TUPS Project

TUPS Project
Theme: Energy
Juhi Jain, Jhanvi Bhosale
Introduction
The theme we chose for this project is ‘Energy’. We decided to take this theme as it is the
first abstract concept that is introduced in upper primary school. Students of that age group
are familiar with the word ‘energy’ from the everyday usage of the word, for example, a 7th
grader when asked “what is energy?” instantly started thinking about the idea of being
energetic, he also mentioned superheroes as people having a lot of energy.
The nature of the topic makes it challenging for teachers to reintroduce it in a scientific way
while also keeping in mind students’ prior ideas. A lot of times, students are not able to
connect to the idea and link it with their prior knowledge, sometimes students revert back to
their previous understanding which makes the idea of teaching energy redundant. All of these
challenges motivated us to work on the theme of energy and make a teaching module for 7th
grade students to introduce to them the concept of energy.
What we intended:
We made an attempt to introduce a concept as abstract as ‘energy’ to teach students in grade
7th. They are familiar with the subject of science as they studied it in the previous grade but
the concept of energy has hardly been mentioned in NCERT textbooks in much detail. There
are hints of it everywhere but it has not been introduced as a full-fledged concept until
secondary and higher secondary grades.
We included many hands-on activities in our lesson plans and gave them sufficiently long
slots so that the teacher can facilitate the whole process smoothly while also asking a few
questions in between. This will allow teachers to give long pauses in class to elicit students’
responses.
The activities are engaging and include the concepts and pedagogical ideas we learnt in the
course like detective science, transmission and discussion mode of teaching, role play and
storytelling, Karen Haydock’s art of drawing from life, etc. The activities are also multimodal
in nature, we have included a few audio-visual resources for class activities, and provided
alternatives in the form of storytelling for resource-limited contexts. We also tried to connect
two different units to give students a better understanding of how these units are not
completely independent of each other.
There is a take-home task or a formative assessment given after almost all the lesson plans
which intend to help students form links with what they have previously learned and also
provide the basis for what they are going to learn in the future. In some places, diagnostic
assessments are also included for teachers to keep track of students’ skill sets. Assessment
rubrics make sure that students are assessed on the basis of their individual performance on
tasks given and not on their ego hence making the classroom a task-centric learning place.
In some places the lesson plans are designed for 60 mins, leaving the remaining 30 mins for
the teacher to decide on non-teaching tasks like giving individual feedback to each student,
helping students with a concept if something is not clear to them, etc. For the teacher’s
reference, we also added diagrams made by us or taken from some other book.
We tried to think about both the students and the teacher who is going to use these lesson
plans while making this module.
Assumptions:
We assumed that the class size of the 7th grade is not more than 20 students so that the
teacher will be able to pay attention to every individual in the class and every student will get
more opportunities to participate in class discussions and group activities.
Also, all the activities are set in a resource-limited context. Some of them might require a
smartboard or a projector but we have also included alternative ways to do the same thing in
a resource-limited context, hence making our lesson plans inclusive and accessible for all.
Doubts:
- Is the content that is being taught age-appropriate?
- Does the lesson plan help connect and link student’s ideas to the theme ‘Energy’?
- Is the topic being covered in appropriate depth?
- How can the teacher assess the effectiveness of lesson plans?
- Are the lesson plans too activity-based? Does the excessive number of activities make it
less effective? How can it be balanced?
- How to formally assess students in an effective way if the lesson plans are full of
activities?
Structure:
The theme is divided into three units:
1. Energy in the living world talks about how different organisms obtain energy, food
energy and how this energy is transferred from one organism to another in nature.
2. Energy on the move talks about how energy is always on the move, it introduces the
concept of potential and kinetic energy and how all the different types of energy boil
down to these two basic forms of energy
3. Heat energy talks about heat as a form of energy due to the motion of molecules.
Energy in the living world
Lesson plan 1: What is Energy?
Designed by Juhi Jain
Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Introduction: What is energy?
Duration of the lesson: 1.5 hrs (90 mins)
Learning objectives:
- Being able to identify the presence of energy in everyday lives
- Develop an idea of how energy is used by us to carry out important functions and
tasks.
- Being able to identify different forms of energy.
Materials required: Blackboard, smartboard for presenting pictures or video for

storytelling.
In a resource-limited context, the teacher can act out the story scenes or show printed pictures
of the scenes in the story, puppetry.
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: No prior knowledge is required in particular other than

the already observed natural phenomena, activities and processes happening around in
everyday life.
Overview of the lesson:

- Defining the term ‘energy’ using the transmission mode of teaching.
- What is energy? Discussion and arriving at a definition
- Making them do the activity ‘Energy detective’ to find out the different ways by
which energy is being used around them. (Different senses)
- Storytelling and asking questions to make the students identify the different ways the
energy is being used in the story.
- Talking about different forms of energy using transmission, discussion mode.
- Ask volunteers to create a shared mind map on the blackboard of their collective
understanding. (An example of a mindmap
https://emtpbuwfw9g.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/FullSizeRender-12.jpg?strip
=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
- Overview of the different topics of the theme and introducing the upcoming theme,
‘Energy in the living world ’.
Detailed plan:
The topic of energy is an abstract concept for students of upper primary grades and hence it is
better to first explain the concept through transmission mode and then do some activities to
reinforce what they have learnt.
The students of 7th grade do have an idea about the word ‘energy’ so the teacher can start the
lesson by asking the students what they know about ‘energy’. It is important for the teacher
to use transmission mode to first explain ‘energy’ because at that age students have an idea of
energy different from the scientific idea. For example, students might have an idea about
‘energy’ because of the commonly used adjective ‘energetic’ which means being active or
enthusiastic, the teacher should now introduce them to the scientific concept of energy.
(15 mins)
The teacher can start the lesson by asking a thought-provoking question. She can give
students a scenario to imagine or even perform if possible. The students can be asked if they
get tired after running a lot? Do they stop after that to catch their breath? Will they continue
running if they were given a glucose drink or some other sweet?
After gathering students’ responses, the teacher can ask why do they get tired after strenuous
activity and why do they feel less tired after consuming something sweet?
Note: In all the activities, the teacher should also relate the idea of energy with the work
that is being done using that energy so that students can link it with the previously
stated definition of energy.
(10 mins)
The teacher can start by explaining that energy is the ability to do work, it is what makes
things move and change. She can give examples like how we use energy from heat to cook
food that they had for breakfast or how fuel gives energy to the bus or van through which
they arrived at the school, etc.
(15 mins)
Next, the teacher can make students do the activity ‘energy detective’, which she can start by
saying that energy is everywhere and students have to think and find out where energy is
being used in their surroundings. (energy from electricity, sun, food, sound, etc.) students
should be allowed to freely walk around in the class, look out of the window thereby using
all their senses in doing this activity.
(20-30 mins)
After a sufficient number of responses have been received by the students, the teacher can
ask them to settle down, either on their respective benches for the slideshow or on the ground
in a circle to show them pictures for the storytelling activity.
Here is an example of the kind of story teachers can show/tell in the class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjuvatIoSzY
The story should have all the types of energy that are relevant for the students of that level of
understanding (solar, light, heat, sound, food, chemical (fuel), mechanical energy (like the
energy used to move), electrical, wind, etc.)
The teacher should ask questions in between the story so students can stay attentive and
engage with the story.
(15 mins)
The teacher can wrap up the topic of energy and the different types of energy discussed in the
class by asking volunteers to draw a rough mind map on the blackboard and all the students
are supposed to contribute by giving ideas for the mind map. The other students can draw the
mind map in their notebooks.
(5 mins)
The teacher can use the last 5 mins of the class to give students a take-home task that has to
be submitted at least 1 day before the next class so that the teacher can assess their responses
and make pedagogical decisions accordingly.
Take-home/ follow-up task: An activity to recap their Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge

about the sources of food. They can be asked to record what they eat for a day in the table
similar to the one given below. They can be asked to record the data for a maximum of 2
days and a minimum of 1 day. This data can work as a placement assessment or a revision of
their Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge. The teacher can also use the data to talk about a
balanced diet and the importance of a balanced diet later in the lesson.
Note: The teacher can also provide students with a data sheet containing information about
what food contains what nutrients, through this the students can learn the skill of reading
datasheets.
DAY 1 Do you think

it is a balanced
meal?
Food item Ingredients Sources Nutrients (Fats, Proteins,

(Animal/Pl Carbohydrates, Vitamins
ant) and minerals)
1. Kheer Milk Animal Fats and protein
Rice Plant Carbohydrates
Sugar Plant Carbohydrates
2.
DAY 2
Skills: discussion, note-taking, recording, reading datasheets.
Assessment rubric: The teacher can informally assess students on the basis of their class
participation. Was each child able to answer the questions raised by the teacher in between
the story telling session or in the energy detective activity? Special attention can be given to
children who were finding it difficult to catch up with the class as it was the first lesson
talking about a concept as abstract as energy and hence, as much as possible, everybody
should be at an equal level of understanding.
The table given as a take-home task can work as an assessment to measure their prior
knowledge. According to NCERT, students have learnt about different components of food in
grade VIth and hence this test can be used to see if students remember the content taught in
the previous grade or not.
The skill to read data sheets can be considered as a diagnostic test for the teacher to assess
the students.
Lesson plan 2: Nutrition in Plants

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Name of the unit: Energy in the living world
Topic/chapter: Plant nutrition
Duration of the lesson: 90 minutes
- Learning how plants make their own food (introduction to photosynthesis) and how
solar energy helps in the process of photosynthesis
- Students will be able to see that like most other organisms, plants also ‘breathe’ and
need energy to survive
- Being able to demonstrate the process of photosynthesis through diagrams and
identifying the key players playing role in the process
- Being able to represent the process of photosynthesis in the form of a chemical
equation.
Materials required: Blackboard, chalks of different colours, pre-designed set-up (glass

bowl, leaf, stone)
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: Students have been introduced to the morphological

features of plants in the previous grade and are familiar with the concept that plants perform
different processes like photosynthesis and that leaves are the food factory of the plants. They
don’t need to know the process but should know that plants are not dependent on animals like
animals are dependent on plants.

