Teaching sound, light, and energy is an important part of early elementary education. Energy is all around us! The sun that shines down on us, the food we eat, the lights in our home. Understanding forms of energy is essential knowledge to have to understand the way the world works.
Getting our kindergarten, first, or second grade students to understand this concept can be really fun if done right!
When teaching with younger students, just remember to take it slow to start. This lesson can get a little overwhelming. Explain what energy actually is first, and then introduce examples (sound, heat, light).
After that, you can read some books on the topic of energy. This is a great way to add variety to your lesson and increase comprehension.
Then make it fun with science experiments! This is a great time for some hands-on learning. Think Diet Coke and Mentos eruptions or popsicle stick chain reaction activities. These are a great way to see forms of energy in motion.
For more tips for teaching forms of energy, check out my post here.
One of my favorite ways to do that is to use these free forms of energy activities.
These printable activities are easy and fun for kindergarten or first grade students.
Included in this free resource you’ll get:
- HOME CONNECTION – Parent Project
- Energy – List the items that produce energy
- Heat & Light Energy Mini-book
- I Spy SOUND objects
- What is energy? POSTER
If you want more, you can check out the full resource here. It covers Sound, Heat, and Light with a 3-week plan including 3 inquiry lessons, data notebook pages, a rubric, a home project, and so much MORE!
These activities are great for helping your early elementary students really understand the topic of energy in a fun and engaging way! They will love learning and it will set them up for success in later grades.
What are your favorite ways to teach about forms of energy? Let me know in the comments! 