Compare & Contrast Energies Activities for Middle School Science
Comparing gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energy with kinetic energy is made easy with this engaging 5E lesson. Aligned with the 2021 TEKS 6.8A standard, this comprehensive resource includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments designed for differentiated, student-led learning. Students explore energy types through a nine-station, hands-on lab featuring reading passages, research tasks, videos, and interactive exercises. Explanation resources such as editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks, and note-taking templates support understanding, while assessment materials aligned with STAAR 2.0 provide practice and evaluation options. With multimodal resources, Spanish translations, and compatibility for both in-class and virtual learning, this lesson ensures flexibility and accessibility for all students. The resources below will give students a comprehensive understanding of potential and kinetic energies. All of the following materials are also included in the Kesler Science Membership.
The Kesler Science Compare & Contrast Energies 5E Lesson provides a comprehensive middle school unit on comparing gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energies with kinetic energy. It includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments designed for differentiated, student-led learning. With multimodal resources and Spanish translations, this low-prep lesson aligns with the 2021 TEKS 6.8A standard.
Following the 5E Model, students engage through objectives, word wall cards, and class discussions. The exploration phase features a nine-station, student-led lab with hands-on activities, reading passages, research tasks, videos, and interactive exercises to compare energy types. Explanation resources include editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks, and note-taking templates in multiple formats. Students extend their learning through choice projects, while assessment materials—aligned with STAAR 2.0—offer review worksheets, test practice, and differentiated evaluation options.
Designed for both in-class and virtual learning, this lesson ensures flexibility and accessibility while promoting deep student understanding of energy concepts.
The Kesler Science Compare & Contrast Energies 5E Lesson provides a comprehensive middle school unit on comparing gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energies with kinetic energy. It includes editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments designed for differentiated, student-led learning. With multimodal resources and Spanish translations, this low-prep lesson aligns with the 2021 TEKS 6.8A standard.
Following the 5E Model, students engage through objectives, word wall cards, and class discussions. The exploration phase features a nine-station, student-led lab with hands-on activities, reading passages, research tasks, videos, and interactive exercises to compare energy types. Explanation resources include editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks, and note-taking templates in multiple formats. Students extend their learning through choice projects, while assessment materials—aligned with STAAR 2.0—offer review worksheets, test practice, and differentiated evaluation options.
Designed for both in-class and virtual learning, this lesson ensures flexibility and accessibility while promoting deep student understanding of energy concepts.
Engage your middle school students in an interactive, student-led exploration of energy with this station lab aligned to TEKS 2021 standard 6.8A. Designed for both in-class and virtual learning, this lesson allows students to compare and contrast gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energy with kinetic energy. Through a structured yet flexible approach, students take charge of their learning while teachers facilitate their exploration.
This station lab includes nine differentiated activities that present information in multiple formats. Students encounter new concepts by conducting hands-on investigations, watching videos, reading passages, and analyzing research materials. They demonstrate their understanding through tasks such as organizing information, creating illustrations, responding to writing prompts, and completing assessments. The lab materials provide all necessary signage, resources, and task cards for independent or small-group work, with minimal preparation required.
To support diverse learners, this resource includes English and Spanish reading passages and a bonus challenge station with extension activities like crosswords, games, and mini projects. By engaging in multimodal learning, students enhance their comprehension, recall, and critical thinking skills. This high-engagement, low-prep lesson fosters curiosity and deepens students' understanding of energy concepts in a meaningful way.
Engage your middle school students in an interactive, student-led exploration of energy with this station lab aligned to TEKS 2021 standard 6.8A. Designed for both in-class and virtual learning, this lesson allows students to compare and contrast gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energy with kinetic energy. Through a structured yet flexible approach, students take charge of their learning while teachers facilitate their exploration.
This station lab includes nine differentiated activities that present information in multiple formats. Students encounter new concepts by conducting hands-on investigations, watching videos, reading passages, and analyzing research materials. They demonstrate their understanding through tasks such as organizing information, creating illustrations, responding to writing prompts, and completing assessments. The lab materials provide all necessary signage, resources, and task cards for independent or small-group work, with minimal preparation required.
To support diverse learners, this resource includes English and Spanish reading passages and a bonus challenge station with extension activities like crosswords, games, and mini projects. By engaging in multimodal learning, students enhance their comprehension, recall, and critical thinking skills. This high-engagement, low-prep lesson fosters curiosity and deepens students' understanding of energy concepts in a meaningful way.
