.
3. Model and highlight the procedure for Exploring Heat 2 and Exploring Heat 3.
4. Explain centers to students. The front three tables will begin with Exploring Heat
2 and the back three tables will begin with exploring Heat 3. After 15 minutes
groups will switch tables with their designated partner table and perform the next
experiment. One student will be designated to get supplies (which will be on
trays in the back) and another student will be in charge of returning supplies.
5. Students start experiment. After 15 minutes ask them to rotate.
6. When both experiments are done, ask students to discuss and work on their
conclusion questions on the back of their sheets. Ask designated students to
return materials to the back counter.
7. Discuss conclusions as a class and turn in worksheets.
Conclusion:
“Everyone did a fabulous job today during group work. I love the way that you stayed on
task and worked together to perform experiments and draw conclusions. You all had
some great insights into what was happening in our experiments. Thanks for the great
work!”
Assessment:
are doing with reading a thermometer. I will watch for groups that are on task and
working together. I will note and speak to groups who are struggling. I will also pay
attention to who is sharing ideas and who is not. I will also take note of the students who
support their claims with evidence from our experiment. I will collect the worksheets
after science to see what kind of conclusions students drew.
Instructional Cycle Commentary after Lesson:

During these two lessons I realized that you cannot assume that students will make a
connection between two ideas unless yougive them the support and scaffolding that they
need. In the Exploring Heat 1 I thought that my students were going to see the
connection between the data and the implications for heat seeking balance right away.
However, I realized that I needed to elaborate and give them some background
knowledge to be successful. Also, many of the students were just getting into the groove
of doing an experiment with a lot of things going on. This was a demo and so students
were watching me move through the steps. On the second day when they were doing it,
students had more ownership over the experiment so were wondering and noticing more
things. They also seemed to be more accurate in their measurements. Students were also
forthcoming in the mistakes that they made/ pitfalls that other groups should avoid in
later experiments. For example, one group measured the temperature of the hot water
and then waited four minutes to mix it with the cold water so they decided that this would
skew their data. In my feedback to students I tried to give them positive comments while
still prodding them with questions so that on future experiments they will dig deeper. I
am confident that most students have a beginning understanding of heat at this point and
that is all I expect thus far. Students will discover and connect more and more as we
move through the unit.
Day 6
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore how heat moves by conduction and to explore conductors and insulators.
Objectives:
 Students will manipulate simple tools that aid in observation and data collection
of different forms of energy (for example: hand lens, ruler, measuring cup,
thermometer, spring scale, electric meter (S.IP.04.14)).
 Students will make accurate measurements with appropriate units (centimeters,
meters, milliliters, liters, Celsius, Fahrenheit, seconds, minutes) for each
measurement tool (S.IP.04.15).
 Students will construct simple charts and graphs from data and observations
(S.IP.04.16).
 Students will summarize and analyze information from charts and graphs to
answer scientific questions about energy (S.IP.04.16).
 Students will use evidence from experiments and reading when communicating
ideas about energy (S.RS.04.15).
 Students will be able to identify heat, light, motion, and sound as forms of energy
(P.EN.04.12).
 Students will understand conduction and insulation. They will also be able to
identify objects that are good conductors or poor conductors of heat and
electricity ( P.PM.04.53).
Materials:
 26 copies of pages 17 (change after 5 minutes to 3 minutes in the chart) and
18 (fill in minutes in chart before copying) in the Energy Works Student Guide
 Cold water and hot water*
 15 foam cups with tops
 3 pieces of 6 x 4 in aluminum foil
 3 pieces of 6 x 12 aluminum foil
 3 piece of rope- 10 cm long
 6 thermometers
 3 plastic cups
 3 metal cups or cans
 3 glass cups
 3 rubber bands
 3 pitchers of ice water
**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total. Three groups will perform Exploring Heat
4 and the other three groups will perform Exploring Heat 5 and then switch materials.
Management:
stay there until they switch to the next experiment. Groups will have a partner table so
that they know which table to switch to when they move to the next experiment.
Students will pick one member of the group to get supplies if necessary. If there are
questions throughout the experiment students will be asked to raise their hands. When
students are done with the experiments, one student from each group will be asked to
return materials to the back counter. Everyone else will remain at their seats to finish
working on conclusion questions. As a class we will discuss our conclusions. I will call
on students who are raising their hands.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Has anybody ever heard of conductors or insulators (raise hands)? Does
anyone have any ideas about what these terms mean (take responses)? Today we
are going experiment with these two ideas.”
2. As a class students will read pages 6 and 7 of Energy Works Student Guide.
3. Model and go over Exploring Heat 4 and Exploring Heat 5 procedure. Have
students highlight important information in the procedure. Emphasize to students
that they must pay very close attention to the clock when they are doing both
experiments. Suggest to students that they assign one person in the group to be
the timekeeper.
4. Explain centers to students. The front three tables will begin with Exploring Heat
2 and the back three tables will begin with exploring Heat 3. After 15 minutes
groups will switch tables with their designated partner table and perform the next
experiment. One student will be designated to get supplies (which will be on
trays in the back) and another student will be in charge of returning supplies.
5. Students start experiment. After 15 minutes ask them to rotate.
6. When both experiments are done, ask students to discuss and work on their
Conclusion:
“Today we made some great discoveries. Can some people remind us of some of the
important things that we learned today? Thanks, and great job everyone!”
Assessment:
are doing with the experiment. I will watch for groups that are on task and working
together. I will note and speak to groups who are struggling. I will also pay attention to
who is sharing ideas and who is not. I will also take note of the students who support
their claims with evidence from our experiment. I will collect the worksheets after
science to see what kind of conclusions students drew.
Reflection:
In the future I would not do Exploring Heat 4 as a class experiment. I might do this as a
demo and have the control, thin wire, thick wire, and rope going at once. I would
probably have each table be in charge of one and do it together at the overhead. This way
they are helping but are not getting tied up in the measurements. Get rid of Celsius on
chart.
Day 7
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore convection in a liquid and to explore absorption of light energy.
Objectives:
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading page 8-10)
 26 copies of pages 19 and 20 from Energy Works Student Guide
 12 clear plastic cups
 24 marbles
 Hot water*
 Cold water*
 Food coloring
 2 clear plastic cups
 2 thermometers
 Room temperature sand
 Room temperature water*
 Sunny day or bright lamp*
**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total.
Management:
stay there until they switch to the next experiment. Students will pick one member of the
group to get supplies if necessary. If there are questions throughout the experiment
students will be asked to raise their hands. When students are done with the experiments,
one student from each group will be asked to return materials to the back counter.
Everyone else will remain at their seats to finish working on conclusion questions. As a
class we will discuss our conclusions. I will call on students who are raising their hands.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Today we are going to be learning about another property of heat called
