Unit Overview
Energy is the ability to do work and can exist in various forms and be used to meet specific needs. Systems need an energy source in order to operate e.g. food for the body, petrol for the car. Students will explore various ways in which systems use energy, investigating energy sources and exploring relationships between force and movement.
A considerable proportion of human activity depends on understanding of physical phenomena related to energy, space and time. Energy comes in different forms:
There are two types of energy:
Energy sources can be categorized as renewable or nonrenewable. |
There are many uses for energy in the community. In the 2/3 unit students will use simple machines to explore the action of forces in everyday situations. They will use appropriate scientific vocabulary to describe and explain their observations and investigations. Students will construct simple working models such as balloon cars and catapults to show forces in action. They will use a range of appropriate methods to record observations including annotated drawings of their model or labels on parts. Students could make a video clip of the way their model works and accompany it with a verbal explanation in terms of action of forces.
In the 4/5 unit, students will investigate energy types and forms and interactions that involve changes in energy eg potential to kinetic, electrical to mechanical etc. Students will also investigate how electrical circuits provide a means of transferring and transforming electricity. Students will learn that energy from a variety of sources can be used to generate electricity and this knowledge can inform personal and community based decisions about using these sources sustainably. |