Texas TEKS 3.8.A

Science3rd GradeForce, motion, and energy

The Standard

identify everyday examples of energy, including light, sound, thermal, and mechanical

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students observe familiar objects and events, then name the energy they can detect. They use clues such as movement, warmth, visible light, or vibrations that produce sound.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students correctly classify examples such as a lamp, ringing phone, warm pan, and rolling ball. They can explain each choice using an observable clue.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think energy means only electricity or movement. They may label the object instead of the energy observed. They may also miss that one event can show more than one form of energy.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: “A hair dryer is running. Name two forms of energy you observe and give one clue for each.”

Lesson moves

Set up stations with a flashlight, bell, sealed cup of warm water, and wind-up toy, then have students label the energy observed.
Have students write which energy forms they notice when popcorn pops and cite one observation for each choice.
Play a card sort using pictures of lamps, drums, ovens, bicycles, televisions, and rubbing hands, then compare answers with a partner.
Take an energy walk around the school and record examples from lights, speakers, sunny windows, fans, and moving doors.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.8.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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