- Discussion about their fav food, relating it to plant and animal sources. Asking the
question: where do plants obtain their nutrition from?
- Developing an understanding that plants ‘breathe’ by doing or observing an activity
- Getting introduced to the process of photosynthesis and the key components required
for plant survival like soil, water, and sunlight
- Process of photosynthesis → diagram
Detailed plan:
(15 mins)
The teacher, after going through student’s responses from the previous take-home task can
begin this class by connecting their observations to the discussion around food. To make the
discussion more context-related, the teacher can ask a set of questions similar to the one
given below?
● What is your favourite food?
● Where does it come from (plant or animal source)?
● If it's an animal source, what does the animal need to grow and stay alive?
This discussion should lead to the conclusion that all animals and humans are dependent on
plants for their survival. After this discussion, the teacher can ask students to think about the
fact that plants are living beings and need food and energy to survive. Where do they get this
energy from? The teacher can use the blackboard to draw a rough diagram of what they
discussed (it will look similar to a diagram of the food chain) to show them that all animals
depend on plants for their food and energy needs.
(15 minutes)
Question: Plants need energy to stay alive and grow. How do you think plants get energy?
The teacher can ask this question and then proceed to introduce the process of photosynthesis
to the students. This is the first time most of the students will be hearing the word for the first
time so the teacher has to make sure that the introduction is as simple as possible.
The guiding questions for discussion can be: “What do you think plants need to survive?”, “If
you have a plant at home, list some of the ways in which you take care of them”, etc.
The responses might include soil, sunlight, water, manure or air in some cases. The teacher
can list all the basic things that are required for photosynthesis.
It is important to know children’s pre-conceptions at this age so that the lesson plan can be
better adapted to the students.
Some of the preconceptions relevant to the concept of photosynthesis:
- Respiration and breathing are the same process
- Oxygen is the main component of the air
- Plants absorb all the essential components via roots
- The sun keeps the plant warmer which makes them grow better
- Plants get energy directly from the sun
[Adapted from McGill’s Science Education Project]
(20 mins)
Most of the students might not know the role of oxygen and carbon dioxide in photosynthesis
as they are not visible to the naked eye. For this, the teacher can prepare a demonstration a
few hours before the class to show children that plants are living organisms that breathe!
For this demonstration, we need a glass bowl, lukewarm water, a big leaf and a small stone.
Instructions: Fill the glass bowl with lukewarm water, put the leaf inside the water and to
keep it submerged in the water, gently put the stone on top of it. Leave it for a few hours.
[Idea taken from Jacquie Fisher’s blog “How do Leaves Breathe? A Simple Science
Experiment for kids”, 2015 ]
Question to ask before showing the results of the activity: “What happens when you hold
your breath, go under the water in a swimming pool and let your breath out?”
After this, the teacher can show the bowl with the leaf and use the Detective science method
to let children figure out why there are bubbles on the surface of the leaf. The teacher can
then connect their observations with the fact that plants also breathe.
(30 mins)
After the activity and the discussion about what all plants need to live. The teacher can start
talking about the process of photosynthesis along the lines of what is relevant for students of
grade 7 using the transmission mode of teaching. This will include the introduction of
chlorophyll, the green pigment present in plants, leaves being the food factory of plants, roots
absorbing water and minerals from the soil and plants taking in carbon dioxide and releasing
oxygen through stomata (as seen in the activity).
Here the teacher will put emphasis on how Light energy from the sun is used by plants to
produce food.
(10 mins) Buffer time

If time permits, students can be asked to do silent reading of the topic of photosynthesis from
their textbooks or this time can be used for questions and discussions on the drawing they
made.
Skills: learning how to write processes in the form of chemical equations, discussions,
making drawings as a form of self-expression or to show their understanding of the
ideas.
Take-home/ follow-up task:

“Imagine you have a new pet plant to take care of. Doodle a cartoon/comic/drawing to show:
- How you will take care of it
- What does a plant need to grow and survive?
- Where will you keep it? Outside your house or inside your cupboard?”
(The drawing should include the key players of photosynthesis.)
Formative assessment (idea taken from “uncovering student’s ideas in science” Vol 2,
pg 107)
Plants in the Dark and Light
Four friends were wondering how light affects the growth of the plants. They decided to
do a science experiment to test their ideas using 2 pots of similar plants. One of the pots
was kept near a sunny window and the other one was kept in a dark closet. All four
friends measured the height of the plant after a week. Below is the conversation about
what they predicted.
Rahul: “ I think the plant kept in the closet will be the tallest. ”
Rohan: “ I think the plant kept near the window will be the tallest.”
Akhil: “I think both the plants will have the same height”
Rekha: “I think the plant in the closet will stop growing and die.”
Which friend do you agree with and why? Explain.
Assessment rubric: The students should be assessed informally on how much they are
participating in classroom discussions. The teacher should notice what all the students have
included in the take-home task given to them at the end of the class. If a student has included
doodles/comics/diagrams (or pictures) it shows that the child was engaging with the content
taught and was enjoying the task. If all the important things required for plants to survive are
mentioned, the teacher can give 2 smileys. If only the components are required, the teacher
can give 1 smiley and write in the feedback asking the child to express their answer in some
form. The feedback is supposed to be meaningful and should help the child make
improvements in future.
The teacher can make preparations for an experiment for the next class by soaking
black chana seeds to make them sprout. This can either be done in front of children by
telling them how seeds need a favourable environment like a sufficient amount of water
and air to grow a sapling or the teacher can bring sprouted seeds from her home.
Activity:
Before the next class the teacher may prepare another activity to demonstrate the role of
sunlight in photosynthesis and how the lack of it might affect the production of food in
plants. For this, we need two potted plants of the same kind. One plant should be kept in the
dark (inside an empty cupboard that is not used frequently or a black box in a dark room) for
72 hours and another plant in sunlight for the same amount of time. After 72 hours, students
can perform an iodine test with the leaves of both plants. Students are already familiar with
the iodine test from their previous grades and hence they understand that the iodine test is
used to check if the object contains scratch i.e. the stored food in leaves. This activity will
also answer the question given in the formative assessment and students will be able to see
the results in real.
Lesson plan 3: Plant nutrition II

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Plant nutrition II
Duration of the lesson: 90 mins
- Observe how seeds respire, use stored energy to germinate and start photosynthesis
after developing leaves
- Learn about plant food other than carbohydrates and relate it to their everyday diet
- Learn different modes of nutrition in different organisms
Materials required: Blackboard, chalk, potted plants set up, set up for seed demonstration: 3
test tubes with sealing caps, 45-50 ml lime water [Ca(OH)2], 1-2 straws.
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

- From the previous lesson: plants make their own food through the process of
photosynthesis. They have learned about the key players in photosynthesis and know that
plants respire.
- Familiarity with the idea that everything in the world is made up of atoms and
molecules.
- Manures and fertilisers are used on farmlands.
- Humans take in O2 and release CO2 and plants take in CO2 and release O2 as they
have studied in the previous grades.

- Demonstration of the potted plants' activity and recording the observations.
- Transmission mode to teach how plants make nutrients other than carbohydrates and
having a discussion about the everyday diet of students.
- Doing an experiment to learn how seeds respire.
- Teaching the different types of modes of nutrition in plants and animals using
activities, detective science mode of teaching, transmission mode and silent reading.
Detailed plan:
(20 mins)
The teacher may put the two potted plants that she prepared 3 days ago and make the
students perform an iodine test on the leaves from each plant. Before the test, the teacher
should tell students that the potted plants were kept in two different types of environmental
conditions, one exposed to sunlight and one kept in complete darkness but she must not tell
which plant was exposed to what. After the results of iodine tests are out, the teacher must
ask the students to be detectives of science and find out which plant was exposed to what
condition based on the amount of starch present in the leaves. From here the teacher can
connect the importance of sunlight in the process of photosynthesis i.e. making food in the
food factory of plants (leaves).
It will be a good time to put emphasis on food being stored in the form of starch which is a
carbohydrate and is present in foods like cereals (rice, wheat, maize) and root vegetables
(potatoes).
(20 mins)
After talking about starch, the teacher can ask the students how plant foods containing other
nutrients like proteins and vitamins get those nutrients from. It is important to point out the
difference between carbohydrates and proteins at the molecular level. Carbohydrates are
made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen but protein also contains nitrogen. Students have
learnt that plants take in carbon, oxygen and hydrogen via the atmosphere and roots but then
where does this nitrogen come from?
The students have learnt components of air in the previous class and hence they know that
nitrogen is present in abundance in the atmosphere. It's important that the teacher points out
that plants can not absorb nitrogen in this form and there is a different way the nitrogen is
absorbed by the plants.
The teacher can explain certain bacteria in soil that convert gaseous nitrogen to a form that
can be used by the plants by drawing a diagram on the blackboard.
Question: Have you seen farmers put cow dung or manure or fertilisers in the fields? Why do
you think they do that?
Question: Do you eat black chana/chickpea for breakfast? Do you know why it is considered
a good healthy breakfast?
Black chana/chickpea is a good example of a leguminous plant containing high amounts of

