What is Energy?

And where does it come from?

Learning Objectives

• To be able to say what energy is and what it can do.

• To begin to think about where energy comes from.

What is energy?

• Brainstorm ideas with your teacher. Think of sentences that have the word ‘energy’ in. What do you think it means?

• Discuss the ideas you have come up with.

• Can you think of something that uses energy in the classroom? At home? Anywhere else?

Talk about these ideas• Scientists say that energy can do work and that

energy makes change happen.

• Scientists know that when we use energy – it doesn’t disappear! It changes from one form to another.

• There are lots of different forms of energy.

• When we use energy to do something, some energy is often wasted. Do this experiment to find out one way this happens.

A quick experiment

• Every time we move, we use energy. Where does that energy come from?

• We can see the energy working when things light up, warm up and move. How will you see energy working when you exercise by running about?

• What energy do you think is wasted? How do you know?

Read and listen to these statements. Then add some of your own

• Energy makes cars move along the road.

• Energy makes boats move on the water.

• Energy is used to bake cakes in the oven.

• Energy is used to freeze water into ice and keep ice frozen in the freezer.

• Energy makes the television work.

• Energy makes our bodies grow and move.

Plenary – but where does energy come from?

• Think about your statements. Where has the energy come from?

• For example…. You move because of energy you get from your food. How does energy make your food? Where does this energy come from?

• See how important energy is to the lives of people in our own and other countries. Watch the Eastchurch Film and/or the NEST film to see how people think about and use energy.

• Why is energy so important?

What can energy do?

Name___________________________

I know energy is being used when ________________________________________

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I know energy is being used when ________________________________________

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I know energy is being used when_________________________________________

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I know energy is being used when ________________________________________

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Energy is being used when….. choose an idea

birds sing

I walk

the kettle boils

the fire gets hot

the television switches on

buses run

plants grow

cars race

the radio plays

my Dad sneezes

storms happen

dogs bark

Energy makes Energy makes

Energy makes Energy makes

What can energy do?

Me running Energy from Energy from

Logs burning Energy from Energy from

The sunapple treesThe sun

Draw a picture to show what is happening in the first box.

Choose the right words to fill the other boxes.

Can you think of some more energy chains?

Energy picture

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