convection. This may sound like a big scary science concept but it really as not.
Our experiment today will help us understand it better. We will also be learning
about light absorption and the role that it plays in creating wind.”
2. As a class students will read pages 8-10 of Energy Works Student Guide. Discuss
any questions.
3. Discuss Exploring Heat 7 and get it started. Explain to students that they will
return to this experiment towards the end of the lesson.
4. Model and go over Exploring Heat 6. Have students highlight important
information in the procedure.
5. Students start experiment. Let them work approximately 15 minutes.
6. When experiment is done, ask students to discuss and work on their conclusion
questions on their sheets. Ask designated students to return materials to the back
counter.
7. Next, return to experiment 7 and discuss what occurred.
8. Discuss conclusions from both experiments and allow time for students to fill out
their worksheets.
Conclusion:
“You all did a wonderful job today working together to better understand convection. I
am also glad that you were all here to help me decide how wind was made. I don’t know
if I could have figured it out on my own!”
Assessment:
Day 8
Exploring Light 1
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore light waves and shadows.
Objectives:
 Students will use technology to organize and relay what they have learned
about energy to others (S.RS.04.16).
Materials:
 26 copies of page 31 in the Energy Works Student Guide
 1 wooden spool
 1 flashlight
 1 piece of white paper (11x17)*
 1 ruler
 1 tape*
Management:
This experiment will be performed as a demo. We will do the reading at students’ desks.
Next, I will pass out page 31 from the Energy Works Student Guide to students and ask
them to meet me in the back with their paper, a clipboard, and pencil. Students will be
expected to remain seated in the back unless I ask for volunteers. Students will raise their
hands to speak. We will discuss conclusions and I will ask students to return to their
seats to record their conclusions.
Activities:
Exploring Light 1
1. Hook: “Has anyone ever noticed how their shadow changes from the sun or in a
light depending on where they stand? Would anyone like to describe some of the
ways their shadow might have changed?” Great ideas everyone. Today we are
going to be exploring this idea of shadows a little more in depth.”
2. As a class students will read pages 22- 23 of Energy Works Student Guide (remain
at seats). Discuss any questions.
3. Ask students to get a pencil, clipboard, and worksheet and meet you in the back.
4. Read and do procedure with students.
5. Discuss conclusions and allow students to return to their seats to finish writing.
6. Ask students to turn in worksheets.
Conclusion:
So far in this unit we have been learning about heat as a form of energy. Can anyone
remind me of what form of energy we started learning about today? Thanks for all your
help today!”
Assessment:
As we are doing this class activity I will monitor who is sharing ideas and who is not. I
will also take note of the students who support their claims with evidence from our
experiment. I will collect the worksheets after science to see what kind of conclusions
students drew.
Day 9
Exploring Light 2, 3, and 4
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore refraction using a spectroscope, water, and a convex lens.
Objectives:
 Students will be able to identify properties of the states (solids, liquids, and
gases) of mater (P.PM.04.23).
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading page 24, and 25)
 26 copies of pages 32-34 (stapled together so conclusions can be written on
back) in the Energy Works Student Guide
 At least 6 spectroscopes (3 for the 2 centers)
 8 colored filters (2 for 2 centers)
 Colored pencils*
 2 straight- sided clear glasses full of water*
 2 flashlights
 2 pieces of white paper
 At least 2 magnifiers with convex lens
 2 flashlights
 1 sheet of white paper*
 1 ruler
 1 penny*
**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total. Two groups will be performing Exploring
Light 2, two will be performing Exploring Light 3, and two groups will be performing
Exploring Light 4. Students will rotate supplies three times to get through each of the
centers.
Management:
stay there until they switch to the next experiment. Groups will rotate supplies in a circle
when they move to the next experiment. Students will pick one member of the group to
get supplies if necessary. If there are questions throughout the experiment students will
be asked to raise their hands. When students are done with the experiments, one student
from each group will be asked to return materials to the back counter. Everyone else will
remain at their seats to finish working on conclusion questions. As a class we will
discuss our conclusions. I will call on students who are raising their hands.
Activities:
Exploring Light 2, 3, 4
1. Hook: “Today in science we are going to explore the idea of refraction. Does
anyone have ideas about what refraction is or means?”
2. Students will individually read pages 24 and 25 of Energy Works Student Guide.
3. Model and go over Exploring Light 2, 3, 4 procedures. Have students highlight
important information in the procedure.
4. Explain centers to students. Emphasize to students that they have three
experiments today and that each center will be given 7 minutes. Students will
rotate supplies in a circle like motion around the room. Ask students to stay on
task and take careful consideration of time.
5. Students start experiment. After 7 minutes ask them to rotate, and then rotate
again.
6. When all experiments are done, ask students to discuss and work on their
Conclusion:
“Thank you everyone for your cooperation today. What are some things that people
learned about refraction?”
Assessment:
Reflection:
We ended up doing this activity in four centers. Ask parent volunteers to come in and
help. A parent is not needed at the reading station. However, have one parent or teacher
at the three other experiment stations. This made the activity run smoother considering
there were so many things going on in the room.
Day 10- INSTRUCTIONAL CYCLE COMMENTARY 2
Exploring Light 8
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore how the energy in light is changed into heat.
Objectives:
(S.IP.04.16).
 Students will demonstrate and describe the effects that energy has on
temperature (P.EN.04.41).
Materials:
 26 copies of page 40 from the Energy Works Student Guide
 30 thermometers
 6 pieces of black paper (15cm x 15cm)*
 6 pieces of yellow paper (15cm x 15cm)*
 6 pieces of white paper (15cm x 15cm)*
 6 pieces of bright blue paper (15cm x 15cm)*
 6 pieces of bright red paper (15cm x 15cm)*
 Tape*
 6 bright lights or sunny day
**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total. I will do this lesson in the morning so that
I can borrow some thermometers from Mrs. Pumper.
Management:
during our science unit. Students will be assigned working areas. Students will pick one
member of the group to get supplies if necessary. If there are questions throughout the
experiment students will be asked to raise their hands. When students are done with the
experiments, one student from each group will be asked to return materials to the back
counter. Everyone else will remain at their seats to finish working on conclusion
questions. As a class we will discuss our conclusions. I will call on students who are
raising their hands.
Activities:
Exploring Light 8
1. Hook: “Today we are going to learn about how dark colors absorb light and how
light colors reflect light.”
2. As a class read pages 26- 27 of Energy Works Student Guide. Discuss any
questions.
3. Model and go over Exploring Light 8. Have students highlight important
information in the procedure. Emphasize that students should be doing all trials at
once.
4. Students start experiment.
5. When experiment is complete, ask students to discuss and work on their
Conclusion:
Fabulous job! What are some things you learned about light absorption and reflection
today (Take Responses)? Paraphrasing what students say- So today we learned about
how dark colors absorb light waves, turning them into heat and how light colors reflect
them.
Assessment:
Reflection:
We did this on a day that was kind of cloudy so our results were not perfect. I would try
to do this on a sunny day or else get lights for the classroom. I would also change the
chart so that students only have to record Fahrenheit and not Celsius. Also, take off the
total temperature change because it is not necessary for students to understand what is
happening. It actually confuses them a little.
Instructional Cycle 2 Commentary:

