Energy in the System Activity Kit - Amplify Grade 4 In Stock Now

• 1 plastic bag
• 1 solar panel or battery pack
• 3 buzzers
• 4 cables with alligator clips
• 1 clamp lamp
• 2 pitchers*
  
• 1 plastic tub*
• 3 measuring cups, 1-cup capacity*
• masking tape*

Students consider the relationship between the amount of energy moving through the electrical system and the devices converting energy from the system. There is a Critical Juncture at the beginning of the lesson in which students write about energy conversion. Their writing will reveal whether students have the foundational understanding about forms of energy and energy conversion to enable them to be successful in the remaining chapters of the unit. Next, the class reads a message from the Ergstown City Planner describing a number of changes that have been made in the city. Students engage in an open card sort and determine which of those changes increased or decreased energy use in Ergstown—and which had no effect on energy use. The teacher then demonstrates for students the relationship between the amount of energy needed to run electrical devices and the amount of energy in the electrical system. Students apply this new understanding as they consider two possible solutions to the blackout problem in Ergstown. The lesson closes with a discussion about the criteria that engineers (and they as systems engineers) must consider when proposing a solution to a design problem.