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published by the Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering
written by the University of Colorado College of Engineering
This is an instructional unit for Grades 3-5 on the topic of energy, designed to integrate science principles with engineering practices.  It includes nine lesson plans and activities to introduce students to a range of energy types, including electrical, light, sound, and thermal. Through numerous hands-on activities, students explore a wide range of scientific topics related to the fundamentals of energy: kinetic and potential energy, light waves, reflection, refraction, convection, sound waves, volume, pitch, frequency, radiation, heat capacity, heat transfer, specific heat. These concepts are presented in the context of engineering applications pertinent to our everyday lives. Classroom activities are designed for easy set-up within the elementary classroom. This item is part of TeachEngineering.org, a digital library collection.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Classical Mechanics
- Work and Energy
General Physics
- Curriculum
- Elementary School
- Instructional Material
= Best practice
= Unit of Instruction
Appropriate Courses Categories Ratings
- Physical Science
- Physics First
- Conceptual Physics
- Lesson Plan
- Activity
- Laboratory
- New teachers
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Intended User:
Educator
Format:
text/html
Access Rights:
Free access
Restriction:
© 2005 Regents of the University of Colorado
NSF Number:
0338326
Keywords:
electrical energy, energy, energy, energy conservation, kinetic energy, potential energy, solar energy, thermal energy, work
Record Cloner:
Metadata instance created February 20, 2007 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:
February 6, 2013 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
October 1, 2012

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

3. The Nature of Technology

3A. Technology and Science
  • 3-5: 3A/E3. Measuring instruments can be used to gather accurate information for making scientific comparisons of objects and events and for designing and constructing things that will work properly.
3B. Design and Systems
  • 3-5: 3B/E1. There is no perfect design. Designs that are best in one respect (safety or ease of use, for example) may be inferior in other ways (cost or appearance). Usually some features must be sacrificed to get others.
  • 3-5: 3B/E2. Even a good design may fail. Sometimes steps can be taken ahead of time to reduce the likelihood of failure, but it cannot be entirely eliminated.

4. The Physical Setting

4E. Energy Transformations
  • 3-5: 4E/E2b. When warmer things are put with cooler ones, heat is transferred from the warmer ones to the cooler ones.
  • 3-5: 4E/E2c. A warmer object can warm a cooler one by contact or at a distance.
4F. Motion
  • K-2: 4F/P3. Things that make sound vibrate.
  • 3-5: 4F/E3. Light travels and tends to maintain its direction of motion until it interacts with an object or material. Light can be absorbed, redirected, bounced back, or allowed to pass through.
4G. Forces of Nature
  • 3-5: 4G/E3. Without touching them, an object that has been electrically charged pulls on all other uncharged objects and may either push or pull other charged objects.

8. The Designed World

8C. Energy Sources and Use
  • K-2: 8C/P2. People burn fuels such as wood, oil, coal, or natural gas, or use electricity, to cook their food and warm their houses.
  • 3-5: 8C/E1. Moving air and water can be used to run machines.
  • 3-5: 8C/E2. Sunlight is used to run many devices.
  • 3-5: 8C/E4. Some people try to reduce the amount of fuels they use in order to conserve resources, reduce pollution, or save money.

11. Common Themes

11A. Systems
  • 3-5: 11A/E1. In something that consists of many parts, the parts usually influence one another.
11B. Models
  • 3-5: 11B/E3. A model of something is similar to, but not exactly like, the thing being modeled. Some models are physically similar to what they are representing, but others are not.

This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.


Topic: Conservation of Energy
Unit Title: Teaching About Energy

This resource is a curricular unit for elementary grades 3-5 on the topic of Energy.  It includes nine lesson plans and activities to introduce students to a range of energy types such as solar, thermal, wind, and electrical.  It is part of a larger collection of digital resources sponsored by the National Science Digital Library.

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AIP Format
University of Colorado College of Engineering, Teach Engineering: Energy (Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering, Boulder, 2005), WWW Document, (http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml).
AJP/PRST-PER
University of Colorado College of Engineering, Teach Engineering: Energy (Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering, Boulder, 2005), <http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml>.
APA Format
University of Colorado College of Engineering. (2012, October 1). Teach Engineering: Energy. Retrieved May 23, 2013, from Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering: http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml
Chicago Format
University of Colorado College of Engineering. Teach Engineering: Energy. Boulder: Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering, October 1, 2012. http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml (accessed 23 May 2013).
MLA Format
University of Colorado College of Engineering. Teach Engineering: Energy. Boulder: Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering, 2005. 1 Oct. 2012. 23 May 2013 <http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Author = "University of Colorado College of Engineering", Title = {Teach Engineering: Energy}, Publisher = {Integrated Teaching and Learning Program: Teach Engineering}, Volume = {2013}, Number = {23 May 2013}, Month = {October 1, 2012}, Year = {2005} }
Refer Export Format

%Q University of Colorado College of Engineering
%T Teach Engineering: Energy
%D October 1, 2012
%I Integrated Teaching and Learning Program:  Teach Engineering
%C Boulder
%U http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml
%O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source
%A University of Colorado College of Engineering,
%D October 1, 2012
%T Teach Engineering: Energy
%I Integrated Teaching and Learning Program:  Teach Engineering
%V 2013
%N 23 May 2013
%8 October 1, 2012
%9 text/html
%U http://www.teachengineering.org/view_curricularunit.php?url=http://www.teachengineering.com/collection/cub_/curricular_units/cub_energy2/cub_energy2_curricularunit.xml


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