Texas TEKS 7.5.E

Science7th GradeRecurring themes and concepts

The Standard

analyze and explain how energy flows and matter cycles through systems and how energy and matter are conserved through a variety of systems

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students trace energy transfers and matter movement within a defined system. They explain that matter is reused or transferred, while energy changes form and often leaves as heat.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students create and interpret system diagrams with accurate arrows, inputs, outputs, and boundaries. They use evidence to explain where matter and energy go without claiming either disappears.
Common Misconceptions: Students often say energy cycles like matter or that matter vanishes when food is eaten or fuel burns. They may also think conservation means energy always stays useful or remains inside the chosen system.
How to Assess It: Give students a pond diagram showing sunlight, algae, fish, decomposers, water, and heat. Ask them to add arrows for energy and matter, then explain conservation in two sentences.

Lesson moves

Use colored beads as matter and arrow cards as energy to model transfers among a plant, rabbit, decomposer, air, and soil.
Write and defend a response: Why can matter cycle through an ecosystem while energy eventually leaves as heat?
Run a card sort where teams match ecosystems, circuits, and water systems with accurate energy-flow and matter-cycle diagrams.
Trace sunlight, food, waste, and heat through a school cafeteria compost system, then identify where matter cycles and energy leaves.

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