Energy and Energy Transformation
Name: Karleen (Kanoe) Perry
Grade: Fifth Grade
Date: March 19-20th
Content Area: (pick one)
Reading in language arts
Reading in content area
Duration: Two days
Materials needed:
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Energy Book Energy Makes Things Happen, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Power point with important facts on energy
Potential and kinetic energy worksheet
Energy Vocabulary worksheet
Energy Is Everywhere reading passage
Energy and energy transfer worksheet
Energy Transfer worksheet with teachers explanation
(Description of the energy transfer taking place)
Energy Transformation Assessment
List of vocabulary words on Board/For Elmo
Energy Vocabulary Quiz
Glue
Candle
Marshmallows
Metal pan
What reading component/s will be the lesson focus?
letter knowledge
phoneme awareness
phonics
fluency
vocabulary
comprehension (listening or reading)
Strategy or skill emphasis:
 Word knowledge
Purpose of lesson:
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Teach students about energy and energy transformation with emphasis on vocabulary
Instructional Approach/Practice:
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Teaching with content area textbook
1. Standard/Benchmark
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Benchmark: SC.5.6.1 Identify different forms of energy (e.g. thermal, electrical, nuclear, light, sound)
and how they can change and transfer energy from one form to another
Students will describe different examples showing energy transformation.
Benchmark: LA.5.1.1 Use new grade appropriate vocabulary learned through reading print and online
resources and word study, include meaning of roots, affixes, word origins.
2. Assessment Task
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Students will listen a pay attention to the teacher while he/she is reading a book on energy to
introduce them to the topic of energy.
Students will take notes on vocabulary words while engaged in a short class discussion on
energy using a power point
Students individually will complete a kinetic and potential energy worksheet.
Students will engage in a discussion on different energy transfer that relate to everyday life
Students will read a passage on energy independently
Students will watch a thermal energy experiment with a candle and marshmallow and make
prediction on what they think will happen and what type of energy is being used.
Students will complete an assessment on different energy transfers
3. Activities/Instructional Strategies
(List how you plan to introduce the lesson, build background knowledge and the sequence of
activities students will learn how to apply the reading strategy/skills. Be specific, write what you
plan to say and include examples of what you will do)
Introduction (5-10 minutes)
1. Explain to students that one of the benchmarks that they need to hit is being able to describe
different examples of energy transformation.
- Benchmark: SC.5.6.1 I can describe different examples showing energy transformation.
Building background (50-55 minutes)
1. Ask students what they know about energy. On the board create a class circle map with
students answers. Students can copy into learning logs.
-“Can anyone tell me what they think energy is? How do you use energy? Anything you want
to share with the class about energy?”
2. Read the book Energy Makes Things Happen, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley to introduce the
topic of energy to the class. (10 mins)
-“Can anyone tell me what they learned?”
3. Discuss with students what they learned about energy and add at least ten more facts to the
class web.
4. Pass out vocabulary worksheet and example to students while they are watching the power
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point they are to fill in the “word” and “meaning” box and for homework or at a later time they
are going to fill in the “sketch” and “sentence” box. Show example on Elmo. Explain to students
they will be having a matching vocabulary test at the end of the unit.
5. Show students power point on energy and energy transformation. Call on different students to
read the power point. Show and Stop at showing potential and kinetic energy slide (slide 3)
-Can anyone give me another example of potential or kinetic energy? Both?
1. Mini lesson:
6. Show slide 4 with more examples of potential and kinetic energy. Discus examples.
7. Pass out potential and kinetic energy worksheet. Let students work on worksheet (If teacher
feels that pairing students up is appropriate for the class then do so). If students don’t finish
have them finish for homework or at another time. (10-15) mins
8. Direct students to turn in worksheet and back to the power point. Call on students to read the
slides. Remind students to fill in their vocabulary worksheet. After each different form of energy
is introduced, stop and ask the class to name different examples that weren’t mentioned.
2. Guided practice:
9. Pass out Energy Transfer worksheet and direct students to label each energy transformation.
Discus with students the different energy transfers that are taking place and as a class come up
with a description of the different energy transfers taking place.
