Fourth Graders Get Hands-On with Energy: Circuits, Thermal Reactions, and More!

Peck’s fourth graders are embarking on an exciting exploration of energy transformation, uncovering how energy moves and changes through dynamic, hands-on experiments. This immersive science unit challenges students to think critically, test hypotheses, and witness energy in action, making complex concepts both tangible and thrilling to discover.

The lesson kicked off with energy sticks—simple but powerful tools that show how energy moves in a circuit using light. To make the sticks light up, students had to complete a circuit by working together. At first, many tried activating them alone, but nothing happened. It wasn’t until they held hands that they became part of the circuit, allowing energy to flow and the sticks to light up. Excited by their discovery, they took it further—joining hands as an entire class to create one giant circuit, lighting up every energy stick in the room.

The energy exploration continued in science lab with a series of dynamic activities:

• Moody Putty: Students observed how thermal energy from their hands caused a chemical reaction that changed the putty’s color.
   
• Hand Boilers: While holding glass tubes with liquid, students saw how their bodies can transfer heat energy and make liquid rise
   
• Clear Music Boxes: By cranking gears, students watched mechanical energy transform into sound energy, giving them a firsthand look at energy conversion in action.
   
• Dancing Robots: By cranking a gear, students watched mechanical energy transformed into mechanical movement and sound as the robot danced.
   
• Melting Chip: Students describe the energy transfer from the electrical outlet to the hot plate and finally to the chemical energy stored in a chocolate kiss that melts.
   

Throughout these activities, students identified light, heat, and motion as key indicators that energy is present and changing form. These foundational concepts will later help them explore how to measure energy changes, such as using speed to quantify motion.

“Our approach in the science department is to have students develop their understanding of a concept through experience,” says Lower School Science & Design Teacher and Science Department Chair Dr. Kathy Kennedy. “Labs like this are hands-on, and students need to figure things out. Then we give them the language to describe and communicate what’s happening—that’s when we introduce the terminology.”

By immersing students in interactive learning, Peck’s fourth graders aren’t just studying energy—they’re feeling, seeing, and experiencing it firsthand!