Unit 6: Energy Forms and Changes

Students will know how to:
-Explain the laws of energy, including conservation and transfer
-Identify and describe different types of energy and work
-Explain the mechanisms of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation
-Compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable energy sources
-Evaluate energy efficiency and explore engineering solutions to improve it
-Design and analyze energy conversion devices
-Use data to support explanations of energy transfer and transformations in systems

Core Topics:
-Laws of energy (conservation, transfer, work)
-Heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation
-Fossil fuels and renewable vs. nonrenewable energy sources
-Energy efficiency and engineering solutions

NGSS Performance Expectations:
HS-PS3-1 – Use models to analyze energy transfer within a system.
HS-PS3-2 – Apply the principle of conservation of energy to explain energy transformations.
HS-PS3-3 – Design and evaluate a device that converts energy from one form to another.
HS-ESS3-1 – Evaluate the availability of natural resources and the impact of energy choices on society and the environment.

Essential Questions students will be able to answer:
-What are the laws of energy, and how do they apply to real-world systems?
-How does energy move through different materials and processes?
-How do renewable and nonrenewable energy sources impact society and the environment?
-How can energy efficiency be improved through design and engineering solutions?
-How can we design devices to convert energy from one form to another effectively?
How does data inform our understanding of energy transfer and conservation?

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs):
-Designing Solutions
-Analyzing Data
-Constructing Explanations
-Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
-Energy and Matter
-Systems
-Cause and Effect
-Scale, Proportion, and Quantity

Demonstration of Learning / Suggested Activities:

-Unit Test
-Quizzes
-Calorimetry or heat transfer lab
-Design and build a small energy conversion device (solar cooker, wind turbine, etc.)
-Analyze data from experiments to explain energy transfer and efficiency
-Construct explanations for how energy is conserved and transformed in real-world systems