| Topic | Resources |
|---|---|
| Teaching strategies for conceptual development | Yes (0,6) |
The Bumper Book of Energy. An Approach to Teaching Energy
The UK Curriculum uses a different ‘energy paradigm’ from the ‘forms of energy’ approach. It has two concepts:
- Energy stores e.g. chemical, kinetic, thermal, elastic, etc
- Energy pathways e.g forces, current, radiation, etc.
There is a 45 page resource titled ‘The Bumper Book of Energy‘, also available as a google.doc . It is for Key Stages 3 and 4 which is equivalent to our Years 7 to 11. Features include:
- Descriptions of the various pathways,
- Students progress in describing energy stores from simple descriptions to calculation of change,
- Students progress in describing energy pathways from simple statements to detailed scientific models,
- Rubrics for student explanations of different pathways from pre-structural to uni-structural to multi-structural to relational to extended abstract,
- There are also teaching ideas and some worksheets.
The book is available from the two sources, but some graphics don’t seem to appear, best to check both for the complete document,
BEST: Best Evidence Science Teaching from the Science Education Group at the University of York
For Thermal Physics resources, click on Matter, which has sections on Heating and Cooling and on Energy of Moving Particles. The key concept map is worth checking out.
Energy Bar Charts
The concepts of energy and energy transfer are difficult for students to grasp. The use of Bar Charts to explain the transfer of energy between various stores has been effective.
Below are some resources of value:
- Towards a research-informed sequence on teaching energy. A 14 page article by Robin Millar of the University of York. The article discusses the difficulties with a ‘forms of energy ‘ approach, the risk of seeing energy as a cause and the problems of Heat and then moves to a discussion of energy stores and pathways. The article finishes with a detailed teaching sequence across the secondary school.
- A Youtube video of a Zoom PD on Energy Bar Charts by the New Zealand Institute of Physics (40 mins). Transcript is available. First half is the presentation, followed by discussion with participants.
- The Physics Classroom: Illustrations on using Energy Bar Charts
- Universe and More: An app for students to use. The students select an event from a list of 14, e.g. Video of Felix Baumgartner’s freefall from the upper stratosphere and then select a system e.g. Felix and the Earth or Felix alone and draw the energy bars for Initial and Final. The student can add energy bars from a list of four (KE, GPE, EPE and Internal Energy change.) They can also add Work to the system. Also check ‘Home’ for other apps.