Energy | Small Group
In this 75-minute small-group STEM lesson, students investigate how energy can move, transfer, and change forms through hands-on stations and a short design challenge. Students use observations and simple measurements to explain energy in everyday situations.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| energy | The ability to cause change or make something move or happen. |
| motion | Movement from one place to another. |
| transfer | To move from one object or place to another. |
| transform | To change from one form to another. |
| potential energy | Stored energy that can be used later. |
| kinetic energy | Energy of motion. |
| source | Where energy comes from. |
Show a flashlight, toy car, and rubber band. Ask students what each needs to work and what kind of energy might be involved. Record ideas and introduce the focus question: How does energy move and change?
Share observations, make predictions, and connect energy to familiar objects.
Briefly define energy, transfer, and transform. Model with a toy car on a ramp: the ramp gives the car stored energy that changes into motion. Emphasize that energy can change form but is not used up instantly.
Listen, repeat key vocabulary, and answer quick oral questions.
Set up 3 stations: 1) ramp and toy car, 2) rubber band launcher with paper clip target, 3) flashlight and battery exploration. Guide students to observe, test, and record what causes movement or light. Ask students to compare where energy starts and how it changes.
Work in pairs or triads to test each station, record observations, and discuss evidence of energy transfer and transformation.
Present a task: Build a device or setup that makes an object move farther, faster, or more predictably using the materials provided. Ask students to explain what energy source they used and how energy changed in their design. Support planning, testing, and revising.
Plan, build, test, revise, and explain their design choices using evidence from the investigation.
Invite each group to share one successful test and one change they made. Prompt students to use vocabulary words in complete sentences.
Present findings, compare results, and describe how energy moved or changed in their design.
End with a quick exit reflection: Students complete the prompt, 'One way energy changed today was ___. One question I still have is ___.''
Formative assessment will be collected through teacher observation, station recording sheets, student explanations during the design challenge, and the exit reflection. Look for accurate use of vocabulary, understanding of energy transfer and transformation, and ability to support ideas with evidence.
At home, students will find one example of energy in daily life and draw or write three sentences explaining the energy source and how it changes or moves. Examples may include a lamp, bicycle, microwave, or playground swing.