The Compare & Contrast Energies Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS standard 6.8A, allowing middle school students to select a project that suits their preferred output style. A project page outlines six student-led options plus a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also included in the Compare & Contrast Energies Complete Lesson for TEKS 6.8A.
These flexible, multimodal projects provide students with creative ways to demonstrate their understanding. Teachers can adjust the rubric to fit grading needs. Two versions of the project page support differentiation, with modified options for students needing remediation and challenge options for advanced learners.
The projects use standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, and many options are available for digital completion.
The Compare & Contrast Energies Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS standard 6.8A, allowing middle school students to select a project that suits their preferred output style. A project page outlines six student-led options plus a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also included in the Compare & Contrast Energies Complete Lesson for TEKS 6.8A.
These flexible, multimodal projects provide students with creative ways to demonstrate their understanding. Teachers can adjust the rubric to fit grading needs. Two versions of the project page support differentiation, with modified options for students needing remediation and challenge options for advanced learners.
The projects use standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, and many options are available for digital completion.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Inquiry Lab aligns with TEKS, helping students compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy. Students will identify these energy types in a photograph before constructing a simple Rube Goldberg machine to analyze energy transformations.
This resource includes three differentiated labs designed to support all learners. The Dependent Student Lab provides guided instructions with inquiry questions, ideal for on-level students. The Modified Student Lab offers a structured approach with sentence stems and multiple-choice questions for students needing modifications. The Independent Student Lab encourages student-led exploration with minimal guidance, suited for advanced learners.
Editable teacher resource pages include prep time, standards, directions, materials, and additional resources. Answer keys and reflection questions using claim, evidence, and reasoning statements enhance comprehension.
Common materials like marbles, ping pong balls, and dominos make this lab easy to implement. The independent lab also requires string, wooden blocks, and tissue for additional exploration.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Inquiry Lab aligns with TEKS, helping students compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy. Students will identify these energy types in a photograph before constructing a simple Rube Goldberg machine to analyze energy transformations.
This resource includes three differentiated labs designed to support all learners. The Dependent Student Lab provides guided instructions with inquiry questions, ideal for on-level students. The Modified Student Lab offers a structured approach with sentence stems and multiple-choice questions for students needing modifications. The Independent Student Lab encourages student-led exploration with minimal guidance, suited for advanced learners.
Editable teacher resource pages include prep time, standards, directions, materials, and additional resources. Answer keys and reflection questions using claim, evidence, and reasoning statements enhance comprehension.
Common materials like marbles, ping pong balls, and dominos make this lab easy to implement. The independent lab also requires string, wooden blocks, and tissue for additional exploration.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Escape Room is an engaging activity designed to reinforce students' understanding of kinetic and potential energy. Aligned with TEKS and NGSS standards, this immersive experience challenges students to compare and contrast energy types, interpret data, and model energy transfer in an interactive way.
Teachers have full control over the eight independent puzzles, allowing customization based on class length and student needs. The escape room can be conducted using simple manila envelopes or a more authentic setup with locks and a storage box.
A digital version is available for online learning through PowerPoint or Google Slides, while a print version allows at-home participation. The resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, digital tools, editable templates, a Google Forms answer sheet, video challenges, reward templates, and printable props. With engaging challenges and over 50 prize ideas, students will be fully immersed in this exciting, standards-aligned learning experience.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Escape Room is an engaging activity designed to reinforce students' understanding of kinetic and potential energy. Aligned with TEKS and NGSS standards, this immersive experience challenges students to compare and contrast energy types, interpret data, and model energy transfer in an interactive way.
Teachers have full control over the eight independent puzzles, allowing customization based on class length and student needs. The escape room can be conducted using simple manila envelopes or a more authentic setup with locks and a storage box.
A digital version is available for online learning through PowerPoint or Google Slides, while a print version allows at-home participation. The resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, digital tools, editable templates, a Google Forms answer sheet, video challenges, reward templates, and printable props. With engaging challenges and over 50 prize ideas, students will be fully immersed in this exciting, standards-aligned learning experience.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Science Writing Prompt Activity helps middle school students demonstrate their understanding of physical science through an engaging song-based exercise. Designed to extend science reasoning and writing skills, this activity supports both in-person and virtual learning.