-“Can anyone tell me the different types of energy they see? Can anyone explain to me what
energy transfers are taking place?”
10. Point out examples and discus with students. Connect examples to every day life.
11. Explain to students that for their assessment they need to be able to describe at least two
different energy transfers on their worksheet and be able to explain in complete sentences.
3. Work Time:
12. Pass out Energy Is Everywhere reading passage to students and give students seven to ten
minutes to read and ask students to highlight the key words that they learned or heard today.
13. Explain to students that you are going to show them a demonstration about a type of energy
and students have to predict what they think will happen and type of energy being used.
14. Show students an example of thermal energy with a candle and marshmallow. Make sure you
get permission to use a candle in the classroom and set rules before showing the
demonstration. Direct students to answer the following questions while demonstration is taking
place.
-“Why do you think the marshmallow turned black even though it wasn’t touching the flame?
Can you always see thermal energy? Can you always feel thermal energy? Can you give me an
example?”
15. Show students campfire example, have students discuss how this example is similar to our
demonstration.
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4. Closure: (10-15 minutes)
1. Discuss as class what they learned to day:
-What is energy? Energy is divided into two groups, what are the two groups? What are the
different forms of energy? What type of energy does a flashlight use? Water heater?
Emergency crank radio? Light switch?
2. Depending on time give students ten minutes to work on. If there is no time, next science period
review again about energy and energy transfer give students time to study pass out energy
worksheet.
3. Teacher will collect, correct, and give back to students to correct and study for assessment test.
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Lesson Reflection:
What happened during my lesson (what did the students and I say and do)? How effective
was my lesson design and teaching?
I started the lesson with stating the benchmark to the students and my expectations of the
students. On the board I created a circle map to introduce the students to the topic energy. I asked
students to give me ideas or thoughts about energy. As students gave me their ideas, I added their
response to the map. I handed out a vocabulary worksheet for students to use while I provided them
with definitions and examples of the different forms of energy using a power point. I explained the
vocabulary worksheet and what was expected of the students in completing the worksheet. Students
were instructed to write their vocabulary words and copy the definitions that were present on the
power point and for homework they were to draw a picture and using the word, write a complete
sentence.
I picked a different student to read the power point out loud and before moving on to the next
slide I had the class provide me with different examples of the different forms of energy that were
presented. I stopped the class after discussing potential and kinetic energy and had students work on a
worksheet to help student gain a better understanding of the two different categories of energy. After
students were done they turned in their worksheets and we went back to discussing the power point. I
reminded students to fill out their vocabulary worksheet. I used and gave visual illustrations and verbal
examples of five different energy transfers that occur in most everyday life. For example, I explained the
different energy transfers that occur when someone turns on a light switch or turns on a flashlight. After
our discussion on energy transfer, I instructed students to read a passage independently on energy. I
wrote students homework on the board and instructed them to write it down in their homework
planner.
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The second day I collected their vocabulary activity task and started the lesson of with a quick
review on what students learned from our previous lesson. I had students give me answers while I gave
them prompt questions. For example, I asked students what energy was, what are the two different
categories of energy and what are some of the different forms of energy, along with everyday examples
that were discussed. I also asked students to give me an example of the different energy transfer that
was discussed.
With permission from my mentor teacher I did a demonstration of thermal energy using a
candle and marshmallow. I asked students what type of energy does a candle have and what type of
energy does a candle have after I light it. Students were able to answer me with chemical, light, and
thermal energy. I held the marshmallow over the candle, not touching the flame, and rocked the
marshmallow back and forth. Students could see the marshmallow roasting. I asked students, “Why is
the marshmallow roasting when I’m not touching the flame?” I guided students to answer with, the
thermal energy from the flame rose to the marshmallow transferring its heat to cook the marshmallow.