protein. The teacher can show black chana sprouts to the children as they will be available
for the next experiment.
(30 minutes)
Activity to show that seeds respire and how they do so. Students might have a misconception
that seeds are not living organisms and hence don’t need food or energy. The teacher can
demonstrate an activity by which students will learn that seeds are living organisms and also
use energy from food to grow into a sapling. In this process, the seeds also use food energy to
grow and ‘breathe’ (using the term breathe because students have yet to learn the topic of
respiration).
Materials required: 3 test tubes with caps for sealing, a handful of sprouting Black chana
seeds, a net pouch to hold the chana seeds, lime water and 1-2 straws.
(1) Control: fill the test tube with 15 ml of lime water, keep the test tube open and don’t
let the students touch it.
(2) Blow air using a straw in the test tube containing the same amount (15 ml) of lime
water and make students observe and tell what’s happening.
(3) Hang a small pouch of black chana sprouts by taping it under the cap of the test tube
and seal the cap. Wait for 25-30 minutes.
While waiting, the teacher can explain to the students what happened when she blew air
(CO2) in (2). When Lime water [Ca(OH)2] reacts with CO2 (blown air) it forms calcium
carbonate and water. Calcium carbonate is a white precipitate which makes the liquid look
like a milky white substance. This indicates that the air we breathe out contains CO2.
Children have learnt in their previous class in components of air that air contains CO2 and
due to frequent mentioning of global warming, some students might also have the
misconception that air contains high amounts of CO2 then why does it not react with lime
water in (1) test tube. This will be a good time to clarify the concept that CO2 is present in
very less quantities in air and it's not enough to produce a reaction in the lime water with that
amount. The reaction in (2) occurred because we blew concentrated CO2 into the lime water
directly which was insufficient enough to react instantly.
After 25 minutes the teacher can ask the students to observe what has happened in (3) and (4)
and record their observations in their notebooks.
After some minutes of discussion, the teacher must explain what has happened. The Black
chana seeds are growing as they were given a suitable environment to grow and hence need
food and energy to grow. Seeds already have food reserves that they use till they start
producing leaves using the reserves. After the food reserves are exhausted and leaves are out,
photosynthesis starts taking place.
During this process of growing, the seeds are respiring and using energy from food. They
take in Oxygen and produce Carbon Dioxide. Due to this in test tube (3), some amount of
white milky precipitate will be visible.
This knowledge will be helpful for the lesson on respiration.
(20 mins)
The teacher can ask students to draw the diagram of this set-up and write down their
observations in notebooks. The remaining time can be used to answer doubts and
discussions.
The sprouted seeds can be kept on a moist cloth in a safe corner of a classroom till they start
producing leaves so that students can observe the growth. After this, if possible, the teacher
can plant some of the seeds in a small pot and the plant can serve as a class pet!
Learning by doing: Students will be able to apply their learnings and observe it in real-time
by taking care of plants while also reinforcing the concepts they learnt earlier
Skills: Learning how to carry out scientific experiments, like, using control and
changing different factors while keeping some factors constant), hands-on experience
by applying the knowledge they learnt in taking care of a plant.
Formative Assessment: This assessment is not directly related to the topic taught in the
class but serves another purpose of assessing if children have the basic knowledge of plants
and their seeds. They will be able to answer the questions from their Pre-requisites/ Previous
knowledge and by making connections and links to what they learnt in lessons on this theme.
Question: Plant produces seeds after reproduction and those seeds sprout to form a new
young plant called a seedling. Put a tick mark in front of the items given below that are
required by the seed to sprout, and a cross if the item is not required.
____water
____soil
____food
____air
____sunlight
____earth’s gravity
____manure/fertilizer
____darkness
Assessment Rubric: the purpose of this assessment is to make students think about how needs
to seeds are similar to other living organisms that allow it to grow and develop into the next
stage of its life cycle. It is connected to the theme of energy as it included a seed as a growing
organism that needs energy from food to grow into an adult organism.
The teacher can also prepare a demonstration for the next class in front of the students.
The teacher may put a few drops of water on a piece of bread and keep it in a safe
corner in the classroom or staffroom for 2-3 days (until the next class).
Precaution: the bread should be preferably kept out of reach of the students, if not, then
it should be made very clear that it's strictly not for consumption and the teacher
should stick a note saying the same near it.
The teacher can also prepare another sample of fungi by using an old ice cream box
(small) with some ice cream remaining inside. It should be sealed and left like that for a
week or two.
All the samples of fungi should be sealed in some way so that students don’t come in
direct contact with the fungus.
Lesson plan 4: Different modes of nutrition

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Different modes of nutrition
- Being able to differentiate between different modes of nutrition in plants, animals and
other organisms like fungi and describe terms associated with their modes of nutrition
(autotrophic, heterotrophic, saprotrophic, etc.)
- Learning that not all plants are fully autotrophic. Some are also heterotrophic and
depend on other plants or animals for their nutrition.
Materials required: Blackboard, chalk, the pre-prepared piece of bread and other samples of
fungi, a few pieces of mushrooms (from the grocery store), leaves, and small plants. Pictures
of things that are not easily available like carnivorous plants, amerbel, etc.

- Being able to define the terms ‘Herbivorous’, ‘carnivorous’ and ‘omnivorous’ and
give examples of each.
- Plants photosynthesize and animals are dependent on plants for nutrition
- All living organisms need energy to live and grow and they get that energy from food

- A group activity for discussing and learning about different modes of nutrition in
plants and animals by observing different samples and pictures.
- Filling the activity sheet after discussing it in different groups.
Detailed plan:
The samples (sealed) and pictures should be kept on the table, accessible to students.
There should be enough samples
(30 mins)
- Students will be divided into three groups named: Autotrophs, Heterotrophs and
Saprotrophs
- Each group will be asked to read about their topic from the textbook or other
resources (like the internet, class library) if available.
- After 20 mins of discussion they will be asked to go and pick up samples/pictures of
what belongs to the category they are discussing in their groups.
- After this, they will keep the things back on the table where they picked up from.
(30 mins)
- After group discussion, one student from each group will form a separate group,
hence forming a group of 3 students.
- In these groups, each student will talk about their topics and teach their group
members all the things they have learnt from the previous discussion. This will help them
build communication and discussion skills. They will also get to learn more by reinforcing
the idea again with another set of classmates.
- Students should be allowed to use the samples available in the classroom to observe,
record and draw those samples in their notebooks.
While doing these discussions or after the discussions, students should be given a table to fill
in.
Mode of nutrition Examples How do they Draw a picture of
obtain their the sample/s
nutrition? What
do they eat?
Autotrophic
Heterotrophic
Saprotrophic
(30 mins)
After the activity, some extra time can be given to do the worksheet. After this, the teacher
can collect the worksheets and do a mind-map making activity to consolidate their findings.
Students should be asked to make a mind map and the teacher should assist them. This can be
followed by a discussion about what they did in the class.
If time remains, students can be asked to do silent reading of the topic from resources
available to them.
Take-home/ follow-up task: Students may be asked to think/read or research on a question:

Carnivorous plants get some of their nutrition from insects but they still have green stems
and leaves. If they have chlorophyll, why do you think they eat insects? Think about how you
need a balanced diet to fulfil your nutrition needs and then answer the question.
Assessment rubric: Students will be assessed on the basis of their observation skills, reading
and discussions, all this can be assessed by going through the table each student has filled in.
If every part of the table is done the teacher can give 3 smileys. If any part is incomplete, the
teacher may give meaningful feedback which will help guide the student to improve. The
teacher can give students a second chance to fill in every part of the table after reading about
it from a textbook.
The question given as the take-home task can be assessed on the basis of how students
attempt the question. The question is not meant to test their knowledge but to elicit students’
curiosity and ideas beyond the textbooks and what has been taught in the classroom.
Lesson plan 5: Food web

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Food web
- Getting introduced to the idea of the food chain and food web in natural ecosystems.
- Food chain represents energy transfer in a system (Ward, 2007)
- Learn about the different kay players at different levels of the food web (producers,
consumers, etc. ). All chains start with Sun.
Materials required: blackboard, pictures of different plants and animals, multiple balls of
yarn.

- Every organism needs food to survive, grow, reproduce, etc
- Some organisms make their own food (autotrophs) while others are dependent on other
organisms for their energy needs (heterotrophs)

- Discussion about what students ate today and making them make a diagram of the food
chain.
- Activity to make students learn about the food web and how it works using role-play
method of teaching
- Assigning roles to students to make them familiar with the terms used for animals at
different levels.
Detailed plan:
(15 mins)
Ask students what they ate today and make them trace its origin in their notebooks giving it a
directionality using arrows. For example, if a child ate beans, he/she should trace back its
origin by thinking that beans come from plants, the plant makes their food from the sun,
hence the arrows should be from the sun→ plant→ student.
After everybody is done, the teacher should take an example of what she ate, and represent it
on the board followed by an explanation of what a food chain is.
Activity: Weaving a food web! (Idea adapted from “Start with a book” and Hellen Ward’s
“Moving and learning in science”)
(60 mins)
For this activity the teacher should distribute pictures of animals and plants to students. If
possible, each student should get one picture of an animal that they can attach to their shirts.
They should introduce themselves as the plant or animal they represent. The teacher will be a
facilitator in this activity.
Questions that every kid is supposed to ask themselves:
1. Who would I give my energy to, which means, who might eat me?
2. Who would give me energy, which means, whom could I eat?
The ball of yarn is supposed to represent the sun which is the primary source of energy using
which plants make their food and every other animal is dependent on plants for their energy
needs. One student can represent the sun and pass the ball of yarn to a green plant. The
student representing a green plant can further toss the ball of yarn to the organism that
consumes the energy next, i.e. a herbivore. Students should keep going until the ball of yarn
reaches the top carnivore completing the food chain.
Similarly, another ball of yarn can be used to make the activity more complex. New chains
can be formed and also be intertwined as there are multiple consumers consuming the same
thing at every level. This should be continued until every student has at least one strand of
yarn in his/her hands.
The teacher can ask questions while students are standing with the yarns:
1. Are there multiple food chains?
2. Are these multiple food chains connected to each other at some point?
3. What do all these food chains together look like? (a web!)
4. Who is holding the most number of yarns? (the sun as it is the starting point of every food
chain)
5. Who is holding the second most number of yarns? (green plants)
These concepts should be connected to how the energy is transferred in a forest ecosystem
connecting to what all the students have learnt so far in the unit.
(15 mins) Buffer

This time can be used for discussions and questions related to the unit
Note: Students might not know what each and every organism eats, the teacher should
guide them if they get stuck with some animal. The teacher should also make sure that
the animals selected for this activity are the common ones that students have usually
seen or heard about.
Formative assessment: Question: You learnt how food webs exist in natural ecosystems. Do
you think saprophytes will fit in the food chain? If yes, where? Will the students representing
saprophytes have more yarns or less number of yarns? Why do you think so?
Assessment rubrics: Students can be informally assessed on the basis of their class
participation and formally on how they answer the question given in the formative
assessment. The teacher should ask while reading their answers:
Is the student able to form links between the concepts?
Is the knowledge scientifically accurate?
If not then how can the student improve? How can the lesson plans be better adapted?
Energy on the move!
Lesson plan 6: Introduction to kinetic and potential energy: Identifying kinetic and
potential energy

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Name of the unit: Energy on the move!
Topic/chapter: Introduction to kinetic and potential energy
- Being able to identify when does an object have kinetic energy and potential energy
- Being able to define and demonstrate the kinetic and potential energy in play
Materials required: Marbles or small balls, rubber bands, magnets, matches, blackboard.
Prerequisites/ Previous knowledge:

- Students have learnt in the previous lessons that energy is required to do work
- Different forms of energy are present everywhere around us
- We need energy to do work and we get that from food.

