Energy Lesson Plans Developed by PS-21 Teachers
(And Other Resources)
Teacher Lesson Plans from 11/7/14 workshop
- Work Done by Friction - MS - Lesson objective: 1) Compare graphs of sliding friction on different surfaces.
- Elastic Energy - HS - Lesson objectives: 1) Calculate the kinetic energy of various objects with different masses using the PASCO motion sensor software with an elastic setup. 2) Analyze the distance-time and velocity-time graph to find relevant lab information to use.
- Kinetic Energy - MS - Lesson objective: 1) Construct and interpret a position - time graph and how ass and speed affect kinetic energy.
- Relationship Between KE & PE - HS - Lesson objective: 1) Examine the relationship between kinetic and potential energy.
External Resources
- Investigating Kinetic and Potential Energy - HS - Description: Students use a variety of resources to explore the concepts of potential, kinetic, and total energy within different types of systems. Students watch a video that explains the transfer of energy in a trebuchet’s release, use an interactive activity to determine the types of energy involved in different parts of a roller coaster ride, do an in-class investigation that demonstrates the effect of mass and gravity on energy systems, explore the difference between gravitational and elastic potential energy, and finally, use the formulas for kinetic and potential energy to examine the path of a projectile.
Contributed by: PBS Learning Media (www.pbslearningmedia.org) - Kinetic and Potential Energy of Motion - MS - Description: Students are introduced to both potential energy and kinetic energy as forms of mechanical energy. A hands-on activity demonstrates how potential energy can change into kinetic energy by swinging a pendulum, illustrating the concept of conservation of energy. Students calculate the potential energy of the pendulum and predict how fast it will travel knowing that the potential energy will convert into kinetic energy. They verify their predictions by measuring the speed of the pendulum.
Contributed by: Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder via Teach Engineering (www.teachengineering.org)
- Potential and Kinetic Energy; "To Move or not to Move" - MS - Description: Students will investigate, through a guided exploration lab, using a tennis ball, the Law of Conservation of Energy to differentiate between Potential and Kinetic Energy, and identify real life situations where potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy and vice versa.
Contributed by: Jana Lantz via CPalms (www.cpalms.org)