Energy
Parents and teachers know that kids have a lot of energy. But Kindergarten through Grade 2 students may not know a lot about the energy we use every day: sunlight, food, and electricity. They also may not think of light, sound, and heat as types of energy. In the Science4Us Energy Unit, Kindergarten students learn about these types of energy through familiar actions, like eating, and through their senses — engaging what students know and giving them a knowledge base to build upon in the future.
In the Energy Sources module, students are introduced to the idea that all plants and animals need energy. In fact, people need energy to live, work, grow, and play. Interactive games help students practice identifying energy types that we use every day, such as electricity, food, and sunlight.
In the Light Energy module, students learn that light energy is the energy that allows them to see the matter around them. Through interactive lesson and activities, students explore the differences between natural and man-made light.
In the Heat Energy module, students explore this type of energy that can be felt. Students use their hands to build friction and make heat energy. In the Larry in his Laboratory activity, students learn about conduction and radiation with an animated host and live-video examples.
The Sound Energy module allows students to experiment with energy that can be heard when matter is present to carry the vibration. Students learn about pitch, volume, and vibration as they explore and watch different methods of making sound.
Students today have a lot of experience with electrical energy. In the Electrical Energy module, students explore the types of things electrical energy does.
In the Energy Transformations module, students learn about energy flow. They connect what they have learned about sound, heat, and light energy with new knowledge about energy transformations.
Teaching the concepts of energy to K-2 students is easy when you connect to what students know. Science4Us connects students to the study of energy through their senses, through everyday experiences and through hands-on activities. When they have finished this Unit, students will have a strong framework and vocabulary on which to build future learning about energy.