- The teacher will do a series of demonstrations and ask questions to get an idea of the
student's preconceptions.
- Introducing kinetic and potential energy using the transmission mode of teaching.
Detailed plan:
(45 mins)
Activity sheet to be given before the discussion starts and to be taken at the end of the lesson.
What I knew before What I know after the discussion

The students are already familiar with the idea that energy is present around them in different
forms. Now to understand the concept of kinetic and potential energy the teacher needs to
guide them
The class can be started by the teacher asking students to do some activities, or
demonstrating things using the materials mentioned above and asking questions to guide
students to make meaningful observations.
1. Take a marble and roll it across the floor. Ask students: Is there energy in the marble
while it's rolling on the floor? How do you know?
2. If it's a windy day make them open all the windows and ask them if wind has energy?
Why do they think so?
3. Ask them to clap first low and then as loud as they can. Ask them if there is any
energy present when they clap? Why do they say so?
4. Give some of them unstretched rubber bands and ask them if it has energy. Ask them
to stretch the rubber band and ask them again if they think it has some form of energy. Why
do they think so?
5. Take the marble or a ball
i) keep it on the floor at rest
ii) pick it up and put it on the table
iii) Push it off so it falls back to the floor.
In which of the three cases (i, ii, iii) did the ball or marble have energy? Did the ball have
more energy in one situation as compared to the other situation?
6. Take 2 magnets and (i) place them next to each other in a way that they stick together.
(ii) Now pull them apart again just a little bit so that if left, they can go back together.
Ask students if the magnets have any energy when they are separate from each other and
stuck together? Reasons?
7. Only the teacher should carry out this demonstration as it requires adult supervision.
Show students an unlit matchstick and ask them if it has any energy. Light the matchstick
and ask the same question again. Ask them to give reasons for their claim.
8. Ask them to find things that work with batteries or electricity and ask them if they
have energy. Turn off the fan/light switch and ask them if there is still some energy present?
Where?
9. Question: Does the sun have energy? How do you know?
Students should be asked to record their answers in the activity sheet provided to them or
they should be asked to make notes in their notebooks. An alternative can be to ask the
students to make 2 mind maps stating all the activities. One mind map contains their prior
knowledge and the other one contains the knowledge they gained after the discussion.
(30 mins)
After the activity, the teacher should explain the concept of kinetic energy and potential
energy using the transmission mode of teaching. After that, the teacher should explain the
answers to all the discussion questions. Students should be asked to record all their answers
before and after the discussion in the sheet provided or in their notebooks.
In the discussion teacher should include the origin of the word ‘kinetic energy’ (Kinetikos is
a Greek word that means moving) hence the rolling and falling marble/ball, a running cat,
magnets getting stuck together, wind or anything else in motion has kinetic energy.
A rubber band will serve as a good example to introduce potential energy as children will be
able to see how the rubber band is getting energy due to the shape and position of the object.
Even magnets have energy because they are apart and have the tendency to move towards
each other.
Examples like unlit matchsticks will give students a broad idea of how potential energy is not
only present in objects that are visibly at rest but also at the molecular level.
A lot of times teachers just say that potential energy is the energy ‘stored’ in an object which
is true but it is not true for all situations.
It is important to mention that potential energy is when something or a group of things have
energy due to their relative position or shape.
Another important point to be mentioned is that all potential energy can be stored but not all
stored energy is potential in nature.
This activity will help connect with the topics that will be discussed in the coming lesson
plans and will serve as an introduction to them.
(15 mins)
Buffer time. This time can be either given to students to finish the activity or can be used for
discussions.
Assessment rubric: students will be assessed informally on the basis of their class
participation. The teacher must make sure that all students are getting equal opportunities to
perform the activities. Every student’s participation must be noted.
Students can be further assessed on what they have learned on the basis of what they have
written and drawn in the table. It is a good way to track their progress and to see if there is
any prior misconception still existing in a student’s scheme of understanding.
Lesson plan 7: Understanding the relationships

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: More on Kinetic and Potential Energy
- Learn about kinetic and potential energy in more depth and the relationship between
them through activities.
- Learn how potential energy gets converted to kinetic energy
- Learn how height difference affects the potential energy
Materials required: Books, an inclined plane (can be set up using a scale of 30 cm or a flat
piece of wooden plank, marbles or small rubber balls, empty paper cups, scissors,
blackboard.

- Being familiar with the idea of potential energy and kinetic energy as taught in the
previous class.
- Knowing how to measure distances and fractions, and record their observations.

- Setting up the materials for the activity
- Activity to learn how potential energy gets converted into kinetic energy
- Activity to learn the relationship between potential energy and the height difference
- Discussion
Detailed plan:
(20 mins)
The class can be divided into groups with 4-5 students each and the teacher can demonstrate
or give instructions on how to organize the set-up for the activity. Students are supposed to
set up an inclined plane which they can do by putting a scale against a pile of books in a
slanting way. The plane (scale or wooden plank) should not be very steep but should be kept
in a way that balls/marbles can easily roll down on it. The balls should enter inside a half-cut
paper cup as that will is the most important part of the activity because students will be able
to see how the balls hit the cup (the cup will slide due to the force of the ball when it enters).
The half-cup should be kept at the bottom of the ramp so that the rolling object will enter the
cup and push it.
Ask students to take turns in the groups and make them roll the marble or the ball towards the
open end of the half cup that acts as a tunnel. When the ball hit the back of the cup, it will
push it along the surface a short way.
Make students do this multiple times, varying the height where the ball was kept. Other
factors like angle and speed can also be varied, make sure that other factors are kept constant.
The teacher should let students play around with the set-up for some time before coming to
the actual activity.
(40 mins)
After everybody is done setting up the inclined plane, the activity that is meant to teach them
the relationship between potential energy and the height and conversion of potential energy
to kinetic energy can be started. This activity will follow the detective science approach
where students will be guided by the teacher to make certain observations and then they will
come up with what they observed, learned, and concluded which they will share with the
class.
Students are supposed to vary the height where the rolling object will be kept on the plank.
Different groups can be given different sets of things to observe for example in group 1
students can be asked to let the object roll from the top of the plank, 1/3rd and 2/3rd of the
way up the ramp. Another group can be asked to do ½, 1/4th and 3/4th of the way up the
ramp. Students can take turns rolling the object multiple times and record how far the cup is
going when the object is released from a particular height and how ‘hard’ it hit the cup. The
angle of inclination should be kept a constant (30 degrees).
Note: The cup won’t be pushed smoothly, it might get tilted and hence won’t give
accurate values. The students are not expected to record the quantitative values as
much as they are expected to observe qualitative data, like, the ball released from the
top of the plank hit the cup ‘harder’ than the same ball when released from half the
way up.
Students can also play games and make the rolling objects compete with each other by
throwing them from different heights. This will make them learn about how height affects
potential energy. The teacher can further take the topic ahead to talk about gravitational
potential energy.
It is also a good activity to start talking about how potential energy is converted to kinetic
energy. It also explains the definition of potential energy as the energy that an object has due
to its shape and relative position.
The distance at which the ball is released Observations (How hard does it hit the
from the ramp cup, how far does the cup go)
1.
2.
3.
(30 mins)
This time can be used for the discussion of results. The teacher can ask questions to guide the
students to build an understanding of how the different types of energy work and how
potential energy is dependent on the relative position of the object.
- If you throw 2 marbles on your hand, one from right above your hand and the other
one at a greater height. Which one will hit you harder? Can you explain the reason behind
this from what you concluded from the activity?
- Ever thought about why the water tank at your house is usually kept on the terrace?
Think about how you extract water from the tank and give reasons.

Question: Now that you have learnt about how potential energy gets converted to kinetic
energy let's do one more activity. Stretch a rubber band and release it aiming towards the
half cup in a way that the rubber band hits the cup when released, aim it towards a wall if the
cup is not available. Can you identify the different forms of energy in play here and their
interconversions? Draw diagrams/doodles wherever suitable.
Assessment rubric:
Students should be assessed on their observation and recording skills (Diagnostic skills) they
should also be assessed on how they are taking part in class discussions and what answers
they have written in their take-home task. If students are able to identify all the different
energies involved in releasing a rubber band (kinetic and potential energy) then the students
are meeting the learning outcomes. If they are able to identify at least 2 places where the
rubber band has kinetic energy and potential energy, then it means that the student might
have gotten an idea of both the types of energy but still needs to revisit the concept and look
for places where potential energy and kinetic energy can be found. The take-home task will
act as a connecting link to the next lesson plan where students will learn about it in relatively
more depth.
Lesson plan 8: Different types of energy and their interconversions: Part I

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Different types of energy: Part I
Learning how almost all the different types of energy boil down to potential and kinetic
energy
- Elaborating more on the concept of potential and kinetic energy
- Getting introduced to the idea of interconversion/transformation of energy from one
form to another.
Materials required: books, pencils, balloons, papers, rubber bands, and blackboard
- Familiar with the concept of kinetic and potential energy as taught in the previous
lessons
- Familiar with the idea that there are different types of energy all around us as
discussed in the first lesson plan.

- Demonstrations and hands-on activities using different materials to reinforce the idea
of potential and kinetic energy and building on it by talking about other types of energy
- Discussion and making mind-maps
Detailed plan:
(30 mins): Sliding book
Students can be asked to pick up any stationery item they have (preferably a book) to slide it
across the floor. The book starts sliding then it clearly has energy. Ask them what form of
energy is it? The book also stops after some time. Ask them why that might be happening.
Where did that initial energy go? Did it disappear?
The explanation and discussion must include:
- kinetic energy when the book was sliding.
- The energy does not disappear. ENERGY NEVER DISAPPEARS.
- Briefly introduce them to the concept of friction as the force between the book and
the floor.
- Before explaining ‘where did the heat go’ ask them to run their palms together. Ask
them if they feel the heat? It is generated by the friction between their palms. They will learn
about heat and thermal energy in detail in the next unit but a brief introduction should be
given here.
- Relate this to the sliding book example Children will understand the concept in much
depth in the later unit.
- Do mention how heat energy is another kind of kinetic energy.
(30 mins): Blowing balloons

Make students blow a balloon but don’t let them tie it. Make them let go of the balloon (they
will enjoy making the balloon fly off around the place making a funny sound!) Ask them to
identify the different kinds of energy involved in this activity. Guide them to think about
energy transformations taking place.
- Change in shape of the balloon when it is blown → potential energy (elastic potential
energy)
- Air being pushed out of the balloon when it goes flying → kinetic energy of air
molecules
(30 mins): Paper bullets

Take a rubber band and a small wad of paper and make a paper bullet out of it. Demonstrate
it in front of children so all of them can make one paper bullet each. Ask them to fire it on the
blackboard or any other corner of the room. Ask them to identify different kinds of energy
and guide them to the energy transformations taking place.
Make sure that nobody is targeting the paper bullet at any of their peers as it might be
harmful. To ensure that everybody is firing it in one particular direction, the teacher
can make a simple bullseye on paper and stick it on the wall. If the class size is large,
multiple bullseyes can be made and students can be split into smaller groups. It can be
an interesting game!