TEKS aligned, this creative, low-prep resource includes teacher directions with an answer guide, project ideas, and rubrics. It offers a projection version for classroom display, full-sized and half-sheet handouts with prompts and pre-writing strategies, and a digital PowerPoint version compatible with Google Slides for remote learning.
This writing activity can be used for cross-curricular learning, pre-test assessments, student choice projects, early finisher tasks, extra credit, make-up work, TELPAS samples, and differentiation exercises. It also makes a great addition to classroom bulletin boards or student anthologies.
These prompts are designed for review and assume students have prior knowledge of the topic or access to research materials.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Science Writing Prompt Activity helps middle school students demonstrate their understanding of physical science through an engaging song-based exercise. Designed to extend science reasoning and writing skills, this activity supports both in-person and virtual learning.
TEKS aligned, this creative, low-prep resource includes teacher directions with an answer guide, project ideas, and rubrics. It offers a projection version for classroom display, full-sized and half-sheet handouts with prompts and pre-writing strategies, and a digital PowerPoint version compatible with Google Slides for remote learning.
This writing activity can be used for cross-curricular learning, pre-test assessments, student choice projects, early finisher tasks, extra credit, make-up work, TELPAS samples, and differentiation exercises. It also makes a great addition to classroom bulletin boards or student anthologies.
These prompts are designed for review and assume students have prior knowledge of the topic or access to research materials.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Science Writing Prompt Activity engages middle school students in a creative, song-based writing exercise to reinforce their understanding of physical science. Aligned with TEKS, this student-centered activity encourages science reasoning and exploration while supporting both in-person and virtual learning.
This resource includes teacher directions with answer guides, project ideas, and rubrics, as well as projection and print handouts in full-sized and half-sheet formats for interactive notebooks. A digital PowerPoint version, compatible with Google Slides, allows for easy distance learning. Ideal for cross-curricular activities, pre-test assessments, student choice projects, early finisher enrichment, extra credit, make-up work, TELPAS samples, and differentiation, this writing prompt fosters engagement and creativity. It can also be displayed on bulletin boards or compiled into student anthologies. Designed for review, this activity assumes students have prior knowledge of the topic or access to research materials.
The Potential and Kinetic Energy Science Writing Prompt Activity engages middle school students in a creative, song-based writing exercise to reinforce their understanding of physical science. Aligned with TEKS, this student-centered activity encourages science reasoning and exploration while supporting both in-person and virtual learning.
This resource includes teacher directions with answer guides, project ideas, and rubrics, as well as projection and print handouts in full-sized and half-sheet formats for interactive notebooks. A digital PowerPoint version, compatible with Google Slides, allows for easy distance learning. Ideal for cross-curricular activities, pre-test assessments, student choice projects, early finisher enrichment, extra credit, make-up work, TELPAS samples, and differentiation, this writing prompt fosters engagement and creativity. It can also be displayed on bulletin boards or compiled into student anthologies. Designed for review, this activity assumes students have prior knowledge of the topic or access to research materials.
The WIKI Tickets© Energy Set provides engaging, flexible formative assessments for 6th-8th grade science, designed to check student understanding in multiple formats. This set includes 18 assessments, each available as a full-screen projection, three print handout sizes, and a digital interactive version compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides.
Aligned with NGSS and TEKS standards, these assessments cover key energy-related topics such as calorimetry, the electromagnetic spectrum, energy transformations, kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy transfer, wave characteristics, and more. Each set includes a table of contents file to show standard alignment, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
WIKI Tickets© can be used in both in-person and virtual learning environments, functioning as exit tickets, bellringers, or quick assessments. Students can respond on paper, on printed handouts, or digitally in a 1:1 or remote setting. These vibrant, engaging assessments provide a versatile way to gauge student progress in any learning scenario.
The WIKI Tickets© Energy Set provides engaging, flexible formative assessments for 6th-8th grade science, designed to check student understanding in multiple formats. This set includes 18 assessments, each available as a full-screen projection, three print handout sizes, and a digital interactive version compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides.
Aligned with NGSS and TEKS standards, these assessments cover key energy-related topics such as calorimetry, the electromagnetic spectrum, energy transformations, kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy transfer, wave characteristics, and more. Each set includes a table of contents file to show standard alignment, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
WIKI Tickets© can be used in both in-person and virtual learning environments, functioning as exit tickets, bellringers, or quick assessments. Students can respond on paper, on printed handouts, or digitally in a 1:1 or remote setting. These vibrant, engaging assessments provide a versatile way to gauge student progress in any learning scenario.
