~30 - 40 TO 50 MINUTE CLASS PERIODS (5 WEEKS)
How can people manipulate energy transfer and transformation to use energy more efficiently?

Students learn about the transfer and transformation of energy in their everyday lives. They plan and carry out investigations and analyze and interpret data from experiments to investigate how energy is transferred and transformed. They also engage in engineering challenges to design and test devices to maximize and minimize energy transfer.

PE Assessment Example: Design, test, evaluate, and redesign a solar oven that maximizes thermal energy transfer.

Energy is part of Issues and Science three year middle school program, designed by SEPUP at the Lawrence Hall of Science. This six week unit anchors the lessons around the the socio-science issue: How can people manipulate energy transfer and transformation to use energy more efficiently? Investigative phenomena within the 15 activities connect back to the issue and storyline. This unit builds towards and assesses PEs PS3-3, PS3-4, PS3-5, MS-ETS1-4. The Student Book guides students in exploring a socio-science issue and connected phemonena through a series of varied activity types. Activity types use one of twelve different instructional strategies to apply Science and Engineering Practices to specific Disciplinary Core Ideas and Cross Cutting Concepts. SEPUP's integrated literacy strategies help students process new science content, develop their analytical skills, make connections between related concepts, and express their knowledge orally and in writing. The built-in assessment system helps teachers identify students' strengths and weaknesses from the beginning of the unit. This allows them to adjust activities when needed so that all students get the best chance to build their knowledge and appreciation of science. At the back of the Student Book there is an Appendix containing additional resources for students, such as science skills, literacy strategies, and media literacy among others.

See lab-aids.com/utah for SEEd standards alignment, recommended unit sequence, individual unit links, and more. Used with a student notebook and equipment. Sample notebook: http://online.flipbuilder.com/rqzd/ppss/mobile/index.html#p=40.