- The elastic potential energy of the rubber band when stretched
- Transfer of elastic potential energy into the kinetic energy of the paper, a little bit of
elastic PE is converted into KE of the rubber band also as it moves.
- Sound energy when the paper hits and when you let go of the rubber band.
- Sound energy is a form of kinetic energy as it is nothing but the motion of air
molecules
Note: The teacher should not go into very details about the concepts but rather should
focus o the relationship between the concepts and on strengthening students’ ideas of
energy.
The students should be asked to make mind-maps of the activities they did in this class.
They should be encouraged to include doodles and drawings showing the process. An
example of a mind map taken from the book “Energy: Stop Faking it” is given below:
“Energy: stop faking it”pg 21
Take-home/ follow-up task: Question: Look for other objects/ processes around you like
playing cricket and make a mind-map showing the energy transfers taking place in the
process.
Assessment rubric: The students should be informally assessed on the basis of their class
participation and formally on the basis of how they answer the question given as a take-home
task. Are they able to find at least 2-3 energy transfers taking place in the process?
This question will reinforce what they learned in the class today and will help them connect
with what they are going to learn in the next class.
Lesson plan 9: Different types of energy and their interconversions: Part II

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Different types of energy: Part II
Learning objectives: (Same as the previous lesson as it is the continuation of that one)
- Learning how almost all the different types of energy boil down to potential and
kinetic energy
- Elaborating more on the concept of potential and kinetic energy
- Getting introduced to the idea of interconversion/transformation of energy from one
form to another.
Materials required: washers or nuts, inextensible string, toy cars or other models to show
collision, blackboard

- Familiar with the concept of kinetic and potential energy as taught in the previous
lessons
- Familiar with the idea that there are different types of energy all around us as
discussed in the first lesson plan.
- Have an idea of energy change and transformation taking place as taught in the
previous lesson.
Overview of the lesson: (Same as the previous lesson as it is the continuation of that
one)
- Demonstrations and hands-on activities using different materials to reinforce the idea
of potential and kinetic energy and building on it by talking about other types of energy
- Discussion and Mind map-making
Detailed plan:
(30 mins): collision
For this, the teacher can take 2 toy cars, or any other object if toy cars are not available and
collide them together. Students may be asked to think and identify the energy transfers taking
place in this process.
Explanation and discussion must include:
- What all happens during a car collision: It is LOUD hence a lot of sound energy
(kinetic energy), Flying parts of the car like glass, and everything settles down after some
time due to friction.
- Thermal energy is transferred to the surrounding air.
- How did the cars get their kinetic energy before the collision? This can be connected
to the chemical energy of gasoline which is a form of potential energy stored in the physical
arrangement of molecules.
(40 mins): Pendulum

Make a simple makeshift pendulum by tying a small washer or nut to a cotton thread that
does not stretch. Place it under a book and keep that book on a table. Swing around the
pendulum to see if it performs periodic motion. If enough washers/nuts and strings are
available, every student can make their own makeshift pendulums. Ask students what all they
observe while the pendulum is swinging, is there any form of energy when it's swinging?
Does it seem to stop anywhere?
Pendulum activity should be done at the end as it is an example where energy transformation
takes place within the pendulum itself. Students need to have a good idea of types of energy
to identify the energy change and transformations to be able to identify the same when the
pendulum performs periodic motion.
Explanation and discussion must include:
- The transformation of potential energy to kinetic energy when the pendulum moves
from an extreme position heading towards the mean.
- The transformation of kinetic energy to potential energy when the pendulum swings
up to the extreme side and comes to rest at the top.
- The continuous transfer of kinetic to potential energy.
- The pendulum eventually comes to a stop because it is losing energy to the
surrounding air molecules (air friction)
(20 mins):
Buffer time and time for discussions and questions. The students are also supposed to make
mind maps of both the activities they did today.
An example of a mind map for the pendulum activity is given below (Taken from the book
“Energy: Stop Faking it”)
“Energy: stop faking it” pg 24
Formative assessment: In the diagram given below, identify the places where the biker only
has potential energy, where he only has kinetic energy and where he has both. Give reasons
for your answers.
Assessment rubric: Students will be informally assessed on the basis of their participation
in-class activities and discussions, and formally on the basis of how they answer the
formative assessment question. If they are able to give the correct answers for 3 parts then
the teacher can give them 3 smileys, if they are able to solve 2 parts correctly then 2 smileys
and so on. The teacher should give meaningful descriptive feedback so that students can go
back and revisit the things taught in the class as a new unit will begin after this lesson.
Heat energy
Lesson Plan 10: Molecules matter
Designed by Jhanvi Bhosale

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Name of the unit: Heat
Topic/chapter: Molecules Matter
- Understand that matter is made up of molecules and that are in constant motion
- To be able to measure heat/hotness using thermometers
Materials required: Materials included under the specific activity.

- Familiar with the concept of potential and kinetic energy as discussed in the previous
lesson plans
- Familiar with the concept of interconversions and transformations of energy.
-
- How hot is hot (10 mins)
- Measuring temperature (30 mins)
- Molecules Matter (20 mins)
- Molecules in motion + Explanation (30mins)
Detailed plan: This chapter focuses on matter that is composed of molecules and that molecules
are always in motion. The teacher can start the lesson by asking the students what do you mean
when we say something is hot or cold? When can we say an object is hot or cold? How do we get
to know if it is hot or cold?
How hot is hot (15 mins): In this activity, the teacher will prepare three cups of water at
different temperatures. The cups should be big enough that accommodates a good amount of
water so that one can place their palms inside them. One cup will have cold water, one will have
room temperature water and the third will have hot water. Make sure that both the hot and cold
water are not at extreme temperatures. Now ask some volunteers to place their left hand in the
cold water and their right hand in hot water. Ask the students what is the difference between the
temperature of water in both the cups. Now ask the student to place both hands in the cup with
the room temperature water. Ask some more students to volunteer. Ask the students the
following questions:
● What was the temperature of the water when they both put their hands in the cup with
room temperature water?
● How did the water feel to your left hand?
● How did the water feel to your right hand?
● Why do you think this happened?
Students will be asked to note their experiences in their notebooks.
The expected result of the activity: The left hand was in the cold water and the right hand in hot
water and when both the hands were placed in the room temperature water, the left hand sensed
the water as warm and the right hand as cold. The reason for this is the transfer of thermal
energy. When the left hand is placed in normal water it tends to gain thermal energy from the
molecules in normal water and when the right hand is placed in normal water the right hand
gives out thermal energy to the molecules of normal water.
The teacher is not expected to give the students an explanation of why it happened. The students
may enquire about this through the lesson. The teacher can conclude the activity by telling the
students that we cannot always rely on our senses to detect hotness or coldness. For this purpose,
there are different thermometers.
(Stop Faking It, pg 59)
Measuring temperature(30 mins): The teacher should have samples of different thermometers
preferably the clinical thermometer and the lab thermometer. In a resource-limited context, the
teacher can show pictures or can bring pictures of different thermometers to class. The different
thermometers will be shown/given to students (with prior warnings) and will be asked where or
for what purpose these thermometers are used. Why does one thermometer have a temperature
scale from 35°C to 42°C?
The students will be taught how to read thermometers. They will be taught the different
components of thermometers and the difference between the thermometers. The normal clinical
thermometer has a scale that ranges from 35°C to 42°C, this can be used to explain that the
human body temperature varies from 35°C to 42°C and hence they have only many divisions. A
teacher can check the temperature of one student and can show them. After this, the teacher can
demonstrate how to use the lab thermometer. After both the demonstration, the teacher can talk
about the component that indicates the rise in the temperature- mercury and how there are digital
thermometers that do not make any more use of mercury as it is poisonous. Moreover, the
teacher should not explain the principle behind the rising of the mercury (which will be
explained in the section on the transfer of energy between the molecules)
(NCERT, 7the Grade, chapter 4, activity 4.2)
Molecules Matter (20 mins):

Parchment paper activity: This activity shows the attraction between the water molecules. In a
way, the activity demonstrates that matter is composed of small molecules.
Materials: Parchment paper (wax paper or butter paper or any other water-resistant paper),
cardboard sheets, droppers, popsicle sticks, tape and a beaker with water. The students will
conduct the activity all by themselves.
Procedure:
- Stick the parchment paper onto the cardboard sheet using the tape.
- Place 4-5 drops of water and make a medium-sized drop on the parchment paper.
- Ask the students to move and tilt the parchment paper so that the drop moves across the
paper. Ask them to not drop the drop off the paper.
- Now ask the students to move the drop across the paper using the popsicle stick and ask
them to separate the drop into two.
- Now ask them to again mix the two drops together.
Expected results: The 4-5 drops combine to form one pea-sized drop. When the paper is tilted the
water droplet moves across the paper without dispersing. It is difficult to separate the droplet into
two and after the separation when the two drops are brought close to each other they combine
quickly and easily.
The teacher can then have a discussion about the activity. The teacher can ask about what
happened in the activity and why they think that the drop was able to move on the paper without
separating and why it was difficult to separate the drop later. The aim of the activity is to explain
that matter is made up of molecules and that there is an attraction between the molecules this
explanation is required in this topic because the gain and loss in energy that causes a change in
states of matter is due to the molecules. After this activity, the teacher can explain that the
molecules are always in a state of motion in all sorts of matter.
(Molecules Matter | Chapter 1: Matter—Solids, Liquids, and Gases | Middle School Chemistry)
Molecules in motion (30 mins): To demonstrate that molecules are in motion, we make use of
KMnO4 crystals and sample hot, cold and room temperature water.
Materials: three bowls (preferably white as it provides a better background to perceive the
change, hot, cold and room temperature water), KMnO4 crystals
Procedure: Place a crystal of KMnO4 in each sample of water. Let the student observe the
change.
Expected result: The crystal of KMnO4 diffuses in each sample of water. However, the crystal in
hot water diffuses at a faster rate than the other two. The crystal in cold water diffuses at the
lowest rate.
● What did you observe?
● Why is there a difference in the rate of diffusing or dissolving of the KMnO4 crystals in
water?
● Why is it fast in hot water?
● How is it related to the activity done before?
Explanation of the motion of molecules in different samples: Through transmission mode, the
teacher can explain the molecular theory by drawing diagrams (similar to the one below) on the
board that shows the arrangement of molecules in different states. Both activities are conducted
using water as the main medium, this might build up a misconception that only liquids consist of
molecules. The teacher must make it clear not just liquids but solids and gasses also have
molecules and that the molecules are in constant motion. Also, those molecules are in motion
even in cold water, only at a lower rate.
(source: https://www.easynotecards.com/notecard_set/28151)
The molecules move faster when something is hot. This means when external heat is provided
the molecules gain energy and move at a faster rate. Under ordinary conditions, all objects,
materials and substances “possess” internal energy called thermal energy. Very cold substances
like ice cubes also have thermal energy. When heat is provided the thermal energy increases (the
idea of kinetic energy and increase in thermal energy will be introduced in the next chapter)
(Stop Faking It, pg 61)
Take-home/Follow up task: Students will be given a worksheet based on the above activities.
The worksheet will be a recap of the content covered in class and will also have questions related
to upcoming topics in the Heat unit.
Take-Home Worksheet
Unit3: Heat
Chapter 1: Molecules Matter
Write the answers to the questions in your own words.
1. What kind of thermometers did you observe in class? Try drawing the images of the
thermometers using your memory. You can take the help of google images if required.
2. Why does the clinical thermometer scale from 35°C to 42°C?
3. Why are the old thermometers that contain mercury replaced with digital thermometers?
4. What do you think is the reason behind the drop moving on the paper without separating
and why was it difficult to separate the droplet?
5. Why did the KMnO4 crystal dissolve at a faster rate in hot water and slow in room
temperature and cold water?
6. State True or False
A. Only liquid objects are made up of tiny particles called molecules.
B. All objects ranging from solids, liquids and gases have thermal energy.
C. Only hot objects have thermal energy.
7. Using circles and motion lines to represent water molecules in different states. Be sure to show
that water molecules are:
•Randomly arranged.
•Close together because they attract each other.
•Moving
Assessment rubric: Students will be assessed based on their engagement in the class and the
kind of responses they provide. While the teacher is demonstrating or explaining the topics the
teacher must ask a lot of questions. The questions in the take-home task must be already covered
in the class. Repeating the questions in a worksheet helps the students to reflect and recap about
what happened in class. How students respond to the questions during class and on the
take-home assessment helps the teacher to know whether the students are able to grasp the
content.
Lesson Plan 11: Molecules on the run I