Lesson Extensions provide engaging, student-choice activities designed to challenge early finishers and deepen their understanding of energy concepts. These activities help reinforce critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving while keeping students engaged in rigorous yet enjoyable learning opportunities. They are ideal for lesson wrap-ups, enrichment, or filling downtime during testing.
Each extension includes four interactive components: Puzzler for problem-solving, Maker Space for hands-on STEAM activities, Tech Connection for digital media demonstrations, and Word Master for creative writing. Teacher directions, answer keys, and both print and projection versions ensure easy implementation.
Aligned to NGSS and TEKS energy standards, these extensions cover topics such as energy transformations, kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy transfer, the electromagnetic spectrum, and photosynthesis. They provide high-level, independent learning opportunities to help students explore energy concepts in greater depth.
Lesson Extensions provide engaging, student-choice activities designed to challenge early finishers and deepen their understanding of energy concepts. These activities help reinforce critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving while keeping students engaged in rigorous yet enjoyable learning opportunities. They are ideal for lesson wrap-ups, enrichment, or filling downtime during testing.
Each extension includes four interactive components: Puzzler for problem-solving, Maker Space for hands-on STEAM activities, Tech Connection for digital media demonstrations, and Word Master for creative writing. Teacher directions, answer keys, and both print and projection versions ensure easy implementation.
Aligned to NGSS and TEKS energy standards, these extensions cover topics such as energy transformations, kinetic and potential energy, thermal energy transfer, the electromagnetic spectrum, and photosynthesis. They provide high-level, independent learning opportunities to help students explore energy concepts in greater depth.
This Amazing Anchors Phenomenon Lesson introduces and reinforces kinetic and potential energy concepts through the real-world example of the Kingda Ka rollercoaster in New Jersey. It includes an introductory reading with comprehension and extension questions to prepare students for further learning, followed by an explanatory reading that breaks down the science behind kinetic and potential energy with additional reinforcement questions.
Aligned with TEKS standard, this no-prep resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, projection slides, and both print and digital formats for Google Classroom and other LMS platforms. A differentiated version provides sentence starters for student support. Designed to bookend a lesson, these engaging readings serve as supplements to reinforce learning in any in-person or virtual classroom.
This Amazing Anchors Phenomenon Lesson introduces and reinforces kinetic and potential energy concepts through the real-world example of the Kingda Ka rollercoaster in New Jersey. It includes an introductory reading with comprehension and extension questions to prepare students for further learning, followed by an explanatory reading that breaks down the science behind kinetic and potential energy with additional reinforcement questions.
Aligned with TEKS standard, this no-prep resource includes teacher directions, answer keys, projection slides, and both print and digital formats for Google Classroom and other LMS platforms. A differentiated version provides sentence starters for student support. Designed to bookend a lesson, these engaging readings serve as supplements to reinforce learning in any in-person or virtual classroom.
Year-Round Resources
These year-round activities will increase your students' understanding of many middle school science topics. All of these activities are also included in the Kesler Science Membership.
Visual Data & Graphing
You're not alone if your students struggle with understanding graphs, charts, and tables. It's a skill that takes an enormous amount of practice. This resource will help students build a strong foundation in analyzing data and creating their own data visualizations.
Bell Ringers and Warm-Ups
These middle school science bell ringers are an excellent way to engage your students as soon as they walk into your classroom. This comprehensive FULL YEAR resource includes everything you need to start off each science class with an interesting warm-up activity.
Review Board Games
Each game board has been carefully designed to keep students engaged. There are 10 different action spaces on each board and dozens of question cards. All of the actions are related to science concepts and keep the students motivated throughout the game.
Each game is ready to play. Simply print out the board and the cards and let the students enjoy reviewing nine different units.
Essential Questions and Standards
Below are the essential questions and standards associated with the lessons and activities included in the atoms unit. This topic is only one of more than 100 middle school science topics included in the Kesler Science Membership.
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How does potential energy compare to kinetic energy?
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What are gravitational, elastic, and chemical potential energies?
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TEKS Science - 6.8A Compare & Contrast Energies
Kesler Science Membership
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