Science » Unit 03: Energy (9 Weeks)

The importance of light, heat, and sound energy is identified as it relates to the students' everyday life. Students conduct investigations to describes sources of heat and light (sun, wind, water as energy sources). During the investigations, students engage in safety practices associated with these forms of energy. Additionally, students investigate and discuss objects that use electricity. Students identify the importance of conservation of electricity in everyday life and ways to conserve electricity.

According to Research
No effort to introduce energy as a scientific idea ought to be organized in these first years. If children use the term energy to indicate how much pep they have, that is perfectly all right, in that the meaning is clear and no technical mischief has been done. By the end of the 2nd grade, students should be familiar with a variety of ways of making things go and should consider "What makes it go?" to be an interesting question to ask. Once they learn that batteries wear down and cars run out of gasoline, turning off unneeded appliances can be said to "save on batteries" and "save on gas." The idea that is accessible at this age is that keeping anything going uses up some resource. (Little is gained by having children answer, "Energy.")

American Association for the Advancement of Science. (2009). Benchmarks on-line. Retrieved from http://www.project2061.org/publications/bsl/online/index.php?chapter=4#E1