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Molecules on the Run
- Understand the transfer of thermal energy and kinetic energy
- Understand change in the state of matter
Materials required: Required materials are listed with the activities.
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: Matter is made up of molecules, molecules in all objects

are in a state of motion and in hotter objects molecules move faster.

- Recap of the take-home worksheet (20 mins)
- Thermometer Activity (30 mins)
- Motion of molecules, thermal energy and states of matter (40mins)
Detailed plan: Now that the students have learnt that matter is made up of molecules, students
will further learn about how molecules come into motion and how the transfer of energy occur
between the molecules.
Recap of the take-home worksheet (20 mins): Recap of the take-home worksheet and the
content covered in last class is required because it forms the basis for the topic of how the
molecules gain the energy to be in motion and to learn about the changes in state. It also helps
the teacher to know whether the students have grasped the topic covered previously and to clear
doubts and learning gaps if any. The teacher can discuss the responses the students have written
and ask some students to draw the diagrams on board. The students themselves will conduct the
discussion, the teacher will only facilitate when required. Once they reach the conclusion that
hotter molecules move faster and they have more thermal energy, the teacher can take over. The
idea of thermal energy is still not very clear and was introduced very briefly in the last class. In
this lesson, the transfer of energy will be discussed.
Thermometer Activity (30 mins):

Through this activity, the teacher can explain the motion of the molecules and thermal expansion.
Materials: Thermometer, different water samples such as hot, cold and room temperature water.
Procedure: Students will be asked to measure the temperature of the samples.
Expected results: In hot water, the mercury in the thermometer will rise immediately, whereas it
will be relatively slow at the other temperatures.
Questions to be asked:
● What changes did you see in the thermometers for each of the samples?
● Why was the rise of mercury fast in the hot water and slower in the other two?
● Was there a rise or dip or did the level of mercury remain the same in the cold water?
Why do you think this is the case?
● What do you think happens to the molecules or the thermal energy?
(Uncovering Student Ideas In Science- Volume 3, pg 34)
Motion of molecules, thermal energy and states of matter (40 mins): Through the
transmission mode and with the help of diagrams the teacher can use the above activity to start
the discussion about the motion of molecules.
(Source: Multimedia: Changing State—Melting | Chapter 2, Lesson 5 | Middle School

Chemistry)
Drawing a similar diagram above, the teacher can explain the change in states of matter.
Addition of thermal energy increases the kinetic energy and reduces the potential energy of the
molecules due to which the molecules tend to travel farther and farther. When energy is lost or
removed the kinetic energy reduces and the potential energy increases bring the particles closer
and closer to each other.
Take-home/ follow-up task: Reading will be assigned. Students will be asked to go through the
reading before the next class.
Reading:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zmrw151j1vl3QEuiNUHzO_xM131vSJ26/view?usp=sharing
Assessment rubric: The class involves a lot of discussion, hence the students will be based on
their participation during the class discussion and also based on their responses in the take-home
worksheet. The take-home worksheet will help to assess whether the students were able to grasp
the ideas covered in the previous topic.
Lesson Plan 12: Molecules on the run II

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Molecules on the Run II
- Understanding the transfer of thermal energy
- Understanding the difference between heat and temperature
Materials required: Materials mentioned as per the requirement of activity
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: Students should know who exactly molecules gain energy
and become mobile. They should know about the difference between hot molecules and cold
molecules.

- Explanation for the ‘How Hot is Hot’ Activity (15mins)
- Objects and Temperature Activity (30 mins)
- Working on the assigned reading + making mind map (30 mins)
- Buffer time (15mins)
Detailed plan:
Explanation for the ‘How Hot is Hot’ Activity (15 mins): The activity where there were three
water samples and students were asked to place their hands in the two extreme temperature water
and then in the room temperature water and then when they placed their hand in normal
temperature water, their left hand (which placed was in cold water) felt warmer and the right
hand (which was placed in hot water) felt colder. The teacher must explain why that happened.
The left hand was in cold water, the temperature of the hand is relatively higher than that of the
cold water. The left hand transferred heat to the cold water and itself got colder. Hence when the
left hand was placed in room temperature water, here the temperature of the water is higher than
that of the water so the water gave out heat and the hand absorbed the heat from the water due to
which the hand felt a bit warm. In the case of the right hand, the temperature of the water was
much more than that of the hand. The hand absorbed heat from the water due to which the hand
became hot. When the right hand was placed in the room temperature water, the hand transferred
the excess heat it gained from the hot water into the room temperature water and hence the hand
sensed the water as a bit cold compared to the left hand.
Objects and Temperature Activity (30 mins): In this activity, the students are expected to
measure the temperature of different objects. The aim is to elicit the idea of temperature and the
idea that when different objects are exposed to the same temperature and conditions their
temperature remains the same but still, some objects feel hotter or colder than the others. It will
explain the transfer of thermal energy.
Materials: block of wood, metal tray, wool hat, glass plate and thermometer/s
Procedure: The teacher has to place all the four items on the table and have to leave them
overnight. A thermometer should be attached to each object. If not possible at least one
thermometer should be available to measure the temperature of the objects.
Expected results: When the temperature of the objects has been measured the temperature of all
the objects turns out to be the same. But when we touch these objects, some objects feel colder
than others. For example, the metal way tray will feel colder than the woollen hat. As already
known, energy transfers from warmer objects to colder. Our hand is warmer than the metal tray,
hence the hand will transfer energy to the metal tray which makes the metal tray feel colder. The
metal hat is also a good conductor of heat, so it is much more efficient at transferring heat than
the wool hat. The wool hat feels normal or a bit warmer because it does not conduct heat and we
do not feel any change. Moreover, the temperature is a measure of the thermal energy of objects.
Thermal energy and kinetic energy are related but not the same. Thermal energy is related to
kinetic energy but the temperature is more about average kinetic energy. The average kinetic
energy of all the molecules here is the same which is why they all have the same temperature.
However, the kinetic energy of each molecule of each object will be different considering they
are different objects.
Questions to be asked by the teacher:

● What is the temperature of all the objects?
● Was it the same for all or different?
● Why do you think it was the same or almost the same for all the objects?
● Is it normal or unusual? Why or why not?
● After touching the objects what did you notice?
● Why were some objects warmer or colder than the others?
The teacher can have a discussion about the above questions and then through transmission mode
can explain the reasons.
(Uncovering Student Ideas In Science- Volume 1, pg 110)
Working on the assigned reading + making a mind map (30 mins): Student Reading
Students will be asked to go through the reading in class and clear their doubts with the help of peers and
the teacher. After the reading is done students will be asked to make a mind map and different diagrams
based on how states of matter change.
Buffer time (15 mins): During this time students can clear their doubts and will be given extra time to
complete their formative assessment.

The following are the questions being asked in class. The students can be asked to note these
questions and write their answers in their own works.
:
● What is the temperature of all the objects?
● Was it the same for all or different?
● Why do you think it was the same or almost the same for all the objects?
● Is it normal or unusual? Why or why not?
● After touching the objects what did you notice?
● Why were some objects warmer or colder than the others?
Assessment rubric: Based on the discussion done in class or the extent of participation of
student done in class and done after class will be helpful to again assess the students
Lesson Plan 13: Transfer of Energy I

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: 3. Transfer of Energy
- Understanding how the transfer of heat occurs and being able to analyse each change and
transfer
Materials required:Mentioned as per the requirements of each activity.

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: The transfer of thermal energy, concepts of kinetic and
potential energy, transfer energy occurs from an object of higher temperature to an object of a
lower temperature.

- Storytelling of different examples about conduction (15 mins)
- Melting of wax (20 mins)
- Good and Bad Conductors of Heat (20mins)
- Thermal conductivity (30mins)
Detailed plan:
Storytelling of different examples about conduction (15 mins):

The teacher can talk about different examples of conduction like-
● When we place a spatula or spoon in a hot liquid, the spoon becomes hot.
● As kids, our moms would place the glass of hot milk in a vessel with normal temperature
water. Later we observed that water in the vessel would become warm due to hot milk
and the milk would become warm too from boiling hot temperature.
● When we feel cold and someone who is warm when hugging, we feel warm too.
The teacher can ask the students why the following changes take place. This will help to know
the ideas students have about the topic of conduction. The teacher can also ask them for similar
examples they have come across. Moreover, she introduces the topic of different ways of transfer
of heat and the first one is conduction.
Melting of wax (20 mins): For this activity, the teacher will have to take the students to the
laboratory. The teacher will demonstrate the experiment to the students.
Materials: metal rod or even a metal scale, candle, two big bricks, matchbox
Procedure: Molten wax will be allowed to spill on the metal rod at different points. After this, the
metal rod will be placed between the two heavy bricks. The rod will be heated using the candle.
Expected result: As the rod gets heated the wax on different points starts melting starting from
the one closer to the candle and gradually the ones farther from the candle.
Discussion: The teacher can ask the students what happened and why did it happen. The teacher
can then conclude the activity by introducing the term conduction.
(NCERT, 7th grade, chapter 4, activity 4.6)
Good and Bad Conductors of Heat (20 mins): The aim of the activity is to demonstrate the
transfer of heat through good and bad conductors of heat.
Procedure: The teacher can ask the students for all different sorts of materials like pencils, plastic
scales, metal scales, compass, spoons, etc. These materials must be placed with one end in the
beaker with hot water. Students can touch and see the temperature of each material and analyse
which ones actually got warm/hot.
Discussion: The teacher can then conclude the activity by introducing the ideas about conductors
and insulators.
Thermal Conductivity (30 mins): Two sets of activities will be done here. Both the activities
can be done simultaneously with students' help. The aim of both the activities is to demonstrate
that when something is heated first the energy is used up in breaking the bonds between the
molecules of the substance and once the bonds are broken then the energy is used up in
increasing the kinetic energy of the molecules.
Activity 1: Materials: Glass full of ice and thermometer

