Kinetic Energy Lesson Plan: Energy

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Kinetic Energy, and supports the standard of constructing arguments to support the concept of kinetic energy within a system of objects. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects. 

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Display a picture of a bow and arrow. Ask students:

  • What happens to the arrow when the bow is released?
  • How does energy make the arrow move? 

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Kinetic Energy topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
  • Have students read one of the following Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS

Students take the Kinetic Energy Challenge and Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about kinetic energy while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.  

  • Make-a-Movie: Create a movie that describes an example of how humans take advantage of energy transfer, such as transforming kinetic energy into electricity.
  • Make-a-Map: Make a concept map identifying examples of ways we use kinetic energy in the real world.
  • Creative Coding: Code a sorting game in which players sort different examples of energy in everyday objects as either kinetic energy or potential energy. 

More to Explore

Energy Unit: Continue to build understanding around types of energy by exploring more BrainPOP science topics.

Energy Skate Park: Basics: Learn about conservation of energy by building your own skating tracks, ramps, and jumps in this simulation game.

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Related:

    Filed as:  3-5, 6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3