Assessments

Informal Assessments
Throughout the course of the unit, students will be given several informal
assessments to monitor their progress in learning the information, concepts and ideas that
have been laid out for them. These assessments will come to students in many forms such
as note taking, whole class discussions, group work, experiments, and daily worksheets.
These assessments will serve as ways to check for students’ understanding and to identify
where it is necessary to elaborate or present information in an alternative way so that all
students will be able to gain an understanding of the material presented in this Energy
Unit.

Experiments and Daily Worksheets

• Experiments and Daily worksheets will occur daily. I will visit different groups
throughout the room to make sure that students are engaged and focused on the
material at hand. Students should have all questions on their worksheets
answered in complete sentences compiled with serious thought and effort. Their
ideas also should be supported with evidence or observations from their
experiments.

Note Taking
• Students will occasionally be asked to take notes throughout the presentation of
material in this Unit Plan
• Student’s writing should reflect that they were attentive during the presentation of
material
• Notes that include subject matter different from what was being presented as well
as doodling will be counted against them

Whole Class Discussions

• Whole group discussions will also occur periodically throughout our unit plan.
During these discussions, students will be expected to be attentive, offer their own
thoughts and opinions, as well as respect the thoughts and opinions of others.
• When assessing students, I’ll ask myself questions such as, “Did the student raise
their hand at least a couple times throughout the course of this units whole class
discussion times? Did the student meaningfully contribute to the topic being
discussed? Did the student seem to be paying attentions?”

Group Work
• Students will be given the opportunity to work in groups throughout this unit plan
• Students will be expected to make good use of the time, use materials responsibly,
stay on task, contribute ideas, help other group members understand the content,
and work together to draw conclusions from the experiments they are performing.
 Formal Assessments

Different Kinds of Energy Presentations: Day 1-3

• The first formal assessment that students will complete is a group presentation on
an energy form that they read about. Each group will receive a different energy
form and research materials will be provided. Students will be given a sheet on
which they can take notes and jot down important information that they want to
relay on their poster. Students will work on the poster for two days. Students will
then present the information they discovered to the class. Students will be
evaluated on how they worked together as a group, the number of ideas they
share, the attractiveness/ understandability of their posters, and listening skills.

Aligns with Objectives: 1, 6

Rubric for the Group Presentation

Category 4 3 2 1
Presentation All members shared One member of the group Members did not share
information with the did not share as much as their poster with class
class during the the other group members
presentation. did.

Facts The group shared at least The group shared four The group shared only The group shared less than
five important ideas that important ideas that found three important ideas that three important ideas that
they found in their in their reading. found in their reading. they found in their reading.
*These include: reading.
charts, pictures, and
facts.
Attractiveness/ The poster is The poster is attractive in The poster is acceptably The poster is distractingly
exceptionally attractive terms of design, layout, attractive although a little messy or very poorly
Creativity in terms of design, and neatness. bit messy. designed. It is not
layout, and neatness. attractive.

Conventions/ The poster is easy to read The poster is somewhat The poster is hard to read The poster is nearly
and understand. easy to read and and understand. impossible to read and
Understandability Conventions are always understand. Conventions Conventions are rarely understand. Conventions
used. are usually in place. used. are not used.

PowerPoint Presentation: Worked on over the course of the unit

Students will create a PowerPoint presentation that addresses heat, light, sound, and
motion. Students will use what they have learned through class discussion and
experiments to state two things that they have learned about each topic on a separate
slide. Each week students will work on their PowerPoint presentations during computer
time on Thursday. Students will be expected to include a title, picture, and transition on
each slide. I will use this assessment to see how much students have learned and if they
are able to incorporate it into a PowerPoint presentation.
Aligns with Objectives: 5, 6, 8, 9, 12

Energy PowerPoint Rubric

Points Possible Your Points Required Elements

Title Slide
3 Title, your name, picture
What is Energy?
4 Title, definition of energy in your own
words
Heat Slide
5 Title, 2 things you have learned,
complete sentences, picture
Light Slide
5 Title, 2 things you have learned,
complete sentences, picture
Sound Slide
5 Title, 2 things you have learned,
complete sentences, picture
Motion Slide
5 Title, 2 things you have learned,
complete sentences, picture
Conclusion Slide
3 Catchy phrase or conclusion, picture

35 TOTAL POINTS

Energy Saving Comic Strip:

