Here is a weblink to an example of the type of energy booklet that this years 6th graders are creating: https://spark.adobe.com/page/JGrjNCXUCIcHC/
They are using pictures and their own words to answer the same four questions for all 9 forms of energy.
- Where does the energy come from (the answer is essentially the same for all 9 forms of energy — from atoms)?
- What is the form of energy (the atoms do different things depending on which form of energy they are describing)?
- What transformation of energy can turn into the form of energy discussed, or can the energy discussed become? An example: if they are on the chapter about thermal energy, they may note how thermal energy can be transformed into sound energy, as the hot steam in a tea kettle can make a whistle sound as the steam escapes the spout. Or, how nuclear energy in the core of the Earth can become thermal energy, as the reaction melts the rock beneath the Earth’s surface, turning it into hot magma.
- What phenomenon does that particular form of energy describe? On some chapters, students got free choice, but for two, they had only one option. For radiant energy, they had to describe photosynthesis, as this will be critical as we learn about plant cells and ecosystems, and for chemical energy, they focused on respiration, which ties into our body systems unit.