During this experiment, I decided to have my students go outside so that they would get a
more realistic depiction and hands on experience of how light energy can turn to heat
energy. However, on the day that we did the experiment it was fairly cloudy outside,
which I think confounded our results a bit. As I walked around and looked at the data
that students were collecting I realized that each group had different colors absorbing the
most and least light energy. When we got back in the classroom students were trying to
fill out their conclusion questions but I feel that they were struggling to fill them out
because their results did not support the ideas that we had read about. In fact, I was
pleased in a way to see that many of them were very frustrated that the experiment did
not turn out how they expected. This let me know that they had the right idea but still
needed some development and that I needed a way to demonstrate this phenomenon
better to the students. For this reason, I asked students to put their science away and told
them that we would continue it the following day.
The next day we first talked about the results that different groups got. I then asked
students what we could say about our class results? Many of them piped up and said that
we all had very different data. I then asked students what they expected to happen. Most
students agreed that the black should have absorbed the most light and been the warmest
and that the white should have reflected the most light. I then went further and we had a
discussion about how things don’t always turn out how you expect them to. This was
perfect because we had just been learning about expected and actual results in probability.
One student said that there must be some “lurking variables” affecting our results. I told
students that I thought this was a great idea and asked students to share some things that
might have affected our results. Students felt that the clouds, individual area, and
placement of the thermometers may have messed up our experiment. I was so impressed!
We then tried to think of ways to set our experiment up better. I suggested that we use
the heat lamp at the back, which we had just used in our plant unit. My students really
liked this idea. They also said that 1 person should record the temperatures on the
thermometers and that another should check them to make sure that they were accurate.
We did this and our results showed what students expected. Students then finished filling
out their worksheets. Some students used their same data and said that their results did
not support our idea of light absorption and further explained what should have
happened. Other students talked about our new data and results to explain light
absorption. Both responses were very insightful. I felt that even though this activity did
not work out perfectly at first that students got even more out of it than I expected. I
guess that is why you should always go where the students lead you.
Day 11
Exploring Motion 1 and 2
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore potential gravitational energy. Students will also gain practice graphing and
analyzing data.
Objectives:
(S.IP.04.16).
 Students will compare and contrast sets of data from multiple trials of
investigation to explain reasons for differences (S.IA.04.15).
 Students will be able to describe how the position and mass of an object affect
the energy of the object (P.FM.05.34)
Materials:
 26 copies of pages 48 and 49 (stapled together so conclusions can be written
on back) in the Energy Works Student Guide
 6 grooved rulers
 6 marbles
 6 wooden ball
 6 measuring tapes (get some out of Everyday Math Kit if not enough)
 5 thin books (each about 1 cm thick)*
 Carpeted area*
Management:
Activities:
Exploring Motion 1
7. Hook: “In this unit we have so far learned about heat and light. Today we are
going to start experimenting with motion, specifically potential motion.”
8. Students will individually read pages 24 and 25 of Energy Works Student Guide.
9. Model and go over Exploring Motion 1. Have students highlight important
information in the procedure.
10. Remind students of the steps involved in averaging.
12. When experiment is complete, ask students to discuss and work on their
13. Next, ask students to graph their results on page 49 and answer questions.
Conclusion:
Great work on the experiment everyone. Tomorrow we are going to be learning about
friction and how that can affect motion.
Assessment:
Day 12
Exploring Motion 5
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To explore friction.
Objectives:
(S.IP.04.16).
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading page 43-44)
 6 grooved rulers
 6 books 1cm thick*
 6 marbles
 6 measuring tapes
 Wood, tile, carpet, concrete* BRING IN WOOD
Management:
stay there until they switch to the next surface. Students will pick one member of the
group to get supplies if necessary. If there are questions throughout the experiment
students will be asked to raise their hands. When students are done with the experiments,
one student from each group will be asked to return materials to the back counter.
Everyone else will remain at their seats to finish working on conclusion questions. As a
class we will discuss our conclusions. I will call on students who are raising their hands.
**Ahead of time consider numbering the surfaces on the worksheets so that students are
all in different places.
Activities:
Exploring Motion 5
1. Hook: “Can everyone rub their hands together? What are we creating? What is
creating this? Today we are going to explore how friction impacts motion. Who
thinks friction helps motion? Who thinks it slows motion?”
