​Elementary Supplement: Know the Flow of Energy in Your School

CoverK4.jpgThe KEEP Know the Flow of Energy in Your School guide is a supplement to the KEEP Energy Education Activity Guide specifically for teachers of kindergarten through fourth grade students. This publication includes activities that address State Academic Standards, assessments, and extensions. It is available for free download in English or Spanish.

Teachers of young students appreciate KEEP activities because energy is an abstract concept and their students think at the concrete operational level. KEEP activities help address the learning needs of younger students. Therefore, elementary teachers requested more activities to help make energy relevant and interesting to their students’ lives. The Know the Flow of Energy in Your School supplement is designed to help the teacher use the school as an educational tool by introducing kindergarten through fourth grade students to energy in a way that connects it directly to their lives. It’s designed to make learning fun through 11 hands-on, exploratory activities. 

Download Complete Guide

Download Complete Guide - Spanish Translation

Resources

Guide Introduction
Cross-reference chart - Activities by Grade Level and Subject Area
Cross-reference chart - Activities by Cognitive and Process Skills
Cross-reference chart - Common Core English Language Arts Standards
Cross-reference chart - Common Core Mathematics Standards
Cross-reference chart - Next Generation Science Standards
Cross-reference chart - Environmental Literacy & Sustainability
KEEP Adaptations

Activities

Classroom Energy Flow (Grades K-4)
Students create an energy flow diagram of their classroom by labeling and describing how objects in their classroom transfer energy.
Detecting Schoolyard Food Chains (Grades 3-4)
Students research organisms in their schoolyard and create simple food chains involving those organisms.
Electric Charades (Grades 3-4)
Students illustrate through a whole-body demonstration how electricity flows from the power plant to appliances in their classroom.
Let the Sun Shine Through (Grades K-4)
Students construct “Mystery Boxes” to explore qualities of light provided by the sun.
Mapping Wind in the Classroom (Grades 3-4)
Students map air movements in their classroom by using simple tools to detect drafts.
Photosynthesis Promenade (Grades 3-4)
Students simulate the process of photosynthesis through a whole-body demonstration.
Schoolyard Breezes (Grades 3-4)
Students build and use simple wind measurement instruments to record air movements in their schoolyard.
Shadows in the Schoolyard (Grades K-4)
Students measure shadow lengths to appreciate how the sun’s height and location in the sky varies throughout the day.
The "Sun"wich (Grades K-4)
Students create simple food chains based on their lunch item.
What the Sun Does for Me (Grades K-4)
Students illustrate ways the sun contributes to their lives.
What the Wind Does for Me (Grades K-4)
Students illustrate ways the wind contributes to their lives.