Tracing the Flow of Energy

Summary

Students will create a poster that traces the path of energy from the sun to mechanical energy in an organism. They will work from a rubric and practice this skill.

Materials

• Construction or butcher paper/student
• markers or colored pencils
• crayons

Instructional Procedures

1. "Hook" the students with small pieces of candy like Jolly Ranchers or Tootsie Pops. Write a question on the board that asks where the energy in the candy comes from. Ask students to write the answer on a piece of paper and not show it to anyone. Go around the room and have the students show you their answer and give a piece of candy to those that answer "the sun" or solar or light energy.
2. Explain the rubric for the assignment or make a copy for the overhead. A "4" indicates the work has met the requirement, a "3" indicates it is missing a single detail, a"2" indicates several errors and a "1" means an effort was made but did not meet the requirement.
   
   
3. Allow time for students to work.
4. Use the rubric for students to grade the posters. They can grade their own or change papers.

Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.