2. As a class read pages 43-44 of Energy Works Student Guide. Discuss any
questions.
3. Model and go over Exploring Motion 5 procedure. Have students highlight
Conclusion:
Great work with friction! So boys and girls, what did we find out about friction.
Computers:
Continue PowerPoint project. Students will work on their light slides today. Each
student must make at least one slide containing two things that they learned, a picture,
and a transition.
Assessment:
Day 13
Spring Scale and Exploring Motion 7
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To gain familiarity with a spring scale. Students will also explore inertia and friction.
Objectives:
(S.IP.04.16).
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading page 47)
 6 spring scales **check to make sure there are enough
 6 wooden blocks **check to make sure there are enough
 18 round pencils*
 18 hexagonal pencils*
 12 pieces of notebook paper*
Management:
Activities:
Exploring Motion 7
1. Hook: “Has anyone ever used a spring scale before? This is a spring scale (get
one out for students to see). What are some things that you notice about it?”
2. As a class read pages 47 of Energy Works Student Guide. Discuss any questions.
3. Model and go over Exploring Motion 7 procedure. Have students highlight
Conclusion:
“Great job working together everyone. Your conclusions really helped me to better
understand this concept.”
Assessment:
Day 14
Sound
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To gain familiarize students with sound as a form of energy.
Objectives:
 Students will develop research strategies and skills for information gathering
and problem solving (S.IA.04.14).
Materials:
 26 Energy Works Student Guides (reading pages 59-62)
Management:
Students will be working in groups of 2-3 students to read material and do the worksheet
on key words. Students will be free to move around the room. If noise level is too high
or students are misbehaving they will be asked to return to their seats and finish up on
their own.
Activities:
1. Hook: “What are some of your favorite sounds (take responses)? Did you know
that sound is a form of energy that is moving around us all the time? Today we
are going to be learning about the last form of energy called sound.”
2. Gather students on the carpet to preview the subtitles, pictures, headlines, etc.
Ask students what they think might be important in this section.
3. Ask students to get into groups and start reading. Tell them that when they are
done they can work on completing the key words worksheet on their desks.
Conclusion:
“I heard a lot of people sharing some great ideas today. So I am wondering, how is sound
produced? How does it move? Etc.”
Assessment:
During this session I will be walking around to make sure that students are reading and
picking up on main ideas. I will stop and ask them questions to help students clarify their
thinking. I will also look over the key words worksheet to make sure that students picked
up and main ideas and vocabulary.
Day 15
Saving Energy
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
Students will gain familiarity with the history of energy, how is energy used in school and
at home, and tips for conserving energy.
Objectives:
 Students will describe and understand the effect humans have had on the
balance of the world and its energy reserves (S.RS.04.18).
 Students will use what they know about energy to identify the current
problems they may be solved through conservation and the use of technology
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
 26 Saving Energy: Building Buddies (reading page 2-8)
 26 copies of page 9 in the Saving Energy: Building Buddies
 Scissors
Management:
Students will be reading at their seats. Students will read and then call on any student in
the class to continue reading. If students are not following along and don’t know where
we are reading they will be asked to flip their card to yellow. I do this so that students are
both reading and hearing the text, which I think is important. After we finish reading,
students will be free to move around the room and work on the timeline with a partner
Activities:
1. Hook: “So far in this unit we have been learning about the four different forms of
energy. Can people remind us of what those four forms are? Well now we know
all about energy but now what are we supposed to do? Now, we need to learn
how to best conserve energy. Today we will be learning about the history of
energy and some times for conserving it.”
2. Ask students to take out their books and turn to page 2 of Building Buddies. Start
reading and have students play “popcorn.” Explain that if people are not
following along in the reading that they will have to flip their card. Read pages 2-
8 of Building Buddies.
3. Explain how students should do the timeline. Tell them to look on pages 2 and 3
to get the information they need. Students should cut out the pictures and paste
them in the right place. Remind them to be careful when cutting out so that they
don’t lose any of their pictures.
Conclusion:
“Great job working together everyone. After reading, ask students if they can think of
ways to save energy when heating and cooling, in lighting, in heating water, in running
machines and appliances, etc.
Assessment:
In our conclusion, I will see who is participating and raising their hand to share advice. I
will be taking note of students who are able to determine ways to conserve energy. In
their worksheets I will be looking to see if students were able to pull information out
from the text in order to properly place the pictures in the correct time period.
Day 16: Instructional Cycle III- Video of lesson
Energy Saving Jigsaw
Instructional Cycle Commentary:

On Day 15, students read about the history of energy and some ways that we can save
energy. The activity that I had them do was based on history of energy. I felt that
students need more information on how to save energy. I wanted them to hear real life
examples of it so that they could think about their own behavior and think about how they
could modify it. I also felt like they had some ideas about energy conservation but not
much of a way to implement them. It seemed to me like students had this disconnect and
I wanted to give them more information and ideas. For that reason, I had students break
into groups and become specialists on one area of energy conservation. They picked out
the most important information and would then share it with other groups. New groups
would be formed so that there was a different specialist in each group to tell them about
what they learned.
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To learn more ways to conserve energy.
Objectives:
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
 26 copies of Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide
(reading pages 3-8) **Cut and Pasted- make sure to make copies beforehand
 7 copies of pages 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 from Saving Energy: Monitoring &
Mentoring- Student Guide
 26 copies of “What did our energy specialists say?”

Management:
Students will work in groups of 5-6 students. I will have students work in their table
groups. However, I will break up the sixth table among the other ones. Students can stay
at their tables and read through their except of reading. When it comes time for the
jigsaw I will have students stand at the front of the room. I will then ask all ones to come
to this table, all twos at this table, etc. This way the chaos should be cut down. Students
will know what group they are in because I will have a list of this on the board that we
will go over.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Today we are going to learn about energy consumption and energy
conservation. In order to do this we are all going to become specialists on a
certain topic and then teach our peers.”
2. Break students into groups and discuss what they are going to be doing. Explain
that they will be doing a jigsaw. Each group will be given a different topic to read
about. They will be asked to come up with at least 2 facts from each of the
subtitles and record them on their worksheets. When everyone has completed this
part new groups will be formed with a specialist from each group. Then students
will be asked to record one thing they learned from each “specialist.” Ask if there
are any questions. Give more instruction as needed. This may end up taking two
days.
3. Allow groups to start working. Give each student a packet of all the materials
they will need (**advance preparation).
4. Ask students to stop what they are doing and explain which group each student
will be in. Allow students to clean up. Then ask all students to go to the front of
the room and have table one sit down, then two, etc.
Conclusion:
“Great job working together everyone. You were all wonderful specialists! Can some
people share with us some things they learned?” Give students homework.
Homework:
Students have an energy survey to fill out with their parents from page 15 of Monitoring
and Mentoring and on the back of Page 15 of Building Buddies.
Computers:
Continue PowerPoint project. Students will work on their sound and motion slides today.
Each student must make at least one slide containing two things that they learned, and a
picture.
Assessment:
As we are doing this class activity I will watch for groups that are on task and working
science in order to see if students were able to retain the facts that their peers shared with
them.
Instructional Cycle Commentary:

After this lesson I feel that the students better understood what energy conservation was
and how they could take steps to do it. I think that telling students that they were going
to be specialists and would be in charge of teaching other students made them feel really
important and take ownership of that information. Looking over the worksheets that
students completed I think that they understood most concepts. Also, for homework I
told them to try and do some of these things at home. The next day when students came
in they were very excited to tell me that they had tried many of these!
Name: ___________________________
What Did the Specialists Say?

