Tuning Into Energy: Grade 4’s Quest for Understanding

“Where does energy come from?”
“How can we make energy?”
“How does energy affect us?”
“How does energy form?”
“How do they put energy into batteries?”
“How do you sustain energy?”

 

 These are only a few of the questions from our new unit that fourth grade wants to find out about. Grade 4 has just recently began ‘tuning into’ our new UOI unit, How The World Works. In this unit, students are inquiring into and gaining knowledge about the forms of energy, how energy is stored and transformed/transferred, and sustainable energy.

In the classroom, students will be demonstrating their inquiry and communication skills by participating, observing, and writing scientific method based reports on a variety of energy experiments about the forms of energy. During this process, they will be working on developing science investigation and questioning skills in order to deepen their understanding of energy and for use in future scientific inquiries. Students continue to work in cooperative groups and to reflect on their experiences in the classroom and especially with the many experiments that the class is conducting.

Connecting Units: Synergy of Energy and STEAM

This year grade 4 will also connect our energy unit with the Festival of STEAM (FOS). Support in the classroom for STEAM has begun by providing students with a solid background into Potential/Kinetic (Mechanical) Energy and Electrical Energy. Students will then begin working on design challenges directly related to these 2 important forms of energy. There is no doubt that this will be an exciting and energetic (pun intended) activity!!  

Explore more about energy and get inspired by creative design challenges at STEAM Powered Family.