Science Lesson Kit · Teacher Resource
Kinetic & Potential Energy: Mass, Speed & Position — 5E Lesson Plan
Physical Science · 55 minutes
Grade 6
5E lesson flow
01
Engage
7 min
Teacher Does
Compare a light slow cart, a heavy slow cart, and the same cart at different speeds.
Students Do
Predict which changes may affect motion energy.
Ask
- How could data separate the effects of mass and speed?
Look For
Hold one variable constant.
02
Explore
15 min
Teacher Does
Provide the two datasets.
Students Do
Construct or complete separate graphs and describe visible patterns.
Ask
- Is each graph straight or curved? What variable stayed constant?
Look For
Mass graph linear in provided data; speed graph curved upward.
03
Explain
10 min
Teacher Does
Formalize kinetic energy, mass, speed, variable, relationship, and graph.
Students Do
Write evidence-based graph claims.
Ask
- Why is 'faster means more' incomplete without graph evidence?
Look For
Need to describe the strength/shape of the relationship.
04
Elaborate
15 min
Teacher Does
Introduce the Earth-cart system and three coaster positions.
Students Do
Rank relative potential energy and trace downhill energy changes.
Ask
- What arrangement changes? What energy changes?
Look For
Higher position → greater relative gravitational PE; downhill → PE decreases, KE increases.
05
Evaluate
8 min
Teacher Does
Assign the graph-and-model performance task.
Students Do
Integrate two graph claims with the position model and a limitation.
Ask
- Which evidence supports each relationship?
Look For
Separate mass/speed reasoning and correct system language.
Student goal
I can use graphs to describe kinetic-energy relationships and a system model to compare potential energy.
Learning objectives
- Construct and interpret graphs showing the relationship between kinetic energy and mass at constant speed.
- Construct and interpret graphs showing the relationship between kinetic energy and speed at constant mass.
- Develop a system model showing how relative position changes gravitational potential energy and how energy changes as an object moves.
Materials
- Mass and kinetic-energy dataset
- Speed and kinetic-energy dataset
- Graph paper
- Roller-coaster position model
- Energy bar cards
Before class
- Prepare separate datasets so only one variable changes at a time.
- Use J values as provided data; do not require students to derive the kinetic-energy formula.
- Prepare top/middle/bottom position cards.
- Explicitly plan the object-scale versus particle-scale kinetic-energy distinction.
Prior knowledge
- Students can read x- and y-axes on a graph.
- Students know mass and speed are different quantities.
- Students have seen energy transfer and thermal-energy models.
Vocabulary
- kinetic energy
- Energy an object has because it is moving.
- potential energy
- Stored energy associated with the arrangement of interacting objects in a system.
- mass
- A measure of the amount of matter in an object.
- speed
- How fast an object changes position.
- system
- A set of interacting parts chosen for study.
- relationship
- A pattern showing how one quantity changes as another quantity changes.
- variable
- A factor or quantity that can change in an investigation or dataset.
- graph
- A visual display used to show data and relationships between quantities.
Differentiation
- Provide pre-labeled axes and graph scales.
- Offer sentence frames for graph claims.
- Use physical position cards before abstract energy bars.
- For extension, compare gravitational with magnetic potential-energy arrangements without calculating potential energy.
Assessment
- Check mass-versus-KE graph interpretation.
- Check speed-versus-KE graph interpretation.
- Check system-based potential-energy reasoning.
- Check object-scale versus particle-scale distinction.
Exit ticket
State one kinetic-energy relationship from a graph and one potential-energy relationship from the Earth-object model.
Extension
Use magnet-position cards to model how changing the arrangement of two magnets can change potential energy stored in the system.