Directions: Record at least one fact that you learned from each specialist.
Specialists Facts
Sectors of the
Economy
Heating & Cooling
Appliances &
Machines
Lighting
Water Heating
Day 17
Reading Electric & Natural Gas Meters
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
Students will learn how to read electric and natural gas meters, how electricity and
natural gas are measured, and how to determine the cost of electricity and natural gas.
Objectives:
(centimeters, meters, milliliters, liters, Celsius, Fahrenheit, seconds, minutes,
therms, dollars, CCFs) for each measurement tool (S.IP.04.15).
Materials:
 26 copies of pages 19-24 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Student Guide
Management:
For the first part of the lesson students will work individually at their seats. We will go
over how to read electric and natural gas meters at the front with the document camera.
We will practice reading these and calculating costs as a class. Students will be able to
work with a partner to finish the rest of it.
Activities:
1. Go over homework from day 16 to discuss what students found out about energy
use in their homes.
2. Hook: “Have you ever heard your parents talk about their electric or natural gas
bills? We are going to learn how to read the meters and how to determine the cost
of electricity and natural gas.”
3. Read and do page 19-20 of Saving Energy: Monitoring and Mentoring- Student
Guide with students.
4. Next have students work with a partner to practice their new skills of reading
electric meters on page 21.
5. Read pages 22-23. Practice reading the natural gas meter.
6. Have students work with a partner to complete practice problems on reading a
natural gas meter on page 24.
Conclusion:
“So do you feel confident that you could read the natural gas and electric meters at your
house? Tell your parents that you know how to do this tonight. They will be very
impressed!”
Assessment:
As students are working in pairs, I will circulate the room and take notes on who is able
to correctly read the different meters. I will also see if they are able to use this
information to determine cost of electricity and natural gas. I will also collect worksheets
to see how students are doing with this skill. The basic idea that I want students to take
from this is how to read a meter and how costs are determined for energy.
Day 18
Insulation Investigation
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To investigate the insulating properties of different materials.
Objectives:
therms, dollars, CCFs) for each measurement tool (S.IP.04.15).
(S.IP.04.16).
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
 26 copies of pages 25 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Student Guide
 Insulating materials*
 12 radiation cans
 12 thermometers
 Tape
Management:
Activities:
1. Hook: Review with students what insulation is and why it is important/ useful.
2. Explain to students that they will be exploring what materials are the best
insulators.
3. Each group will have a different type of insulation material. It will be up to
students how they use the insulation material around their radiation can.
4. Explain procedure to students.
5. Students work on experiment.
6. Discuss results.
Conclusion:
“So what are some traits that our best insulators had in common (Discuss)? Next winter I
bet you will know how to keep warm!”
Assessment:
Day 19
Reading Electric Nameplates
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To gain familiarity with reading electric nameplates. Students will use this sill to
determine the cost of running machines.
Objectives:
therms, dollars, CCFs, wattage, current, voltage) for each measurement tool
(S.IP.04.15).
Materials:
 26 copies of pages 26 and 28 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Student Guide
 26 copies of pages 27 and 29 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Student Guide

Management:
Students will work individually at their seats during our class discussion. We will go
over how to read electric nameplates at the front with the document camera. I will ask
partners to move around the room and find nameplates on some of our appliances. The
rest of the class will be recording this information. We will practice reading these and
calculating costs as a class.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Today we are going to learn how to read the nameplates on the back of
appliances and how to determine the cost of running these appliances each year.”
2. Read page 26 of Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide.
3. Decide on appliances that the class wants to look up and have partners look
around the room at these appliances for the electric nameplate.
4. Have the other students record the data.
5. Read page 28 of Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide on the
cost of using machines.
6. Calculate the yearly cost of the chosen machines.
7. Assign pages 27 and 29 for homework. Ask students to find 2-3 examples in their
homes.
8. Discuss appliances that would cost a lot to run and others that might not cost as
much. Why is this so?
Conclusion:
“Why do you think it is important to learn about reading nameplates? Why is it useful
(they can determine how much it costs for the machine to run)?”
Homework:
Page 28 and 29 of Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide (2-3
appliances).
Assessment:
As we discuss results I will be looking for students who are participating and who can
calculate the results. I will also see if they are able to use this information to determine
cost of machines. I will also collect homework and worksheets to see how students are
doing with this skill. The basic idea that I want students to take from this is how to read
nameplates and a basic idea of how to determine cost.
Day 20
Kill A Watt Monitor
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To teach students how to use a Kill A Watt Monitor to measure and monitor the electronic
consumption of electrical machines and devices.
Objectives:
therms, dollars, CCFs, wattage, current, voltage) for each measurement tool
(S.IP.04.15).
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
Student Guide
 Kill A Watt Monitor
 Energy Saving Comic Rubric
Management:
Students will work individually at their seats during our class discussion. We will go
over how to use the Kill A Watt Monitor at the front with the document camera. I will
ask partners to move around the room and use the Kill A Watt on different appliances.
The rest of the class will be recording this information. We will practice reading this and
calculating costs as a class.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Today we are going to learn how to use a Kill A Watt Monitor. Has
anyone ever heard of this? It is used to measure power consumption of
appliances.”
3. Decide on appliances that the class wants to look up and have partners use the
Kill A Watt Monitor on these appliances.
4. Have the other students record the data.
5. Discuss conclusions.
6. If there is time and students are getting the concept then do page 34 of Saving
Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide. This compares machines
when they are idle and when they are active.
Conclusion:
“What conclusions can we draw today about the appliances we selected to test? Which
uses the most electricity per hour? Which uses the least? Which electrical device uses
the most electricity each year? Which uses the least
Computers:
Students will create a comic strip at http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/ that
has to do with saving energy. Students will be expected to have at least one panel and the
comic must have to be about saving energy.
Assessment:
calculate the results. I will also see if students are able to look at the data we collected
and determine which devices used the most electricity or least electricity in an hour. I
will also be looking for students to demonstrate a basic knowledge that machines in idle
use less energy than machines that are active.
Name: ________________________
Energy Saving Comic Rubric

Must have at least 1 panel.
3
Must have at least one character.
3
Must have at least 1 speech bubble
3
Must have something to do with
4 saving energy.
Creativity
2
15 TOTAL POINTS
Name: ________________________
Energy Saving Comic Rubric

