5th Grade Science

Energy Conservation Unit

10/23 - 12/8 , 6 weeks

1. What is energy?  What forms of energy are there?
2. How can energy be changed from one form to another (transferred)?
3. Where does the energy we use come from?
4. How does using energy affect the environment?
5. How can we use less energy and protect the environment?

1. Understand how the various forms of energy (such as electrical, light, heat, and sound) are involved in common events and may be transformed from one form to another.
2. Understand the effectiveness of different insulating and conducting materials with respect to heat energy.
3. Understand the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy resources and the environmental consequences of energy use.

1. Develop hypotheses based on prior knowledge and research
2. Use scientific tools (thermometer) to measure accurately in metric units.

1. Energy is the ability to do work (a force applied over a distance). Energy makes change; it can be harnessed to do useful things.
2. There are many different forms of energy such as light, sound, heat, electricity, motion (kinetic), and stored (potential) energy.
3. Heat energy is energy that can change the temperature of matter. It can be produced in different ways such as burning, rubbing, or through chemical reactions.
4. Some materials conduct heat well, and other materials (insulators) do not.
5. Energy sources such as fuels are materials that can be used to provide energy
6. Most of the energy we use today comes from non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels, but eventually these resources will run out. Some energy resources such as water, wind, and sun are renewable.
7. Conserving energy means to use less energy, which is important because using energy can have negative impacts on the environment.