Energy Theater: Exploring Energy Transfer and TransformationThis lesson is the linchpin of our AAPT Energy Theater Digi Kit. Students will be engaged as "Energy Actors" to gain deeper understanding of how energy moves and transforms among objects and systems. The lesson features several interdisciplinary scenarios in which energy moves between systems or is converted from one form to another. The students use masking tape to "map out" physical spaces for each system, then they move around to convey energy transfer. Energy conversion is denoted by exchanging hand-held signs for each transformation.
This lesson was inspired by a 2014 article in The Physics Teacher magazine by Abigail Daane, Lindsay Wells, and Rachel Scherr.
Teachers: Expect very lively discussions as students confront their own misconceptions and defend their claims. This is a lesson that will engage all kids, even the more quiet, passive students. The Teacher's Guide gives detailed explanations of each energy transfer and/or conversion for each of the suggested physical scenarios, which range in difficulty from easy to challenging.
This lesson was inspired by a 2014 article in The Physics Teacher magazine by Abigail Daane, Lindsay Wells, and Rachel Scherr.
Teachers: Expect very lively discussions as students confront their own misconceptions and defend their claims. This is a lesson that will engage all kids, even the more quiet, passive students. The Teacher's Guide gives detailed explanations of each energy transfer and/or conversion for each of the suggested physical scenarios, which range in difficulty from easy to challenging.
The Physics Teacher: "Energy Theater"
This is a link to The Physics Teacher article titled "Energy Theater", which served as the inspiration for this Digi Kit. Note: You must be an AAPT member to access the article.