Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes
Energy moves by sound, light, heat and electric current
Energy
CCSS NGSS.4-PS3-2England: KS3 Physics: Energy (energy changes and transfers)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Energy moves by sound, light, heat and electric current.
- 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: Keep it hot or keep it cold: thermal insulators
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 · 5 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 flying aeroplane (airplane)? (kinetic (movement) / thermal (heat) / elastic potential (stretch or squash) / chemical) → kinetic (movement)Prompt: Is it moving, raised up, stretched, hot, or able to release energy by reacting?
- Which are ways energy can be transferred? (only by wires / energy cannot move / by heating, by electric current, by light and sound, by forces / only by fire) → by heating, by electric current, by light and sound, by forcesPrompt: Think of a lamp, a speaker and a kettle.
- Which of these mainly has a elastic potential (stretch or squash) energy store? (a cup of hot tea / a running dog / a squashed spring / water behind a high dam) → a squashed springPrompt: Think about what each object is doing.
Hook · 5 min
- Wind up a toy or stretch an elastic band and ask where the energy goes.
- Share the objective: Energy moves by sound, light, heat and electric current. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: How is energy moving here: a torch (flashlight) beam?
- Step 1: Energy travels as light from a hot or glowing source.
- Step 2: So the answer is: light
- Answer: light
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- How is energy moving here: a dog's bark? (light / sound / heat / electric current) → soundPrompt: Is it seen, heard, felt as warmth, or carried in wires?
- A solar-powered garden light glows at night. How did the energy get there? (It makes energy from darkness. / Sunlight → solar panel → electric current → battery → light / The Moon charged it. / Sound from the garden powers it.) → Sunlight → solar panel → electric current → battery → lightPrompt: Where is the energy stored during the day?
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- How is energy moving here: music from a speaker reaching your ears? (light / sound / heat / electric current) → soundPrompt: Is it seen, heard, felt as warmth, or carried in wires?
- True or false? Heat moves from cold things to hot things. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Light, sound, heat and electric current all carry energy.
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
- Move on to: Keep it hot or keep it cold: thermal insulators.
- 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-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder