Energy and Natural Resources

Grade Level: 4th

Subject: Science

Time Frame: 4 weeks (February/March)

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Essential Questions

 

- where do humans derive energy from?
- what does it mean to produce energy?
- how can energy be converted from one form to another?
- what is renewable energy?
- what is non-renewable energy?
- how does human energy use impact the environment?

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By the end of the unit, students will know:

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- humans use energy and fuels derived from natural sources
- producing energy refers to converting energy from one form to another so that it can be used for practical purposes
- devices must be designed, tested, and refined in order to convert energy
- renewable energy is energy that comes from a source that replenishes quickly and will not be used up before more is created
- non-renewable energy is energy that comes from a source that is very slow to replenish and can be used up
- human energy use has many impacts on the environment

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By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

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- build a device that converts energy from one form to another by following instructions
- design and build a simple device that converts energy from one form to another 
- define a simple engineering problem related to constraints due to materials, cost, or time
- explain one energy type in depth, including where the energy is found, what it is used for, and how it impacts the environment
- analyze a combination of information they have collected about one type of energy 

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Topics

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- human energy use 
- renewable energy
- non-renewable energy
- environmental impacts

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Standards

4-ESS3-1, 4-PS3-4