Science of Energy Has Transformed!

Science of Energy is one of our favorite units here at NEED. It is also the favorite of many of the great NEED teachers across the country. With any great unit, there’s always room for improvement. We’ve heard your feedback and are happy to share with you the improved Science of Energy guides for 2014-2015. Aside from being a really fun set of activities, the Science of Energy is one of NEED’s keystone resources, providing the foundation for much of the important energy education that goes on in classrooms across the country. We update our resources each year, so what’s the big deal with this guide, you ask?

Most notably, Science of Energy has been transformed from two levels into three levels that can fit any classroom’s needs. The three levels, (elementary, intermediate, and secondary) still focus around and utilize the materials in our awesome six-station Science of Energy kit and emphasize NEED’s Kids Teaching Kids approach. We hope you’ll find that the new adaptations are more appropriately leveled and offer ample opportunities for differentiation, while still focusing on the importance of the forms of energy and their transformations.

Whether you are new to Science of Energy or a veteran, check out a quick breakdown below of a few of the features in the new 2014-2015 versions! Don’t forget to visit the catalog for information on ordering this awesome kit, and as always, these guides are available for download from www.NEED.org.

Elementary Science of Energy

• Focused student station guides, with stations broken down into manageable steps that enable learners to identify the forms of energy and transformations observed
• “What Was Happening?” articles explaining each station at a 3-5th grade reading level, complete with guided questions to assist readers in utilizing nonfiction text strategies
• Student station guides that allow students enough space to record thoughts while practicing their science notebook skills
• Comprehensive teacher guide with background information on demonstrations and stations
• Sample graphic organizers and manipulatives to help students organize the forms of energy and identify related transformations
• Activities to introduce and reinforce energy sources and the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources
• Discussion of energy flows and transformations observable in everyday life and in the ten energy sources

Intermediate Science of Energy

• Station guides and instructions that focus on identifying variables, using scientific process skills, identifying energy forms and transformations, citing evidence and reasoning in conclusions, and connecting observations to real-life examples
• “What Was Happening?” articles explaining each station at a 6-8th grade reading level
• Student reporting forms that allow students to practice their scientific process skills, while also utilizing the core principles of a good science notebook
• Comprehensive teacher guide with background information on demonstrations and stations
• Sample graphic organizers to help students organize the forms of energy and identify their transformations
• Activities that allow students to make connections between the forms of energy, the sources we use for energy, and the transformations that enable us to use the sources we do

Secondary Science of Energy

• Station guides and instructions that focus on identifying energy forms and transformations while quantifying their observations through applicable formulas and relationships
• “What Was Happening?” articles written at a high school level, highlighting each station’s core chemistry and physics principles while relating each station to a real-life application
• Student guides that allow students to utilize their scientific process skills, while also utilizing the core principles of of a good science notebook
• Comprehensive teacher guide with background information on demonstrations and stations
• Sample graphic organizers to help students organize the forms of energy and identify their transformations
• Activities that allow students to make connections between the forms of energy, the sources we use for energy, and the transformations that enable us to use the sources we do