In this unit, students continue to explore science phenomena related to energy, focusing on how energy is transferred in circuits and can do work, such as spinning a motor. Students begin with this lesson on exploring the basic phenomena of direct current energy flowing through parts of a simple and series circuit.
In this unit, students explore the science phenomena of how energy is transferred in a circuit to do work. In this lesson, students figure out the phenomena affecting the left and right movement of an electric car. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students build on what they know about the science phenomena of energy transfer to focus on information transfer and how different technologies use patterns of sound, light, or numbers to transmit information. This page showcases key components of this lesson.
In this unit, students analyze the science phenomena of different forces that can act on all structures. They begin by exploring how forces act on different materials and shapes. They then use what they know about forces to design a skyscraper prototype in this lesson, evaluating how their design relates to the ability of the skyscraper to withstand the weight of the structure and the people on it, as well as the force of wind.
In this unit, students focus on the science phenomena of sound and hearing. Students begin with this lesson that has them exploring how sound causes matter to vibrate and how it moves differently through solids and liquids. This page highlights each component of this lesson.
In this unit, students analyze the science phenomenon of how sound is a form of energy that travels through vibrating molecules. They test whether sound travels through both liquid and solid mediums and observe how sound makes sand particles vibrate. In this lesson, students apply their scientific knowledge of sound to an engineering challenge.
In this unit, students focus on the science phenomenon of light energy, investigating how it travels in a straight line and interacts with matter. Students apply their knowledge to design a prototype with mirrors and water that creates rainbows. This page showcases each component of the lesson.
In this unit, students bring together what they have learned about the interactions of energy and matter to explore the science phenomena of relationships between energy, force, and motion. In this lesson, they investigate how windmills transfer the kinetic energy in wind so that it can be used to do work, and then use that knowledge to analyze balanced and unbalanced forces.
In this unit, students continue to explore the science phenomenon of forces, analyzing how structures have to be able to withstand all of the forces that act on them. Students begin by testing different materials and shapes to see how they respond to different types of forces.
In this unit, students expand their understanding of the need for energy among living things to include non living energy systems. They build sleds to figure out how the phenomena of friction transfers energy out of systems. This page highlights components of this lesson.
In this unit, students use sleds and roller coasters to explore the relationship between energy, forces, and motion. In this lesson, students apply what they know about energy and forces to engineer a roller coaster. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson.
In this unit, students continue to explore forces and energy, focusing on the science phenomenon of how electrical energy can be transferred from one place to another to do work. In this lesson, students build series and parallel circuits, measuring the amount of current that moves through each circuit with one and two light bulbs. This page highlights some components of that lesson.
Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.