After students start learning about ways to conserve and save energy they will begin
working on a comic strip which will be made at
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/. Students will create their own comic
strip with a saving energy theme. They can use any of the previous topics that we have
learned about to do this. Each students’ comic strip must have at least 1 panel, one
character, and one speech bubble. Students will be able to print their comic strips when
they are done.
Energy Saving Comic Rubric

Points Possible Your Points Required Elements

Must have at least 1 panel.
3
Must have at least one character.
3
Must have at least 1 speech bubble
3
 Must have something to do with
4 saving energy.
Creativity
2
15 TOTAL POINTS
 Energy Study Sheet
Test 4/3/08

Energy Sources

Renewable or
Energy Source Definition
Nonrenewable
Coal Nonrenewable Black rock burned to make electricity.
Hydropower Renewable Energy from flowing water
Petroleum Nonrenewable Fossil fuel for cars, trucks, and jets.
Solar Renewable Energy from the sun.
Wind Renewable Energy from moving air.

Heat
 Heat, light, motion, and sound are all forms of energy.
 Heat is always on the move. It moves to seek balance.
 Conduction is the way that heat energy moves in solids.
 Materials that don’t conduct heat well are called insulators.
o Examples: cotton and wood
 Materials that conduct- or move heat energy well are called conductors.
o Example: Metal
 The molecules in good conductors are close together. There is very little space
between them. When they vibrate, they push against the molecules near them.
The energy flows between them easily.
 Heat energy in liquids and gases moves in currents by convection.
o During convection, the cooler, denser molecules flow down and the
warmer molecules rise up forming currents of flowing molecules.
o Wind is an example of a convection current.
 Most of the earth’s energy comes from the sun.

Light
 Visible light- the wave energy we can see- is made of many colors.
 Prisms and water refract- or bend light waves.
 Light energy can be absorbed by a substance and turned into heat.
 Dark colors, such as black, absorb light.
 Light colors, such as white, reflect light.

Motion
 The energy of motion is called kinetic energy.
 The energy of place or position is called potential energy.
  Friction is the force that slows the motion of objects that are rubbing together.
o Example: When you rub your hands together you are creating friction.
The kinetic energy in your hands turns into heat and sound.
 Inertia means that an object in motion will remain in motion until a force changes
its motion. An object at rest will stay at rest until a force moves it.
o Example: If your parents are driving and step on the brakes, your body
continues to move forward for a second.

Sound
 All sounds are caused by vibrations.
 Sound waves can travel through gases, liquids, and solids.
 Name: __________________ Date:__________
Energy Test
1. Pick any three energy sources and fill in the chart.

Renewable or
Energy Source Definition
Nonrenewable

2. What are the different forms of energy? Name at least three forms.

3. Why is heat always on the move?

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

4. What is conduction?
_______________________________________________________

5. ______________________ is an example of a good insulator.

6. Describe what happens to molecules during convection.

7. Name two things that can refract light waves.

8. Light energy can be absorbed by a substance and turned into

________________.

9. Does the color white absorb or reflect light energy?

10.What is friction?

11.Label the picture with words from the word bank.

Word Bank
Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
No Energy
 Name:__MODIFIED FOR SPECIAL NEEDS__
Date:_______
Energy Test
1. Is Coal renewable or nonrenewable (circle the correct
answer)?

2. Coal is ___________________________________.
a. Black rock burned to make electricity.
b. Energy flowing from water.
c. Energy from moving air.

3. Is Hydropower renewable or nonrenewable (circle the

correct answer)?

4. Hydropower is ______________________________.
a. Energy from the sun.
b. Energy from flowing water.
c. Fossil fuel for cars, trucks, and jets.

5. What are the different forms of energy? Circle three.

Molecules
Heat
Light
Convection
Motion

6. True or False: Conduction is the way that heat energy

moves in solids (circle True or False).

7. True or False: Molecules in good conductors are far apart

(circle True or False).
8. Circle two things that can refract light waves.
Wood
Prisms
Plastic
Water

9. Visible light is made of __________________.

a. Many colors
b. White
c. Black
d. No colors

10.True or False: The color black reflects light energy (circle

True or False).

11.What is friction?
a. The way that energy moves in gases and liquids.
b. Energy that comes from the sun.
c. The force that slows the motion of objects that
are rubbing together.
d. Molecules that are really far apart.

12.The energy of motion is called _____________ energy.

a. Kinetic
b. Potential
c. Real