Eighth graders trace how energy shifts from one form to another in everyday devices and events, and learn that although energy changes form, it is never created or destroyed.
Students will be able to…
Energy is always on the move, becoming light, heat, motion, and sound. How does energy change form, and why does the total never run out?
Project this and answer each question about how energy transforms from one form to another — read the explanation after each one.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
You plug in a phone and later it plays music. Where did that energy come from and go?
Students answer questions about energy changes.
Students trace energy through a device.
Students map a chain of transformations.
Students reflect on conservation.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Grade 8 / Middle School Science).
Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass and speed of an object.
Develop a model to describe how the relative positions of objects store potential energy in a system.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively about energy in a system.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students pick an everyday event, list each energy transformation in the chain, and show that no energy is lost, only changed. A printable energy-transformations worksheet is in the Science library.
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A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.