ALEX Learning Activity

  

Energy in Song

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Brian Sauls
System:Albertville City
School:Albertville Middle School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2309
Title:
Energy in Song
Digital Tool/Resource:
OK Go - This Too Shall Pass Video
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This resource can be used as a culminating activity on the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. The students will watch a four-minute music video that includes a vast "Rube Goldberg machine". The students will attempt to identify different types of energy, including different forms of potential and kinetic energy.

This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 8
Physical Science
14 ) Use models to construct an explanation of how a system of objects may contain varying types and amounts of potential energy (e.g., observing the movement of a roller coaster cart at various inclines, changing the tension in a rubber band, varying the number of batteries connected in a series, observing a balloon with static electrical charge being brought closer to a classmate's hair).

NAEP Framework
NAEP Statement::
P12.13: The potential energy of an object on Earth's surface is increased when the object's position is changed from one closer to Earth's surface to one farther from Earth's surface.

NAEP Statement::
P8.9a: Three forms of potential energy are gravitational, elastic, and chemical.

NAEP Statement::
P8.9b: Gravitational potential energy changes in a system as the relative positions of objects are changed.

NAEP Statement::
P8.9c: Objects can have elastic potential energy due to their compression, or chemical potential energy due to the nature and arrangement of the atoms.

Unpacked Content
Scientific And Engineering Practices:
Developing and Using Models
Crosscutting Concepts: Systems and System Models
Disciplinary Core Idea: Energy
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Construct an explanation, using models, to show how a system of objects may contain varying types of potential energy.
  • Construct an explanation, using models, to show how a system of objects may contain varying amounts of potential energy.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Model
  • System
  • Potential energy
  • Force
  • Electric force
  • Magnetic force
  • Gravitational force
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Potential energy is stored energy.
  • When two objects interact a distance, each one exerts a force on the other that can cause energy to be transferred to or from an object. The exerted forces may include electric, magnetic, or gravitational forces.
  • As the relative position of two objects (neutral, charged, magnetic) changes, the potential energy of the system (associated with interactions via electric, magnetic, and gravitational forces) changes.
  • Elastic potential energy is potential energy stored as a result of work done to an elastic object, such as the stretching of a spring. It is equal to the work done to stretch the spring, which depends upon the spring constant k as well as the distance stretched.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Use a model of a system containing varying types and amounts of potential energy and identify the relevant components.
  • Describe the relationships between components of the model.
  • Articulate a statement that relates a given phenomenon to a scientific idea, including how a system of objects may contain varying types and amounts of potential energy.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • The types of potential energy in a system of objects may include electric, magnetic, or gravitational potential energy.
  • The amount of potential energy in a system of objects changes when the distance between stationary objects interacting in the system changes because a force has to be applied to move two attracting objects farther apart, or a force has to be applied to move two repelling objects closer together, both resulting in a transfer of energy to the system.
AMSTI Resources:
AMSTI Module:
Experimenting with Forces and Motion
Learning Objectives:

I can identify different forms of potential and kinetic energy.

I can describe energy transfer and identify examples.

I can differentiate between gravitational and elastic potential energy.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
After/Explain/Elaborate
Activity:

The students will watch the following OK Go music video, either display the video for the entire class or share the link and allow them to watch it on their devices. This music video includes a "Rube Goldberg machine" with many different examples of potential and kinetic energy. Have the students record at least three examples of potential and kinetic energy that they observe in the video. There are numerous examples of potential and kinetic energy, so the students should not have trouble coming up with a minimum of three different examples. The teacher should lead a class discussion after the students have had appropriate viewing time.

The following questions could be used for whole class discussion:

  1. What was the source of the energy that started the machine?

  2. Where did the energy come from that kept the machine going until the end of the video?

  3. During the video, did every form of potential energy that you observed eventually transform into kinetic energy?
Assessment Strategies:

The teacher should assess student comprehension through teacher questioning and class discussions. This resource may be used to assess student learning and gauge if the material needs to be re-taught or reviewed. The teacher can use this activity to plan future lessons and/or assessments.
Advanced Preparation:

The teacher will need a way to display the music video, either by displaying the video for the whole class or secure individual electronic devices for the students.  
Variation Tips (optional):

While looking for potential and kinetic energy in the video, the teacher may choose to let the students work in pairs and create the list. 

The teacher could include a discussion of gravitational and elastic potential energy. Further, the teacher could have students differentiate between the two when they are looking for examples of potential energy.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

The music video is clean and includes no profanity or vulgarity. The teacher and/or students may or may not enjoy the music, but the many examples of potential and kinetic energy are valuable. The assignment can even be completed with the sound muted. The students will be able to pause and re-watch the video if they are watching independently.
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: elastic potential energy, energy transfer, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, potential energy