Must have at least 1 panel.
3
Must have at least one character.
3
Must have at least 1 speech bubble
3
Must have something to do with
4 saving energy.
Creativity
2
15 TOTAL POINTS
Energy Study Sheet
Test 4/3/08
Energy Sources
Renewable or
Energy Source Definition
Nonrenewable
Coal Nonrenewable Black rock burned to make electricity.
Hydropower Renewable Energy from flowing water
Petroleum Nonrenewable Fossil fuel for cars, trucks, and jets.
Solar Renewable Energy from the sun.
Wind Renewable Energy from moving air.
Heat
 Heat, light, motion, and sound are all forms of energy.
 Heat is always on the move. It moves to seek balance.
 Conduction is the way that heat energy moves in solids.
 Materials that don’t conduct heat well are called insulators.
o Examples: cotton and wood
 Materials that conduct- or move heat energy well are called conductors.
o Example: Metal
 The molecules in good conductors are close together. There is very little space
between them. When they vibrate, they push against the molecules near them.
The energy flows between them easily.
 Heat energy in liquids and gases moves in currents by convection.
o During convection, the cooler, denser molecules flow down and the
warmer molecules rise up forming currents of flowing molecules.
o Wind is an example of a convection current.
 Most of the earth’s energy comes from the sun.
Light
 Visible light- the wave energy we can see- is made of many colors.
 Prisms and water refract- or bend light waves.
 Light energy can be absorbed by a substance and turned into heat.
 Dark colors, such as black, absorb light.
 Light colors, such as white, reflect light.
Motion
 The energy of motion is called kinetic energy.
 The energy of place or position is called potential energy.
 Friction is the force that slows the motion of objects that are rubbing together.
o Example: When you rub your hands together you are creating friction.
The kinetic energy in your hands turns into heat and sound.
 Inertia means that an object in motion will remain in motion until a force changes
its motion. An object at rest will stay at rest until a force moves it.
o Example: If your parents are driving and step on the brakes, your body
continues to move forward for a second.
Sound
 All sounds are caused by vibrations.
 Sound waves can travel through gases, liquids, and solids.
Day 21
Facts of Light
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To investigate the differences in Incandescent and CFL lights.
Objectives:
 Students will use what they know about energy to identify the current problems
they may be solved through conservation and the use of technology (S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
 26 copies of page 36-37 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Student Guide
 Answer key on page 21-21 of Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring-
Teacher Guide
Management:
Students will work individually at their seats during our class discussion. Students will
be expected to raise their hands and participate in the discussion.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Has anyone ever seen one of these light bulbs before (Show students CFL
light bulb)?” Next, bring out a regular light bulb and ask students to compare and
contrast things that they notice or might know about the two light bulbs.
3. Work on page 37 with students.
4. Discuss with students what they learned and what kind of light bulb they would
use in their own homes after today’s investigation.
Conclusion:
“So if you owned your own house, what kind of light bulbs would you use? Why
(probably have students do this on a notebook paper to turn in)?”
Assessment:
calculate the results. I will also see if students are able to use the evidence that we
learned about to discuss what kind of lights they would use in their own home.
Day 22
Lightbulb Investigation 1 & 2
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To compare the heat output and wattage of an incandescent to a compact fluorescent
lightbulb.
Objectives:
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
Student Guide
 Kill A Watt Monitor
 2 lamps
 1 incandescent lightbulb
 1 compact fluorescent bulb
 2 thermometers
 Tape
Management:
Students will work individually at their seats during our class discussion. When it is time
to take measurements, I will ask students to come up and help out. Students ho are
participating and who are working quietly will be the ones who are asked to help in the
investigation. I will have two people come up at a time so that they can agree upon a
measurement together.
Activities:
1. Hook: “We are going to be investigating incandescent and fluorescent lightbulbs
today. We will be comparing heat output and the wattage between the two
lightbulbs.
2. Read over the Lightbulb 1 investigation.
3. Set up experiment.
4. Call on students come up and make calculations.
5. Discuss conclusions and let students fill out this section of their worksheet.
6. Read over Lightbulb 2 investigation.
7. Set up experiment.
8. Call on students to use the Kill A Watt Monitor to make measurements.
9. Discuss conclusions and allow students time to fill out their worksheet.
10. Read page 40 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student Guide to
set up for tomorrows experiment.
Conclusion:
“So what are some things that you learned about the two different lightbulbs today?
Which one has more heat output? Why might it be important to know this? Which
lightbulb used more wattage?”
Assessment:
As we discuss results I will be looking for students who are participating and filling out
there charts. I will be collecting worksheets to see what kinds of conclusions students
drew about the lightbulbs. In the conclusions I will be looking for evidence supporting
students’ claims. I will also be checking to see that the student volunteers are making
accurate measurements on the thermometers and Kill A Watt Monitors.
Day 23
Light Level Investigation
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To practice using the light meter by investigating the light levels of the classroom, the
hallway, and outside areas in different conditions.
Objectives:
(S.RS.04.17).
Materials:
 26 copies of page 40 in the Saving Energy: Monitoring & Mentoring- Student
Guide
Student Guide
Management:
During SSR and recess I will have pairs of students go with me to different parts of the
school where we will measure and record the different light levels. If there were not two
adults in the room I would ask for a parent volunteer to come in and aid us with this
project. Students will remain at their seats for discussion.
Activities:
1. Hook: “During the day today, pairs of students have been going all over the
school and recording the light levels in different areas.”
2. Students will copy down the results on their charts.
3. Ask students what they notice about the results. Which rooms have the most
light/ least light?
4. Look at the recommended light levels on page 43.
5. Compare and discuss what the light levels are in the school compared to those that
are recommended.
6. Discuss conclusions
Conclusion:
“So is Tonda using too much light or not enough light? Are there any recommendations
that you would make for the school?”
Assessment:
there charts. I will be collecting worksheets to see what kinds of conclusions students
drew about the light levels. In the conclusions I will be looking for evidence supporting
students’ claims.
Day 24
Reading and Comparing Energy Guide Labels
Grade Level: Fourth
Purpose:
To practice reading and comparing energy guide labels.
Objectives:
 Students will use what they know about energy to identify the current problems
they may be solved through conservation and the use of technology (S.RS.04.17).
 Students will describe and understand the effect humans have had on the balance
of the world and its energy reserves (S.RS.04.18).
Materials:
Student Guide
 26 copies of Comparing Washing Machines (homework)
Management:
We will do this activity as a whole class discussion. Students will remain in their seats
and be expected to participate by raising their hands.
Activities:
1. Hook: “Today we are going to be looking at the energy guides on different
appliances. We will be calculating to see which machines are cheaper in the long
run and if things are always how we expect them.”
2. Read page 45. Ask students if they have ever seen these energy labels.
3. Look over and read page 46 together.
4. Fill out the first chart on page 47 together. Ask students to do the second chart on
their own.
5. Discuss data and conclusions.
Conclusion:
“Today we learned about reading energy labels to find the cost of appliances. For
homework this week I would like you to compare the energy labels of two different
washing machines. Lets see who can find the most efficient and cost effective washing
machine.” Recommend that students take their worksheets home so that parents can see
what students are doing.
Assessment:
there charts. I will also be looking at the homework sheets to see if students are able to
read energy guides and calculate cost and efficiency from them.
Days 25-27
Tips for Conserving Energy
Grade Level: Fourth
Length of Lesson: Three 1-hour periods
Purpose:
Students have been learning about what energy is and how to conserve it. It is now time
for them to demonstrate what they know. Here they will synthesize all that they have
learned into advice that they can give to people for saving energy.
Objectives:
Materials:
 Various readings from unit
 List of students groups picked out
 Fact recording sheet for each group (topic and pages on it)
 26 energy poster rubrics
 Posterboard
 Markers, crayons, pencils, erasers, etc
 Worksheet for students to take notes on
Management:
Students will be free to move around the room and work in any free space available. I
will pick the groups out beforehand so that each group is composed students that can
work well together and be successful. Uranium and electricity are more difficult topics
so I will place more advanced students in those groups. All group members will be
expected to participate in the note taking, poster making, and the presentation. Groups
will be given a rubric so that they can see what they are being graded on and what needs
to be accomplished. Students will be asked to return to their seats to work if there is
misbehavior.
Activities:
Day 25 and 26:

1. Hook: “We have been learning about energy this unit. I was wondering if some
people could share with me some things that they have learned about energy? We
are going to be working on posters that we will present on ways to save energy.
We will hang them in the hall so that other people can learn from them.”
2. Introduce different energy sources poster making project.
 -Look up and decide on important energy saving tips.
 -On fact sheet, record important facts, pictures, or charts that you want to
present.
o Must give a definition in your own words
o Must say if it is renewable or nonrenewable
 -Then, get posterboard
 -Work on poster
 -Practice presenting
3. Break students into assigned groups.
Day 27:
4. Students present.
Conclusion:
“You all did such a wonderful job presenting! Your posters turned out amazing and you
were so considerate when people were presenting. Nice job everyone. I am sure that
people will learn a lot from these posters. Hopefully, they will try some of your ideas!”
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on how they worked together as a group, the number of ideas
they share, the attractiveness/ understandability of their posters, and their listening skills.
I will use the attached rubric for this formal assessment.

Energy Unit - Lesson Plans

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Energy Unit - Lesson Plans

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Days 1-3

What is Energy? What are the different kinds of energy?

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: Three 1-hour periods

Topic: __________________________________ Pages: ___________________

Energy Source Renewable or Definition

Rubric for the Group Presentation

Total: ___________ Percent: ____________ Grade: ___________

Group Members: _________________________________________________________

Rubric for the Group Presentation

Total: ___________ Percent: ____________ Grade: ___________

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 40 minutes

I have 5 slides containing the following:

I have a conclusion slide. It says something catchy or concludes your

My PowerPoint shows my personal best effort

Energy PowerPoint Rubric

Exploring Heat Experiments 2 and 3

Instructional Cycle Commentary from Previous Lesson:

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Instructional Cycle Commentary after Lesson:

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total.

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 40 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 55 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Instructional Cycle 2 Commentary:

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 55 minutes

**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total.

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 40 minutes

**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total.

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

**NOTE: This is enough for six groups total.

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Instructional Cycle Commentary:

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Instructional Cycle Commentary:

What Did the Specialists Say?

Heating & Cooling

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 50 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 55 minutes

Grade Level: Fourth

Length of Lesson: 40 minutes

Energy Saving Comic Rubric

Topic: ________________ Pages: _

Total: _ Percent: Grade: _

Total: _ Percent: Grade: _