Teacher:

Colored Paper

Date:

Subject: Energy: Lesson 1- Moving Pennies/

I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson? (What do you want to accomplish?)
-For the students to notice that the faster a penny is moving, the more energy it possesses. When objects
collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, changing their motion.
-For the students to notice that the darker colored paper will be warmer as it absorbs more light.
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
-Using pennies, students will demonstrate how energy can be transferred from one object to another.
-Using different colored paper, students will demonstrate how energy can be transferred from one object
to another, by melting an ice cube.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to
applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to only certain students write the
name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies. (Students will be able to and this ties to ____ standard.)
I can use the pennies experiment to develop questions and predict what happens when objects
collide.
o 4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the
energy of that object.
o 4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place
to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
o 4-PS3-3: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when
objects collide.
I can develop observations that prove energy can be transferred from the light bulb, to the paper,
and to the ice cube.
o 4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place
to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
I can work well with my group members by sharing the materials being used and discussing my
observations.

II. Before you start

Assessment
(formative [during] and
summative [after])

KWL chart
Observation
Papers (notes)

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

RECOGNITION
Multiple Means of Representation
Options for Perception

Options for Language/Symbols

-Overview/introduction of vocabulary
-Verbally talking and having it written on
the board.
Options for Comprehension
-The K part of the KWL.
-Going over the students findings in small
groups and then as a large class.
Prerequisite knowledge
and skills.

STRATEGIC
Multiple Means of Expression
(Action)
Options for action/interaction
-Putting students into small
groups gives them better access
to the experiments.
Options for Expression

AFFECTIVE
Multiple Means of
Engagement
Options for recruiting interest

Options for Executive Function

Options for Self Regulation

-Having to reflect back on what
they learned from their
experiment.

Options for Sustaining Effort &

Persistence
-Working in groups.

-Which colors would you rather wear on a warm day?

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and do you have them?

Pennies (about 100)- pre-split into Dixie cups with 7 pennies each.
Construction paper (1 sheet of each) (3x3 squares)
o Yellow
o Red
o Black
o White
o Green
o Violet
Ice cubes
Heat lamp or sun - if on a very sunny day
KWL chart premade with words for that day
Folders (the kind with prongs) for each kid with paper in it already.
Pre-made groups with 3 students in each.
Bell for colored paper group.

Do you need to set up

your classroom in any
special way for this
lesson? If so, describe it.
III. The Plan
Time Parts
Motivatio
n
(Opening/
Introducti
on/
Engagem
ent)

Develop
ment

The description of (script for) the lesson,

activities and student activities
Teacher
Make a KWL (Know, Wonder,
Learned) chart.
o What do you already Know
about energy class?
o What do you Want to
learn?
o (The Learned part of the
chart will be filled at the
end.)
Today we will be experimenting
with some simple everyday items
to look more closely at energy.
Give students their folders.
o Write your nams on the
cover so we know that
folder belongs to you. I will
be collecting them each
day.
I need everyone to get out of their
desks and to go to the back of the
room. When I call you and your
group, come sit in the row of
desks Im pointing at.
Show I can statements
PowerPoint. (Pennies & Colored
Paper slide)

One group of students (higher thinking

group) will be at the back table doing the
colored paper experiment at the same
time as the pennies experiment. See
below for their instructions.

wherein you describe teacher

Students

Answers to the questions:

o I know that energy is what
makings things move.
o I want to know what
causes energy.
Get excited about doing
experiments.

A: E.B., A.M., M.U.

B: E.C., T.R., J.K.
C: Z.D., S.I., J.V.
D: E. G., J.G., R.V
E: E.D, J.M., M.S.
F: HC, DC, ZV
G: WV, EM, EH.
H: IB, JK, AW [colored paper
group]

Give each group one cup of 7

pennies. (Have the person on one
end of the rows of each group
come get the cup of pennies.)
Work together to see what you
observe about the pennies when
you make them collide. Keep the
pennies on the desk at all times.
You will record your
demonstrations on the second
page in your folders.
____, _____, and _____s group will
be at the back table to also do the
colored paper experiment at the
same time as the pennies
experiment.
Now, I want everyone to take a
minute to answer the first 2
questions on the worksheet. You
are making predictions of what
you think will happen with the
pennies and the colored paper.
We will share some of our
answers after.
Call on a few students to share
their answers.
Throughout your experiments,
write down your observations on
the worksheets: questions 3 and
4.
Any questions on what you are
doing for our experiments? Lets
begin then!
If they need more motivation or
guidance of what they should be
doing, ask the following
questions:
o Do the pennies have to hit
each other in order to
make the other one move?
o What would happen if you
were to hit the penny
faster or softer?

Colored paper group instructions:

Have the heat lamps and colored
paper set up on the back table.
Have ice cubes ready in a cup
(shouldnt be sitting out too long,
dont want them to be half melted
already).
You will be observing the ice on
the paper and seeing which color
is melting fastest and which is the
slowest. You will also be doing the
penny experiment because it will
take a few minutes for the ice to
start melting at all. When you
notice a change in the ice, ring
the bell and you will report what

Students will get their pennies

and work together to find out how
the pennies are used to create
motion.
o Students will record their
findings; anything they
observe.

Group 2 will be working together

to see what happens to the sheets
of paper as the ice is on it under
the heat lamp.
o Students will record their
findings.

Students will be writing this down on

their papers.

is happening.
Any questions on what you are
doing?
Students will do their
experiments. Have the penny
groups take turns going to join the
observation of the colored paper,
especially after the colored paper
group has rang the bell to tell us
things are changing.
Gather as a class.
What is energy? Energy is the
ability to cause change or
movement.
There are different types of
energy. There is potential energy,
which is stored, like when I hold
this eraser in the air, it has the
potential to go downward. Drop
eraser.
Then there is kinetic energy,
which is motion. Like when I
dropped the eraser and its falling
to the group, it has kinetic
energy. (pick up and drop eraser
again)
Conservation of energy is the fact
that energy cannot be created or
destroyed. When the eraser fell
from my hand, it had potential
energy that changed into kinetic
energy and ended with heat and
sound energy.
Now, lets go over everyones
results. Everyone flip to the
backside of the paper and make
sure you write some of our
findings on it.

What did you all find with the

pennies?
o When the pennies hit each
other, the other penny
would move. The pennies
were giving each other
energy.

What were the final results of the

colored paper and ice?
o The light was giving
energy to the pieces of
paper. The different colors
of paper absorbed more
energy than others, so the
ones with more energy
melted the piece of ice
faster than other colors.
Light energy was
transferred into heat

We found that when you slid the

pennies, they would hit each other
and make each other move. We also
found that the harder you moved the
pennies, but the more they would
make the penny the hit move.

The paper from fastest to slowest of

melting the ice is as follows: black,
violet, red, green, yellow, white.

If I had to choose a color to wear, it

would be white or yellow because
they reflect more light than the other
colors.

Closure

energy.
If you had to choose a
color of shirt to wear
outside on a hot, sunny
day, what color shirt would
you chose? Why?

What more do we know now?

What have we learned? Fill in the
L section of the KWL.

We learned that kinetic energy is

motion.
We learned that potential energy
is when something has the
potential to do something (stored
energy).
Conservation of energy is the fact
that energy cant be created or
destroyed.
The harder you push something,
the more energy it has to transfer
to the object it hits.
We want to wear lighter colors on
a hot, sunny day.

Name: _________________________________

Ball Drop
1. Predict: What do you believe will happen when the pennies hit each other?

2. Predict: What color paper will melt the ice the fastest? Why do you think this?

3. Observations: What are some of your observations about the pennies?

4. What are the observations about the colored paper?

5. Results: Where your predictions correct for the pennies? What about for the
colored paper?

6. Did you: (circle your answer for each)

a. Predict what happens when objects collide (think about the pennies)?
Yes
Maybe
No
b. Make observations that provide evidence that energy can be transferred
from the light bulb, to the paper, and to the ice cube.
Yes
Maybe
No
c. Work well with your group members by sharing the materials being used and
discussing your observations.
Yes
Maybe
No