Lesson Overview

This activity helps K-2 students become aware of the things they use every day that consume energy by identifying whether cut-out pictures of objects use energy or not. They then use those pictures to create a collage. Once their art project is complete, they can discuss their pictures with the class and come up with ways to reduce their energy use.

Target Grades: K-2

Set Up Time: 10 minutes

Class Time: 45 minutes

Lesson Resources

Objectives

1. Identify items that use energy or electricity and items that don’t. 

2. Discuss ways to reduce energy use.

Guiding question: What uses electricity?

Educational Standards

ALASKA ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: K/1/2 CC 1.a; K/1/2 PK 4,5,6; K/1/2 VAU 5.a

ALASKA MATHEMATICS STANDARDS: K.MD.3; 1.MD.7; 2.MD.9

ALASKA CULTURAL STANDARDS: B4

NGSS: 2-PS1-1

ENERGY LITERACY CONCEPTS: 1.5

Lesson preparation:
  • Read the Background section below
  • For younger students, you may need to pre-cut the images for them.
Materials:
  • One poster paper per student or pair of students (11″x17″ or similar)
  • One glue stick per one or two students
  • One or two markers per student or pair of students
  • One pair of scissors per student
  • One copy of the Energy Collage Student Sheet per student or pair of students OR pictures clipped from magazines of items that use electricity, items that use other types of energy, and some that don’t use energy.

We often say things like “I don’t have any energy,” or the opposite of that, “These kids have too much energy!” But what does that really mean? What is energy? 

Energyis defined as the ability to do work: either potential or kinetic energy. Potential energy (stored energy) includes chemical, mechanical, nuclear, and gravitational energy. Kinetic energy (motion energy) includes radiant, thermal, motion, sound, and electricalenergy.

Energy can be measured in units such as joules (j), calories (c), British thermal units (BTUs), and kilowatt hours (kWh). 

Anything that moves, like water or wind, has energy. Energy cannot be destroyed; it can simply be transformed into another form. Alaskans use energy every day. Energy keeps our homes warm, allows us to watch TV, use computers, cook, drive cars and snow machines, and keep our homes and buildings lit during dark winters. In fact, energy has always been an essential part of Alaskan lives; where it comes from has just changed over the years. In the past, many Alaskans used wood or seal oil to provide heat and light and to cook food. Most of us now use primarily electricity and fuel oil, though many Alaskans still use wood for home heating. 

Human chemical energy is just another form of energy, like oil or wood. For example, riding a bicycle uses human chemical energy while driving a car uses energy from gasoline.

Electricity– A form of energy resulting from electrons moving through a circuit of wires. It occurs naturally as lightning.

Energy – The ability of an object to do work. Energy makes change. Energy makes things move, grow, heat up, or light up.

Collage – A piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photographs and pieces of paper on to a backing.

Gear Up:
  • Start with a brainstorm session: What items use and need energy?.
  • Tell students that there are many types of energy, but every kind of energy makes change. Energy makes things happen. It makes things grow, move, light up, and get hot.
  • Ask: What are the types of energy that we use every day? Some forms of energy include electricity, food, gasoline, and heating fuel. How do students know if something has energy? Movement and heat are good indicators of energy. Lighting, heating, transportation, and cooking all require a source of energy.
  • One option for structuring the brainstorming activity is to ask students to go through their day chronologically and identify what type of energy is used for each daily activity (e.g. brush teeth, make breakfast, take bus, etc).
  • Next, focus on electricity. Define electricity with the students. Electricity is an invisible force. It is one type of energy. It is the movement of electrons, usually through wires. Lightning is electricity. Many things we plug into the wall or put batteries into use electricity. When you turn on the lights, they use electricity. 
  • Point to several objects in the classroom and have students decide whether or not they use electrical energy.
Activity
  • Hand out one worksheet per student (or pair of students). The pictures may have to be pre-cut for younger students. Another option is to use pictures and graphics from old magazines. Have students sort the pictures into two categories:

1.  Objects that use electricity to work or function

2.  Objects that DON’T use electricity to work or function

  • For younger students, the class can move through the activity together, and students can vote and discuss whether each object uses electrical energy. Older students can categorize the items based on type of energy.
  • Once students have sorted their pictures, ask them to count how many are in each category. Remind them that electricity is not the only kind of energy there is. Vehicles like cars and boats that take gasoline use a different kind of energy. Things that need people to make them move like bicycles use energy to work. Things that produce heat like wood stoves or Toyostoves use energy to work. Things that grow use energy. There are lots of different kinds of energy!
  • Next, have students take the group of pictures they sorted that don’t use electrical energy and sort them into two more categories:

1.  Objects that use some kind of energy to work or function

2.  Objects that don’t use any energy to work or function

  • Ask students to count how many are in each category and compare to the numbers in the previous sort.
  • Once students have finished sorting the pictures, hand out a piece of construction paper to each pair so they can glue or tape the three groups of pictures into an energy collage. See below for how items are sorted from the included student page.
  • Wrap Up: 
    • Facilitate a discussion among the class and encourage students to identify and share their observations on the different sources of energy (perhaps by having students present their collages to the class).
    • Discuss how using less energy can save money and have less impact on the environment. Ask them how they can use energy wisely, and discuss the responses as a class.
Extension
  • Complete the “Phantom Load Detective” AK EnergySmart lesson to explore the idea about items using electricity even when we don’t know it.
  • Utilize one of the “Energy Bingos” and have students find as many items as possible. Doing an outdoor version, students can even take a tray and collect different items from the Bingo to bring back to class.
Evaluation
  • As an exit ticket, ask students to name one thing that uses electricity and one thing that doesn’t.