Energy Teaching Resources
Explore energy in your science classroom with engaging activities, printable worksheets and more teacher resources aligned with the NGSS curriculum.
This collection of teacher-created resources covers everything you need to introduce primary students to sound, light, heat, electricity and so much more! Save time on your lesson plans with easily editable resources and differentiated options that have been carefully reviewed by the science teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure they're ready for your classroom and your students.
Is this your first year engaging kids on the topic of energy? Or maybe you are just looking for fresh ideas? Read on for a help from our teacher team!
What Is Energy? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Ever wish you had a script handy to introduce any topic to your class for the first time? We hear you! The Teach Starter site is packed with kid-friendly definitions made just for teachers! Here's one that we use to explain what energy means to our students:
Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. It's found all around us — even when we can't see it — making things happen!
For example, energy is what makes a lightbulb glow or creates the sound we hear when we play a musical instrument.
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What's in the Box? - Worksheet
A worksheet to use when exploring the concept of light.
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Science Experiment - Line Up the Light!
A science experiment which explores how light travels.
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Circuit Diagram Symbols Poster
A poster that shows a range of symbols used for drawing circuit diagrams.
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Electrical Conductors and Insulators Worksheet
Explore electrical conductors and insulators with this 2-page worksheet.
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Light Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive set of posters, activities and worksheets related to the concept of light.
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Heat Energy Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive set of posters, activities and worksheets related to the concept of heat energy.
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Light Fantastic Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the properties of light. It explores the phenomena of reflection, refraction, shadow and more.
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The Heat is On Unit Plan
This science unit addresses the concept of heat energy, including heat sources, heat transfer, thermal conductors, and thermal insulators.
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Light and Sound Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the concepts of light and sound and how they are sensed.
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Design a Musical Instrument
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of sound.
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Sound Research
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how sound travels.
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Sounds of Change
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if the pitch and volume of sounds can be changed.
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Make a Sound
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if similar sounds can be made in different ways.
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C'mon, Feel the Noise
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore sound and how it is made.
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Line Up the Light
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if light travels in a straight line.
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No Light, No Sight
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if light is needed in order to see.
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Let the Sun Shine In
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore sources of light and identify the sun as a light source.
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Sensational Senses
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the five senses and the information they provide.
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Sources of Heat
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify kinetic, electrical and chemical sources of heat energy.
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Light and Shadow - Design an Experiment
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of light and fair testing.
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True Colors
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how the color of an object depends on the properties of the object and the color of the light source.
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In Living Color
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate how the color of an object depends on the properties of the object.
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Refracting Light
A 60-minute lesson in which students will observe the refraction of light at the surfaces of different transparent materials.
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Reflecting Light
A 60 minute lesson in which students will use mirrors to investigate some of the properties of reflected light.
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In the Shadows
A 60 minute lesson in which students will compare shadows from point and extended light sources.
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See Light Through Me
A 60-minute lesson in which students will classify objects based on how much light is transmitted through them.
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Lights Line Up!
A 60-minute lesson in which students will draw simple ray diagrams to show the paths of light from a source to the eyes.
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What is Light?
A 60 minute lesson where students will research the concept of light and generate a list of statements that can be tested.
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The Heat is On
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of heat energy and how it moves.
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Thermal Insulators - Keeping Out the Heat
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate which materials are the best thermal insulators.
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Thermal Conductors - Feel the Heat
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate which materials are the best thermal conductors.
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What is Heat?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of heat as a form of energy.