Science in Focus: Energy

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published by the Annenberg Foundation

These eight free professional development videos for K-8 teachers present science concepts in energy. They are designed as a foundation for distinguishing "energy" as it is commonly understood and "energy" as it is defined in science. Teachers will explore the role of energy in motion, transfer and conversion of energy, energy systems, heat and work, and the notion of conservation of energy (energy can neither be created nor destroyed).

This collection is part of a larger set of video workshops published and maintained by the Annenberg Foundation. Other workshop topics in physical science include Forces and Motion, Chemistry, and Light.

Please note that this resource requires Flash.

Editor's Note: These video workshops offer excellent support for teachers to update content knowledge in energy, which is especially important to meet revised science curriculum standards being adopted by many states. Teachers who participate in the entire workshop series are eligible for two graduate credits from Colorado State University (tuition applies). See Related Materials for a link to course enrollment information.

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Classical Mechanics - Work and Energy = Conservation of Energy = Mechanical Power = Work Education Practices - Professional Development General Physics - Curriculum Thermo & Stat Mech - First Law = Heat Transfer	- Middle School - Elementary School	- Collection - Event = Workshop - Instructional Material = Instructor Guide/Manual - Audio/Visual = Movie/Animation

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science - Physics First - Conceptual Physics	- Activity	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Educator
Learner
Administrator
Formats:: application/flash
image/gif
text/html
Access Rights:: Limited free access; Videos may be streamed on demand, but may not be downloaded without express permission from Annenberg Media. Viewing videos is cost-free. Graduate credit is available for an associated fee.
Restriction:: © 2004 Annenberg Foundation
Keywords:: energy conversion, energy cycle, energy forms, energy transformation, energy video, forms of energy, teacher training
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created March 14, 2011 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 19, 2020 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: January 31, 2011

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

4. The Physical Setting

4E. Energy Transformations

6-8: 4E/M1. Whenever energy appears in one place, it must have disappeared from another. Whenever energy is lost from somewhere, it must have gone somewhere else. Sometimes when energy appears to be lost, it actually has been transferred to a system that is so large that the effect of the transferred energy is imperceptible.
6-8: 4E/M2. Energy can be transferred from one system to another (or from a system to its environment) in different ways: 1) thermally, when a warmer object is in contact with a cooler one; 2) mechanically, when two objects push or pull on each other over a distance; 3) electrically, when an electrical source such as a battery or generator is connected in a complete circuit to an electrical device; or 4) by electromagnetic waves.
6-8: 4E/M3. Thermal energy is transferred through a material by the collisions of atoms within the material. Over time, the thermal energy tends to spread out through a material and from one material to another if they are in contact. Thermal energy can also be transferred by means of currents in air, water, or other fluids. In addition, some thermal energy in all materials is transformed into light energy and radiated into the environment by electromagnetic waves; that light energy can be transformed back into thermal energy when the electromagnetic waves strike another material. As a result, a material tends to cool down unless some other form of energy is converted to thermal energy in the material.
6-8: 4E/M4. Energy appears in different forms and can be transformed within a system. Motion energy is associated with the speed of an object. Thermal energy is associated with the temperature of an object. Gravitational energy is associated with the height of an object above a reference point. Elastic energy is associated with the stretching or compressing of an elastic object. Chemical energy is associated with the composition of a substance. Electrical energy is associated with an electric current in a circuit. Light energy is associated with the frequency of electromagnetic waves.

11. Common Themes

11A. Systems

6-8: 11A/M2. Thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others. The output from one part of a system (which can include material, energy, or information) can become the input to other parts. Such feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole.

11C. Constancy and Change

6-8: 11C/M2. A system may stay the same because nothing is influencing it or the influences on it are balanced.
6-8: 11C/M4. Symbolic equations can be used to summarize how the quantity of something changes over time or in response to other changes.
9-12: 11C/H4. Graphs and equations are useful (and often equivalent) ways for depicting and analyzing patterns of change.

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<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=10896">Annenberg Foundation. Science in Focus: Energy. Annenberg Foundation, January 31, 2011.</a>

AIP Format

(Annenberg Foundation, 2004), WWW Document, (https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html).

AJP/PRST-PER

Science in Focus: Energy (Annenberg Foundation, 2004), <https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html>.

APA Format

Science in Focus: Energy. (2011, January 31). Retrieved March 16, 2025, from Annenberg Foundation: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html

Chicago Format

Annenberg Foundation. Science in Focus: Energy. Annenberg Foundation, January 31, 2011. https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html (accessed 16 March 2025).

MLA Format

Science in Focus: Energy. Annenberg Foundation, 2004. 31 Jan. 2011. 16 Mar. 2025 <https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html>.

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@misc{ Title = {Science in Focus: Energy}, Publisher = {Annenberg Foundation}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {16 March 2025}, Month = {January 31, 2011}, Year = {2004} }

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%T Science in Focus: Energy %D January 31, 2011 %I Annenberg Foundation %U https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html %O application/flash

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%0 Electronic Source %D January 31, 2011 %T Science in Focus: Energy %I Annenberg Foundation %V 2025 %N 16 March 2025 %8 January 31, 2011 %9 application/flash %U https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/smgdvl/eng/index.html

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