Force, Motion, and Energy

Book Chapter | March 2014

In order to discuss mechanical interactions, we need to understand forces and motion. In physical science, we can make use of all three of Newton’s laws of motion in a variety of situations. Energy analysis encompasses…

Energy Transfer by Light

Book Chapter | May 2019

The guiding question of this investigation is, How does the distance between a light source and an object affect the amount of energy an object receives from the light source? In this lesson, the goal is to figure out…

Energy and Chemical Bonds

Book Chapter | March 2019

This assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and chemical bonds and is designed to find out how students think about the release of energy involved in chemical bonding. It is best used with grades 9–…

Food Chain Energy

Book Chapter | February 2011

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the flow of energy in a trophic relationship that children are most familiar with—food chains. The probe is designed to find out if students…

Interdisciplinary Lessons on Energy and Entropy

Journal Article | May 2022

This article presents ideas and narratives of an experiment on the concept of energy developed for an honors seminar on energy and a mechanics course. We argue that energy is an idea best taught in an interdisciplinary…

GENERATE: The Game of Energy Choices

Journal Article | June 2021

Preschoolers “On the Move” with Energy

Journal Article | January 2023

It’s All About Energy!

Journal Article | January 2021

Putting the Energy Into Concept Development

Journal Article | July 2022

Sustainability, Energy, and the Green Economy

Journal Article | January 2021

Interdisciplinary education offers a collaborative approach to multifaceted topics, such as environmental sustainability. In this article, we present the conceptual framework and lessons learned from a team-taught…

Energy in Its Many Forms

Journal Article | January 2023

A Can of Bull? Do Energy Drinks Really Provide a Source of Energy?

Book Chapter | May 2014

The case in this chapter teaches students about large biomolecules, nutrition, and product analysis. Students conduct a biochemical analysis of several popular energy drinks on the market and determine whether these…

Weather and the Redistribution of Thermal Energy

Book Chapter | September 2011

The weather that we observe, like the variations in temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation, is a consequence of the atmosphere’s response to differences in its temperature. In response to these differences, the…

Plants and Energy (Respiration and Photosynthesis)

Book Chapter | November 2012

The purpose of this activity is to help students understand how plants use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide into sugar and then use cellular respiration to convert the sugar into a useable form of energy. This…

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

Book Chapter | August 2014

The big idea for an area of study that challenges students year after year but yet is essential to life processes is the relationship between matter and energy—how we get and use energy for life. If we put a phrase to…