Understanding Energy Transfer (5-8)

Understanding Energy Transfer advances understanding and effective teaching about how energy is transferred from substance to another and what happens in these situations.

Course Objectives

• Define energy transfer and provide examples in everyday situations
• Explain the phrase conservation of energy
• Explain what happens when energy is converted from one form to another
• Examine inquiry-oriented, research-based methods for teaching these topics

Course Syllabus

Session 1: Transfer of Energy
Participants explore what happens to energy when it converted from one form to another.

Session 2: Inquiry Learning
In a companion methodology session, participants look at energy transfer in the context of research about how people learn and inquiry-based instructional models.

Additional Course Information

• First in a series of four courses for teachers of middle school physical science
• Other courses in the series:
  • 2nd course: Understanding Waves
  • 3rd course: Understanding Heat Transfer
  • 4th course: Understanding Solubility and Density
• A full survey course, Teaching Middle School Physical Science, is also available.

We recommend course modules be taken in order. If this is not possible, it's important to have a basic knowledge of the content and methodology described in the preceding courses.

See also: Course Tour example