Procedure: Let the ice melt at its own pace but keep checking the temperature.
Expected result: The temperature of the melting water will remain the same for a long time even
though the ice is melting.
Activity2: Materials: Hard-bound paper, candle, wax or wax crayon shavings, matchbox
Procedure: Put the shavings on the hard-bound paper and place it above the lit candle.
Expected result: The wax shavings start melting while the business card does not get hot at all.
The teacher can explain that the heat absorbed is used in first breaking the molecules of the
substances and then increasing the kinetic temperature of the molecules.
(Stop Faking It, pg 79 & 80)
Take-home/ follow-up task: Make a diagrammatic representation of what they observed in three
activities.
Assessment Rubric: The class mostly consists of demonstrations. Students can be assessed
based on how well they handled material and what kind of responses were given by the students.
Lesson Plan 14: Transfer of Energy II

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Transfer of Energy II
- Understanding how the transfer of heat occurs and being able to analyze each change and
transfer
Materials required: Materials mentioned as per the requirement of the activity
Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: The transfer of thermal energy, concepts of kinetic and
lower temperature.

- Recap about conduction (15 mins)
- Storytelling about different examples of where convection occurs (20 mins)
- Motion of Molecules during Convection (30 mins)
- Explanation of Convection in detail (25 mins)
Detailed plan:
Recap about conduction (15 mins): The teacher can first recap about the processes of
conduction and about conductors and insulators.
Storytelling about different examples of where convection occurs (20 mins): The teacher can
talk about the different instances where convection occurs and ask the students whether they
have observed it or not. The teacher can talk about the sea breeze and the land breeze people
living in coastal areas experience. The teacher can project the images on the projector or can
make use of prepared drawings or charts or can even make use of the blackboard. The teacher
can refer to the picture below to explain the phenomenon.
Motion of Molecules during Convection (30 mins): This is similar to the activity of the
KMnO4 crystals done in the first class of the unit. In this activity, water will be heated
continuously and potassium permanganate crystals will be added to the water. The crystals show
the movement of molecules in conduction when a continuous flame is provided.
Materials: KMnO4 crystals, a beaker with 3/4th water, bunsen burner/ candle, stand (to keep the
beaker), matchbox
Procedure: Fill the beaker with water and place it on a stand in a way where we can heat the
water by keeping the burner or the candle below. Light the burner or the candle on a very low
flame and heat the water in the beaker. Let students observe the changes. The students must be
asked to record their observations in their notebooks.
Expected results: Water near the flame gets hot and the hot water molecules move up. The cold
water molecules move downwards towards the source of heat. This movement is exhibited
through the potassium permanganate molecules.
Questions to be asked:
● What did you observe?
● Why did that happen?
● Why was there a continuous cycle?
● How is the process different from the process of convection?
Discussion: The teacher can conclude the movement of hot and cold water molecules and inform
them that this process is nothing but convection. Definition of convection can be introduced.
Explanation of Convection (25 mins): Using the image given below the teacher can explain the
process of convection. The process of convection must be explained using different examples,
such as the sea breeze, land breeze, boiling of water, use of air conditioners, etc.
(Source: Stop Faking It, pg 78)
Take-home/ follow-up task in the class: Students should be asked about what they learnt from
the activity they performed in class (motion of molecules in convection). And should be asked to
note specific points about how this process is different from convection? The students must not
write down their experiences in their journal.
Assessment Rubric: Lots of demonstrations and different activities are covered in the lesson
plan. The students will primarily be assessed on how well they participate in class and how well
they are engaged with the topic. If the student has really been attentive and involved, the student
will be able to participate effectively. Students will be able to answer the questions asked in
class.
Lesson Plan 15 Transfer of Energy III

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: 3. Transfer of EnergyIII
transfer
Materials required: Mentioned as per the requirement
Prerequisites/ Previous knowledge: The transfer of thermal energy, concepts of kinetic and
lower temperature.

- Storytelling about how sun radiates heat (30 mins)
- The black vs white activity (30mins)
- Summary worksheet (30mins)
Detailed plan:
Storytelling about how the sun radiates heat (30 mins): The teacher can take the students
outdoors (or in the corridor just outside the classroom or near the windows) when it's sunny and
ask whether they feel hot or not? Ask them whether they know how the heat got transferred?
After this you can bring the students back. The teacher can start the topic of radiation by talking
about-
● How does one feel hot on a summer afternoon?
● When hands are placed near a table lamp we feel warm.
● The waves that heat the food placed in the microwave.
The teacher can then ask-
● Is there something common between all the three examples mentioned above?
● How is this sort of transfer of heat from that of convection and conduction?
● Do you see any medium involved in this kind of heat transfer?
● If there’s no medium, how do you think the transfer of heat takes place here?
After the discussion, the teacher can introduce the term radiation and explain the process in
detail.
The black vs white activity (30 mins):

Material: two tin cans (one can use the waste beverage tin cans that are available at any general
store) or just two same sized utensils, black paint, water, empty space
Procedure: PartI: One of the tin cans must be painted black. In the case of utensils, one utensil
can be coated with some black mud. Both the painted and unpainted can must be filled with
equal amounts of water. Both kinds of utensils/cans must be kept in the open for about an hour.
The teacher can do this beforehand and just show the students the temperature difference
between the water in both containers.
PartII: Now put equal amounts of hot water into the same cans and utensils used above. Keep the
cans in a room or in a shade.
The water in the painted can or the utensil that is coated with mud will be warmer than the water
in the unpainted/uncoated utensil. For the second part, the water in the unpainted/uncoated can
will be at a lower temperature than the water in the other can. The teacher can explain how dark
surfaces absorb more heat and light coloured clothes reflect most of the heat that is incident on it.
This can be connected to how we wear light coloured clothes in summer and avoid wearing
darker shades of clothes.
Summary Worksheet (30mins): Students will be provided with worksheets that they can solve
with their peers and with the teacher’s' help.
Link for the worksheet::

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V6n5me3Ui8EUiq2_0b8c3Qr70a581aeJ/view?usp=sharing
Assessment Rubric: The assessing will be done on the responses the students give to the teacher
about their experiences around the topic. The questions asked by the students and the answers
they provide can also help the teacher whether the students are able to understand the topic. The
worksheet really helps to know whether students have understood the differences between the
three processes and they understand the processes in general.
Lesson plan 16: Affect of heat on climate

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Greenhouse Effect
Duration of the lesson: 90mins
- Understanding how the greenhouse effect works
Materials required: Included as the requirements of the activity
Previous knowledge: Students should know about what is heat, thermal energy, kinetic and
potential energy. They should also know the different ways how heat gets transferred
(convection, conduction and radiation). They should also know that the sun is a source of an
abundance of energy.

- Using different modes the teacher will explain the Greenhouse effect
- Storytelling about climate change
- Recapping/discussion
Detailed plan:
Greenhouse effect: The teacher can explain to the students about the greenhouse effect by
showing a video or making posters or drawing diagrams (similar to the ones below) on the board.
After the explanation, the teacher can take the students to any open space or playground and
explain the topic again. This time the teacher can just pour hot water on the ground and inform
the students about how if they trap the water vapour using some sort of cloth or plastic bag (just
as an example) how the vapour will only be trapped between the object and the ground.
(Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYHAZaasdxI)
(Source: Stop Faking It, Claire Reinberg et. al., pg no 85 & 86)
Storytelling about climate change: With the help of newspaper cutouts of images of the effects
of climate change and news reports or just projecting images and news (is possible) the teacher
can explain how this unbalanced state of energy on the planet can cause climate change and how
is it going to affect future generations. The teacher can also tell the students about their
experiences of climate change and global warming.
Recapping/ Discussion: The students during the class hours will be asked the following
questions:
● Where does the incoming radiation from the sun travel? Does all of it reach the earth?
● What is the role of clouds in this?
● What are the other factors that trap heat?
● What do you think will happen if there is excess heat which gets trapped?
Take-home/ follow-up task: The students will be asked to make a list of solutions that will help
maintain the heat emitted in the environment. Also, the teacher can ask the students about how
on an individual level they can help reduce the amount of heat generated or released by them.
Students can make a list of both in their notebooks. (this task will help them at the end of the unit
project). They will also be asked to research the possible reasons that cause excess heat
production or heat getting trapped.
Assessment rubric: Students will be assessed based on their involvement in class and their
participation in the discussion. After the class, there will be a good amount of discussion on what
they understood from the class. Based on students’ responses to the questions the teacher will
assess the students.
Lesson Plan 17: What is Heat?

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: What is heat?
- Reinforcement of previously learnt concepts around the topic of Heat energy
- Learning how to use the term ‘heat’ in a scientific way and how is it different from how
people use it in their everyday lives.
- Revisiting the idea of how things get ‘cold’ and what makes a thing hot
Materials required: This lesson can be done best in a resourceful context, a projector is
needed to screen the short movie.
Alternative for resource-limited context: the teacher can do a storytelling session and narrate
the movie and highlight all the important points needed to meet the learning objectives of this
lesson. The movie is made on a storybook so the teacher can also ask the school to provide a
storybook for a better storytelling session. The storybook can be used for many years hence it
is a good idea to have a storybook for the class.