I then showed students a power point slide with the same energy transfer in the form of a campfire and
a camper roasting marshmallows. We discussed the different forms of energy, the different energies
that we use, different examples of each of energy that was discussed, and the different energy transfers
they learned. Students then took an assessment on energy transfer. Students had to describe with
details three different energy transfers that were discussed. After students turned in their assessments,
I gave them back their vocabulary worksheets with markings and asked students on a separate sheet of
paper to make the corrections to their worksheet. I wrote their homework on the board and verbally
told them they need to make corrections and the next week when I see them they will be taking a
vocabulary test.
What evidence can I show about my students’ learning (e.g., student work)? How effective
was my assessment plan for getting information about my students learning?
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I provided students with a vocabulary handout which required students to write the vocabulary
word, the meaning (definition) of the word, sketch a picture of the word, and using the word in a
complete sentence. This showed me whether or not the students understood their vocabulary word,
which word or concept they had difficulty with, or if they couldn’t write a complete sentence. Each
student was able to provide me with the word, the definition, and a sketch. Most of my students could
not use the word in a sentence and had many grammatical and punctuation errors. Some students just
restated the definition on their worksheet or left it blank. I explained to students that they had to make
correct for homework, write in complete sentences, use the word in their sentence, and do not restate
the definition as a sentence. I also explained that I will be collecting their correction the next time I meet
with them and they will taking a vocabulary quiz on energy and the different forms of energy.
I instructed students to complete a potential and kinetic energy worksheet. They were
instructed to cut out pictures of different examples of potential and kinetic energy and glue it into the
corresponding box. All students were able to match up each picture with its correct energy form. The
order in which the pictures were glued played no role to show evidence of students understanding.
I handed out a worksheet with two different energy transfer example from the power point and as a
class we discussed the different energy transfers taking place, labeled the pictures to help us remember
the different steps and energy transfers taking place and wrote a short description to explain the
different transfers. This showed me if the students could grasp the concept of energy transfer while
discussing, labeling, and write out an explanation. This also served as a study guide to the student to
what their assessment looked like and what was expected of them in answering the questions. This
worksheet helped the students practice on writing with details a description of the different energy
transfers taking place in the picture given to them.
Lastly, I gave the students an energy transfer assessment test that I created. There were
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three questions on the assessment. The first two were illustrations of two of the energy transfer that
were discussed in the PowerPoint, not on the transfer handout. The questions ask to describe in
complete sentence the different energy transfers that are taking place in each picture. These examples
were discussed each time energy transfer was discussed. The third question asked students to pick and
describe in complete sentences and details another energy transfer that was discussed in our lessons
and not on their assessment test. This assessment showed me that the students don’t read directions
and need not only verbal directions and directions on their paper, they need it written for them on the
board or on the Elmo. Some students only labeled their pictures and didn’t write a description. Some
students made up energy transfer not discussed in our lesson and still were unable to provide an
accurate or somewhat accurate description of the energy transfers. Most students missed one to two
energy transfers per question. I found it interesting that the energy form that was missed the most was
electrical energy. This assessment test showed me that I need to go back and provide more examples of
energy transfer and written descriptions of the examples so students can practice on writing a
description in complete sentences with details. Also, this test showed me that the students need help
understanding electrical energy and the different ways electrical energy is used and the different things
that use electrical energy.
How did I do in meeting my desired results for this lesson? What are my next steps to
improve students’ learning?
I felt confident that I demonstrated a solid understanding of energy and energy
transformation. I started the lesson stating my expectations of the students and the benchmark they
were hitting. This made it clear to students to what they were learning. I provided students with
handouts and worksheets to further enhance students understanding on the different forms of energy
and energy transformation. I engaged students to answer questions and give examples of energy and
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energy transformations that they knew or could think of. I used positive reinforcement to those
students who stayed on task and participated in class discussions
My next step to improve student learning is to find other illustrated energy transfer examples
and have students work in a group to come up with a well written description of the energy transfer that
are taking place and write their description on chart paper to share and explain to the class. Each group
will present their energy transfer example and description, while the other groups write descriptions
down in their science notebooks. Students will be asked to study the different energy transfers and will
be asked to describe two to three of different energy transfers that were presented by their classmates.
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