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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.
  1. Which energy store is most important here: a drawn bow? (chemical / kinetic (movement) / gravitational potential (height) / elastic potential (stretch or squash)) → elastic potential (stretch or squash)Prompt: Is it moving, raised up, stretched, hot, or able to release energy by reacting?
  2. A ball is dropped. Which energy store decreases as it falls? (kinetic / nuclear / elastic / gravitational potential) → gravitational potentialPrompt: It is getting lower.
  3. Which of these mainly has a thermal (heat) energy store? (lava from a volcano / a piece of coal / a stretched trampoline / a book on a high shelf) → lava from a volcanoPrompt: 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.
  1. How is energy moving here: a hot drink warming your hands? (light / sound / heat / electric current) → heatPrompt: Is it seen, heard, felt as warmth, or carried in wires?
  2. A loud firework explodes. Which ways is energy transferred? (no energy is transferred / only electric current / only sound / light, sound and heat) → light, sound and heatPrompt: What do you see, hear and feel?

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.
  1. How is energy moving here: a battery powering a torch bulb? (light / sound / heat / electric current) → electric currentPrompt: Is it seen, heard, felt as warmth, or carried in wires?
  2. 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

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Energy moves by sound, light, heat and electric current

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    True or false? Electric current carries energy through wires.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. Question 2

    How is energy moving here: a hot drink warming your hands?

    • A. light
    • B. sound
    • C. heat
    • D. electric current

  3. Question 3

    An electric car is plugged in overnight. What is being transferred into its battery?

    • A. petrol (gasoline)
    • B. sound from the cable
    • C. energy, by an electric current
    • D. light from the street lamps

  4. Question 4

    How is energy moving here: a radiator warming a room?

    • A. light
    • B. sound
    • C. heat
    • D. electric current

  5. Question 5

    True or false? Energy can be carried from place to place by sound.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Question 6

    How is energy moving here: light from a campfire?

    • A. light
    • B. sound
    • C. heat
    • D. electric current

  7. Question 7

    True or false? Light from the Sun carries energy to Earth.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Question 8

    How is energy moving here: a dog's bark?

    • A. light
    • B. sound
    • C. heat
    • D. electric current

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Answer key: Energy moves by sound, light, heat and electric current

  1. 1. A. True

  2. 2. C. heat

  3. 3. C. energy, by an electric current

  4. 4. C. heat

  5. 5. A. True

  6. 6. A. light

  7. 7. A. True

  8. 8. B. sound