Changes in Forms of Energy Activities for 4th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Changes in Form of Energy 5E Lesson is a comprehensive, low-prep physical science unit designed for engaging, student-led learning. It includes editable presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments, all aligned with NGSS 4-PS3-4 and the 2021 TEKS standard for Investigating Energy Transfer.

The lesson follows the 5E Model, offering engaging discussions and activities, a hands-on, differentiated station lab with nine multimodal stations, and editable PowerPoints with interactive notebooks in English and Spanish. Students explore energy conversions through experiments, reading passages, videos, research, and categorization activities. They extend their learning through student-choice projects and demonstrate mastery with assessment questions updated for STAAR 2.0. 

Designed for flexibility, the lesson includes printable and digital resources, Spanish translations, and differentiation support. It is fully adaptable for both in-class and virtual learning, ensuring accessibility for all students.

Engage your 4th-grade students with this interactive, student-led station lab on Changes in Forms of Energy. This lesson allows students to explore energy conversions through hands-on experiments, digital tasks, and multimodal learning experiences. With a student-centered approach, learners actively investigate scientific ideas, applying their knowledge to design and refine devices that transform energy from one form to another.  

Through nine engaging stations, students demonstrate their understanding by conducting hands-on experiments, analyzing videos, reading informational passages, answering questions, organizing information, sketching models, and writing explanations. Differentiated reading passages in English and Spanish support diverse learners, while the bonus challenge station extends learning with creative projects. Whether working independently or in small groups, students take ownership of their learning in a meaningful way.  

Designed for both in-person and virtual learning, this low-prep, high-engagement resource includes all the necessary signage, literature, task cards, and digital activities for easy implementation. Teachers facilitate rather than direct, encouraging inquiry-based exploration and critical thinking. Perfect for any upper elementary physical science curriculum, this station lab makes learning about energy conversions dynamic and student-driven.

The Changes in Forms of Energy Student Choice Projects provide fourth-grade students with various ways to demonstrate their understanding by selecting a project that suits their preferred output style. A project page outlines six student-led options plus a “design your own” project, all supported by an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment.

These projects are flexible and allow teachers to modify the rubric to fit their grading needs. Two versions of the project page support differentiation, with modified options for students needing remediation and challenge opportunities for advanced learners. 

Students can complete their projects using standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, with many options available for digital completion. Some projects may benefit from additional crafting supplies for model-building.