Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes
Energy in food
Energy
CCSS NGSS.5-PS3-1CCSS NGSS.MS-LS1-7England: KS3 Physics: Energy (comparing energy values of foods)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Energy in food.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Energy stores and transfers
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Wind-up toys or a pendulum, Energy transfer diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Energy stores and transfers). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which energy store is most important here: a child at the top of a slide? (gravitational potential (height) / thermal (heat) / kinetic (movement) / chemical) → gravitational potential (height)Prompt: Is it moving, raised up, stretched, hot, or able to release energy by reacting?
- A ball is dropped. Which energy store decreases as it falls? (nuclear / gravitational potential / elastic / kinetic) → gravitational potentialPrompt: It is getting lower.
- Which of these mainly has a thermal (heat) energy store? (a stretched rubber band / a rolling football / a cup of hot tea / a child at the top of a slide) → a cup of hot teaPrompt: Think about what each object is doing.
Hook · 3 min
- Wind up a toy or stretch an elastic band and ask where the energy goes.
- Share the objective: Energy in food. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: A food label says yoghurt contains 2000 kJ per 100 g. How much energy is in a 200 g portion, in kJ?
- Step 1: 2000 × 200 ÷ 100 = 4000
- Step 2: So the answer is: 4000 kJ
- Answer: 4000 kJ
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- A food label says rice contains 2000 kJ per 100 g. How much energy is in a 200 g portion, in kJ? → 4000 kJPrompt: How many lots of 100 g are in the portion?
- Maya uses about 20 kJ per minute when running. How much energy is used in 40 minutes, in kJ? → 800 kJPrompt: Multiply the energy per minute by the number of minutes.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Ravi uses about 20 kJ per minute when dancing. How much energy is used in 60 minutes, in kJ? → 1200 kJPrompt: Multiply the energy per minute by the number of minutes.
- A food label says pasta contains 520 kJ per 100 g. How much energy is in a 30 g portion, in kJ? → 156 kJPrompt: How many lots of 100 g are in the portion?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Energy stores and transfers.
- Use concrete materials: wind-up toys or a pendulum.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder