NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook

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published by the National Energy Education Development Project

Available Languages: English, Spanish

This free infobook provides an overview of energy forms and sources for Grades 2-4, along with hands-on activities, graphics, and classroom presentation materials for teaching an entire unit. Students will first be introduced to energy as a physical science concept before being exposed to sources of energy. Using this sequence can help learners differentiate energy forms (thermal, motion, wave, chemical) from energy sources (fossil fuels, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric).

For the companion Student Guide with printable data guides and activities, Primary Science of Energy-Student Guide. See Related Materials for a free activity booklet that accompanies this curriculum.

The NEED Project is a national initiative to bring innovative curriculum materials in energy education to teachers and learners from the primary grades through college.

Editor's Note: Confusing energy forms and energy sources is a documented roadblock to future understanding of energy from the physical science context. Often, children enter high school believing that fuels are "energy" and that the Law of Conservation of Energy means turning down the thermostat to use less fuel. If taught effectively in the early grades, students can build the foundation to understand energy quantitatively.

https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Fi...

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Classical Mechanics - Work and Energy Education Practices - Active Learning = Inquiry Learning - Instructional Material Design = Project Electricity & Magnetism - Electromagnetic Radiation General Physics - Measurement/Units Other Sciences - Environmental Science	- Elementary School	- Instructional Material = Curriculum = Instructor Guide/Manual = Unit of Instruction - Assessment Material - Audio/Visual = Image/Image Set

Appropriate Courses	Categories	Ratings
- Physical Science	- Activity - Laboratory - New teachers	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Intended Users:: Educator
Learner
Administrator
Formats:: application/pdf
text/html
Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2012 National Energy Education Development Project
Keywords:: alternative fuels, chemical energy, clean energy, energy forms, energy lessons, energy sources, green energy, kinetic energy, light energy, nonrenewable energy, nuclear energy, potential energy, renewable energy, thermal energy
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created April 3, 2013 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: August 17, 2020 by Lyle Barbato

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AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

1. The Nature of Science

1B. Scientific Inquiry

K-2: 1B/P2. Tools such as thermometers, magnifiers, rulers, or balances often give more information about things than can be obtained by just observing things unaided.
3-5: 1B/E2b. One reason for following directions carefully and for keeping records of one's work is to provide information on what might have caused differences in investigations.

4. The Physical Setting

4E. Energy Transformations

K-2: 4E/P1. The sun warms the land, air, and water.
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.

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

11C. Constancy and Change

K-2: 11C/P3b. Small changes can sometimes be detected by comparing counts or measurements at different times.
3-5: 11C/E2b. Often the best way to tell which kinds of change are happening is to make a table or graph of measurements.

12. Habits of Mind

12C. Manipulation and Observation

3-5: 12C/E3. Keep written or electronic records of information so that the records are understandable weeks or months later.

12D. Communication Skills

K-2: 12D/P3. Interpret pictures, drawings, and videos of real-world objects and events.
3-5: 12D/E3. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects and events.

This resource is part of a Physics Front Topical Unit.

Topic: Conservation of Energy
Unit Title: Teaching Energy in the Elementary Grades

Confusing energy forms with energy sources is a documented roadblock to future understanding of the topic as a science discipline. This free infobook for Grades 2-4 provides materials for teaching an entire unit that effectively builds a solid foundation. It first introduces forms of energy (thermal, motion, wave, chemical), then looks at energy sources (fossil fuels, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric). Very well sequenced for the early grades.

Links to Units:

Physical Sciences K-8 Teaching Energy in the Elementary Grades Unit

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=12686">National Energy Education Development Project. NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook. Manassas: National Energy Education Development Project, 2012.</a>

AIP Format

(National Energy Education Development Project, Manassas, 2012), WWW Document, (https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf).

AJP/PRST-PER

NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook (National Energy Education Development Project, Manassas, 2012), <https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf>.

APA Format

NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook. (2012). Retrieved April 21, 2025, from National Energy Education Development Project: https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf

Chicago Format

National Energy Education Development Project. NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook. Manassas: National Energy Education Development Project, 2012. https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf (accessed 21 April 2025).

MLA Format

NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook. Manassas: National Energy Education Development Project, 2012. 21 Apr. 2025 <https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook}, Publisher = {National Energy Education Development Project}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {21 April 2025}, Year = {2012} }

Refer Export Format

%T NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook %D 2012 %I National Energy Education Development Project %C Manassas %U https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D 2012 %T NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook %I National Energy Education Development Project %V 2025 %N 21 April 2025 %9 application/pdf %U https://www.need.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PrimaryInfobook-Final.pdf

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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

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NEED Project: Primary Science of Energy Infobook:

Accompanies Primary Science of Energy-Student Guide

This is the student guide intended for use alongside the NEED Project infobook "Primary Science of Energy".

relation by Caroline Hall

Accompanies NEED Project: Primary Energy Activities

This link takes users to the the Primary Energy activity booklet, which was specifically developed to accompany this instructional unit. Includes songs, puzzles, games, graphics, and assessment materials with answer key.

relation by Caroline Hall

Is Part Of NEED: National Energy Education Development Project

A link to the full collection of curriculum materials developed by the NEED project.

relation by Caroline Hall

Accompanies NEED Project: Primary Energy Carnival

A link to a set of nine carnival-like games, ideal as a culminating activity after completion of the "Primary Energy" classroom investigations. Completely turn-key.

relation by Caroline Hall

Covers the Same Topic (Different Course Level) As NEED Project: Intermediate Energy Infobook

This free Infobook, also published by the NEED Project, was written for use in Grades 6-8.

relation by Caroline Hall

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