That's a wrap on PE & KE

In science, we have finished up our most recent unit on potential and kinetic energy. Students participated in a variety of hands-on learning activities to explore how different types of potential energy are stored and how that potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Our last activity for the unit explored the impact of mass and speed on the kinetic energy of a Mars lander. Students practiced their graphing skills and discovered that speed causes exponentially more damage to the lander than mass. 

Above are some pictures of students exploring how the height of an incline and the mass of a marble impact energy. 

The videos show students breaking the bonds of substances to release their chemical potential energy.

Above, students visited the maker space to utilize gravitational potential energy in their paper skate park challenge!

Questions to ask your student about our last unit can be found below:

• Discuss with your student the different types of potential energy (gravitational, chemical, elastic).  Can they share an example of each?

• Discuss how potential and kinetic energy transfer is experienced in your daily life

We have begun to explore thermal energy! At the end of this unit, students will be applying the concepts of heat transfer to building a shoe-box solar cooker.  If you have shoeboxes at home, we’d love to collect them!!!