The Purpose
When we look in the sky, what do we see? The SUN. Where do plants get their energy? The SUN. What object helps with wind power? The SUN. The purpose is for students to realize just how much the sun plays a role in our lives and keeps our Ecosystems balanced. This science-based unit is designed for elementary age students, specifically 3 rd -5 th. Within this unit students will learn the function and parts of plants, the process of photosynthesis and the environmental conditions that affect their growth and survival in various parts of the world. My hope is that students become more aware of their surroundings and the role they play in their environment. I want students to walk away with a new appreciation of where they live and understand that their actions not only affect themselves, but the world.
Energy is a very abstract concept to teach to younger students and I want to use this unit to give students a basic understanding and foundation of science that they can use to help them in the future. Energy is defined as the ability to do work. I want students to understand that energy is all around us and can be seen in various forms such as static energy, hydroelectric energy, heat/thermal energy, light energy, etc. To do this, they must first understand that energy has two basic types: Kinetic and Potential. Because these terms are not familiar to most 7-8 year olds, it is important to use the terms, but also break it down in ways that they will be able to understand.
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