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Science lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes

Faster objects have more energy

Energy

CCSS NGSS.4-PS3-1England: KS3 Physics: Energy (energy changes and transfers)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Faster objects have more energy.

  • 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: Where does the energy go when things collide?

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 piece of coal? (elastic potential (stretch or squash) / chemical / thermal (heat) / kinetic (movement)) → chemicalPrompt: Is it moving, raised up, stretched, hot, or able to release energy by reacting?
  2. Which are ways energy can be transferred? (energy cannot move / by heating, by electric current, by light and sound, by forces / only by wires / only by fire) → by heating, by electric current, by light and sound, by forcesPrompt: Think of a lamp, a speaker and a kettle.
  3. Which of these mainly has a elastic potential (stretch or squash) energy store? (a flying aeroplane (airplane) / a child at the top of a slide / a hot radiator / a stretched rubber band) → a stretched rubber bandPrompt: 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: Faster objects have more energy. 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: Why does a fast-moving football hurt more to stop than a slow one?
  • Step 1: The faster an object moves, the more kinetic (motion) energy it has.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: It has more energy of motion to transfer to your hands.
  • Answer: It has more energy of motion to transfer to your hands.
  • 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. Which has the most energy of motion? (the same cyclist riding slowly / a parked bike / the same cyclist standing still / a cyclist riding fast downhill) → a cyclist riding fast downhillPrompt: Same cyclist, different speeds.
  2. True or false? The faster an object moves, the more energy it has. (True / False) → TruePrompt: Compare the same object at different speeds.

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. A bowling ball is rolled slowly, then quickly. When does it knock down more pins? (when it is rolled quickly / it is always the same / when it is rolled slowly / it never knocks pins down) → when it is rolled quicklyPrompt: Which ball has more energy to transfer?
  2. True or false? A slow ball has more energy than the same ball moving fast. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Compare the same object at different speeds.

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: Where does the energy go when things collide?.
  • 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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Faster objects have more energy

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Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which has the most energy of motion?

    • A. a cyclist riding fast downhill
    • B. the same cyclist standing still
    • C. the same cyclist riding slowly
    • D. a parked bike

  2. Question 2

    True or false? A still object has no energy of motion.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  3. Question 3

    A ball rolled down a ramp from three heights and hit a block. How much further was the block pushed from the high start than from the low start?

    How far the block was pushed (cm)0510156low10medium15high

    Answercm

  4. Question 4

    Why does a fast-moving football hurt more to stop than a slow one?

    • A. It is heavier when it moves fast.
    • B. Fast balls are hotter.
    • C. Slow balls have no energy.
    • D. It has more energy of motion to transfer to your hands.

  5. Question 5

    True or false? Speed has nothing to do with energy.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  6. Question 6

    True or false? A moving object has energy because of its motion.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  7. Question 7

    A ball rolled down a ramp from three different heights and hit a wooden block. Which release height gave the ball the most energy when it hit?

    How far the block was pushed (cm)051015204low8medium16high
    • A. low
    • B. medium
    • C. high

  8. Question 8

    A bowling ball is rolled slowly, then quickly. When does it knock down more pins?

    • A. when it is rolled quickly
    • B. it never knocks pins down
    • C. when it is rolled slowly
    • D. it is always the same

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Answer key: Faster objects have more energy

  1. 1. A. a cyclist riding fast downhill

  2. 2. A. True

  3. 3. 9 cm

  4. 4. D. It has more energy of motion to transfer to your hands.

  5. 5. B. False

  6. 6. A. True

  7. 7. C. high

  8. 8. A. when it is rolled quickly