Science Lesson Kit · Teacher Resource
Energy Transfer — 5E Lesson Plan
Physical Science · 45 minutes
Grade 4
5E lesson flow
01
Engage
6 min
Teacher Does
Show four short demonstrations and ask what changed at a location away from the source.
Students Do
Notice and record visible or measurable effects.
Ask
- What changed?
- Where did the change happen?
Look For
Students distinguish source from observed effect.
02
Explore
12 min
Teacher Does
Guide stations or teacher-led observations for sound, light, warming, and a simple circuit.
Students Do
Act before revealing each result, then record source, pathway, and evidence.
Ask
- What observation counts as evidence?
Look For
Observable effects linked to each pathway.
03
Explain
8 min
Teacher Does
Formalize energy transfer and the four pathways in the performance expectation.
Students Do
Use evidence-chain language to explain one example.
Ask
- How do you know energy was transferred?
Look For
Source → pathway → observed effect.
04
Elaborate
12 min
Teacher Does
Present unfamiliar scenarios and ask students to identify the likely pathway and useful evidence.
Students Do
Build and compare four complete evidence chains.
Ask
- What would you observe if your explanation is correct?
Look For
Predictions tied to observable outcomes.
05
Evaluate
7 min
Teacher Does
Give one new scenario and require a short evidence-based explanation.
Students Do
Write or draw a transfer chain and explain it.
Ask
- Where is your evidence?
Look For
A scientifically reasonable pathway plus an observed effect.
Student goal
I can use observations to show that energy can transfer by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
Learning objectives
- Make observations that provide evidence energy moved from a source to another place or object.
- Trace energy transfer through sound, light, heat, and electric-current examples.
- Use an observed effect at the receiver to support an energy-transfer explanation.
Materials
- Speaker or tuning source
- Lightweight paper strip
- Flashlight
- Wall or target card
- Warm water prepared by teacher
- Metal spoon
- Safe low-voltage battery and bulb circuit
- Recording sheet
Before class
- Test all demonstrations before class.
- Use warm, not scalding, water and keep handling teacher-controlled if needed.
- Use only low-voltage classroom circuit components.
- Prepare source → transfer → evidence recording frames.
- Open Teach Mode.
Prior knowledge
- Students have observed sound, light, warming, and simple electrical devices.
- Students can identify cause-and-effect observations.
Vocabulary
- energy
- A measurable quantity that can be transferred and can cause changes in motion, temperature, light, or sound.
- transfer
- To move from one place or object to another.
- sound
- A way energy can move through vibrations in matter.
- light
- A way energy can move from place to place.
- heat
- Energy transfer caused by a temperature difference.
- electric current
- The movement of electric charge through a circuit.
Differentiation
- Use four consistent icons for sound, light, heat, and electric current.
- Provide a source → pathway → evidence sentence frame.
- Allow labeled diagrams before paragraph writing.
- For extension, compare two pathways that produce different effects at the receiver.
Assessment
- Check station evidence tables.
- Listen for causal language.
- Review the final transfer-chain explanation.
Exit ticket
Choose one pathway and write source → transfer → observed evidence.
Extension
Design a classroom observation that would provide stronger evidence for one transfer pathway.