- Familiar with the scientific model of molecules
- Having an idea of what is heat energy as taught in previous lessons
- Familiar with the concept that energy transformations take place all the time

- Playing the video, given an explanation and asking questions in between.
- Discussion
- Formative assessment question
Detailed plan:
(60 mins)
Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kMykLLfCB8
The video is in English so the teacher might have to translate and explain depending on the
context. Guiding questions can be asked in between to aid the development of their ideas and
thoughts. The video gives very interesting examples of how heat is always on the move and
hence reinforcing the idea of heat getting transferred. It also talks about different animals
living in polar regions adapt to the extreme weather conditions (hair, blubber), how woollen
clothes keep us warm how do igloos work to keep people warm from inside, etc.
Students have learnt how about heat energy, this video takes it a step further and explains
how these concepts are applied to our everyday lives and in natural ecosystems.
The teacher should also place emphasis on how the word ‘heat’ has been used at different
places in the video. Research has shown that a lot of times students are not able to grasp the
scientific concept of heat because of the way they use the term heat in their everyday
vocabulary creating a prior misconception about the concept of heat as energy (Driver, 2000)
Formative Assessment (Idea taken from “uncovering student’s ideas in science”, Vol 2,
pg
A small, short-furred animal called a Vivo lives on a faraway island. This island is the
only place where this animal can be found. The island remains warm throughout the
year and provides plenty of food.
One year, the climate conditions drastically changed and the island became colder and
this lasted for more than a year. It became so cold that it even snowed. Tick any of the
things that you think might have happened to the animals after the change in habitat
conditions:
a) Vivo’s fur grew thicker and longer
b) Vivos dug holes to live under the leaves or rocks
c) They hibernated to avoid the extreme conditions and returned back when it was
warm again
d) Vivos dies
Answer on the lines of what you have learnt about heat energy so far.
Lesson plan 18: Energy from food

Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Topic/chapter: Energy from food
Note: this lesson plan is at the end of all the units as it involves concepts from both energies from
food and heat that are pre-requisites for this experiment.
- Learning the difference between fats and carbohydrates as energy sources by carrying out
a demonstration.
- Connecting the concepts of heat energy with the concept of food energy.
Materials required: Source of carbohydrates like 1 gm of bread, source of fat like 1 gram of
dry coconut or peanut, a balance, other laboratory equipment like bunsen burner,
thermometer, test tubes and water.

- Living organisms need energy to survive, grow, and reproduce
- Some living organisms make their own food and some get it from others (Autotrophic
and heterotrophic nutrition)
- Humans eat food that comes from plant and animal sources.
- There are different components of food: Fat, carbohydrates and proteins.
- Knowing how to read the temperature in thermometers

- Teacher will carry a demonstration in front of the class by telling them how the
experiment is supposed to be carried out so students develop a scientific understanding of
the process
- Discussion
Detailed plan:
(45 mins)
The activity involves flame and heated substances and hence the teacher must
demonstrate the activity instead of making students do it.
Two bunsen burners, test tubes or beakers and thermometers are required for this experiment.
The test tubes should be filled with equal amounts of water at room temperature. The sources
of fat and carbohydrate should be equally measured (1 gm each).
The aim of the activity is to demonstrate the differences between the two sources of energy
i.e. fats and carbohydrates. This can be done by burning the two sources under the test
tube/beakers containing water and measuring the temperature change in both of them using a
thermometer. Students should be asked to record their observations and using the detective
science approach, they should make assumptions about what is happening before the teacher
guide them to the correct scientific explanation.
(15 mins)
The teacher can carry out a discussion around the topic of what foods gives us more energy
and how should a meal be balanced for healthy active living thus spreading awareness.
Formative Assessment:
Question: Migrating birds are the birds who travel long distances to escape extreme weather
conditions. Before embarking on the long migration journey, they eat food high in fat to store
energy. Can you think of reasons why they eat fats and not carbohydrates? (Use your
observations from the activity done in the class)
Assessment rubric: Students should be assessed on their ability to connect the experimental
observations with the question provided in the formative assessment. If they are able to link
the results with why migratory birds chose fats as their source of energy, this means that they
have grasped the concept of how the experiment was carried out and what it proved.
Such activity will also teach them the basic skills required to carry out a controlled
experiment.
Project week
(Summative assessment)
Lesson plan 19
Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
transfer
Materials required:
Previous knowledge: The transfer of thermal energy, concepts of kinetic and potential energy,
transfer energy occurs from an object of higher temperature to an object of a lower temperature.

- Making a balanced diet + making a poster on the condition of malnutrition (50 mins)
- Making an energy pyramid (40 mins)
Detailed plan: The project activities will be done on individual basis. The students can take help
from the teacher and from peers. These activities will act as summative assessments.
Making a balanced diet: On average, a human needs 8360KJoules of energy (2000Kcal).

Students also know that carbohydrates give more energy than fat. Using the table below students
in groups will have to make a balanced diet. Moreover, students will have to research the
condition of malnutrition and based on it make a poster and present it. The students can research
the topic during class hours. They can use the internet (if possible) or the teacher can provide
them with resources by printing various different articles and news reports based on them.
Making an Energy Pyramid: Now that the students have learnt about the food web and how
animals depend on plants and how plants make their own food with the help of sunlight and
carbon dioxide, the students can actually make a poster of an energy pyramid that shows the flow
of energy through the food web. Students are not expected to show the exact quantities of energy
gained or lost, all they are expected to do is just show the flow of energy through the food
web/chain and provide sufficient explanations for the energy flow.
Take-home/ follow-up task: Students will be given time to complete the leftover work to
compete at home. The parts where the students make a balanced diet and where they research
malnutrition should be done during the class hours. The remaining work of making the poster
should be done by the students at their own pace and at home.
Assessment rubric: Students will be assessed based on their participation in the group activity.
They will also be assessed based on their engagement with the topic. During the presentation,
individual students will be assessed based on how well they have understood the topic and their
efforts to understand the topic in detail. The reason it's a group project is that students can help
each other and this will also be a way to assess and see if the students are able to explain the
concept to each other in case of doubts. The presentations and the posters will be graded. The
students will present their work to the junior grades during class hours.
Lesson plan 20
Subject: Science
Class: VII
Theme: Energy
Name of the unit: Project Week
Duration of the lesson: 90mins
- Understanding how the transfer of heat occurs and being able to analyze each change and
transfer
Materials required:
Previous knowledge:

- Graphical representation of heat produced or released by the earth in the last decade
(30mins)
- Effects of the greenhouse on different organisms including humans and the environment.
( 60 mins)
Detailed plan:
Graphical representation: The students will be asked to again research the greenhouse effect
and global warming and store some stats for it (if possible). The students will be asked to plot the
graphs of the temperature change in the last decade and will be asked to critically analyze the
data. For the research, the students can make use of the internet or the teacher can provide them
with news resorts from every year of the decade so that they can plot the graphs.
Effects of the greenhouse on different organisms including humans and the environment:
For this activity, the students will be expected to first discuss the research they did as their
take-home assessment in one of the classes on the reasons how excess heat is produced and gets
trapped. With their own experience and based on how much they have read they will also be
asked about the effects of the greenhouse effect on the wildlife and the environment. Both the
reasons and the effects of the greenhouse effect must be represented through chart work and
slogans. Using the charts the students will have to bring awareness about the topic in their junior
classes.
Assessment rubric: The students will have to present their work to the junior grades. The
students will be assessed based on their engagement with the topic and efforts of the students (in
and out of class hours) in terms of research. Students will also be assessed on how they present it
to the junior classes and the classes of the other section (more than the presentation skills the
focus would be on depth and the quality of the content covered).
References:
● Ward, H. (2007). “Using their Brains in Science: Ideas for Children Aged 5 to 14”
SAGE (p 37-58, 59-77, 111-128)
● Fleer, M. (2015). “Science for Children” Cambridge University Press (p 3-28, 61-80)
● Driver, R. (2000). “Children’s ideas in science” Marston Lindsay Ross International
Ltd.
● Keeley, P. (2005). “Uncovering Students Ideas in Science: 25 Formative Assessment
Probes” NSTA Press
● Keeley, P. (2005). “Uncovering Students Ideas in Science”, NSTA Press, Vol. 2
● Robertson, W. (2002) “ENERGY: Stop Faking it!” NSTA Press.
● “Weaving a food web”. Start with a book (Avilable at:
https://www.startwithabook.org/)
● Fisher, J. (2020). “How Do Leaves Breathe? A Simple Science Experiment for Kids”
EDVENTURES With Kids (Available at:
https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/how-do-leaves-breathe-a-simple-science-experiment-for
-kids)
● “Lesson Plan on Photosynthesis: Science Education Project” McGill (Available
at:https://www.mcgill.ca/sciedchantier7/resources/sample-lesson-plans/photosynthesis)
● “What Is Energy? Where Does It Come From & How Do We Use It? Science for
Kids!” Turtlediary, 2015 (Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjuvatIoSzY )
● “Science: Textbook for class VI” National Centre for Educational Research and
Training (Available at: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php )
● “Science: Textbook for class VII” National Centre for Educational Research and
● “Science: Textbook for class VIII” National Centre for Educational Research and
● Video source for Lesson Plan 16: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYHAZaasdxI

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Energy in the living world

Lesson plan 1: What is Energy?

Designed by Juhi Jain

Materials required: Blackboard, smartboard for presenting pictures or video for

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: No prior knowledge is required in particular other than

Overview of the lesson:

Take-home/ follow-up task: An activity to recap their Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge

DAY 1 Do you think

Food item Ingredients Sources Nutrients (Fats, Proteins,

1. Kheer Milk Animal Fats and protein

Rice Plant Carbohydrates

Sugar Plant Carbohydrates

Skills: discussion, note-taking, recording, reading datasheets.

Lesson plan 2: Nutrition in Plants

Designed by Juhi Jain

Materials required: Blackboard, chalks of different colours, pre-designed set-up (glass

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge: Students have been introduced to the morphological

Overview of the lesson:

(10 mins) Buffer time

Take-home/ follow-up task:

Which friend do you agree with and why? Explain.

Lesson plan 3: Plant nutrition II

Designed by Juhi Jain

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

Overview of the lesson:

Black chana/chickpea is a good example of a leguminous plant containing high amounts of

Lesson plan 4: Different modes of nutrition

Designed by Juhi Jain

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

Overview of the lesson:

Take-home/ follow-up task: Students may be asked to think/read or research on a question:

Designed by Juhi Jain

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

Overview of the lesson:

(15 mins) Buffer

Designed by Juhi Jain

Prerequisites/ Previous knowledge:

Overview of the lesson:

What I knew before What I know after the discussion

Lesson plan 7: Understanding the relationships

Designed by Juhi Jain

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

Overview of the lesson:

Take-home/ follow-up task:

Lesson plan 8: Different types of energy and their interconversions: Part I

Designed by Juhi Jain

Overview of the lesson:

(30 mins): Blowing balloons

(30 mins): Paper bullets

The explanation and discussion must include:

“Energy: stop faking it”pg 21

Lesson plan 9: Different types of energy and their interconversions: Part II

Designed by Juhi Jain

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

(40 mins): Pendulum

“Energy: stop faking it” pg 24

Lesson Plan 10: Molecules matter

Designed by Jhanvi Bhosale

Materials required: Materials included under the specific activity.

Pre-requisites/ Previous knowledge:

Molecules Matter (20 mins):