Energy Teaching Resources
Explore energy in your science classroom with engaging activities, printable worksheets and more teacher resources aligned with the Australian science curriculum.
This collection of teacher-created resources covers everything you need to introduce primary students to sound, light, heat, electricity and so much more! Save time on your lesson plans with easily editable resources and differentiated options that have been carefully reviewed by the science teachers on the Teach Starter team to ensure they're ready for your classroom and your students!
Is this your first year engaging kids on the topic of energy? Or maybe you are just looking for fresh ideas? Read on for a help from our teacher team!
What Is Energy? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Ever wish you had a script handy to introduce any topic to your class for the first time? We hear you! The Teach Starter site is packed with kid-friendly definitions made just for teachers! Here's one that we use to explain what energy means to our students:
Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. It's found all around us — even when we can't see it — making things happen!
For example, energy is what makes a lightbulb glow or creates the sound we hear when we play a musical instrument.
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Light Display Banner
A classroom display banner to use on your 'Light' display board.
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Light Diffraction Poster
A poster explaining the sunlight and its colours.
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See Light Through Me Worksheet
A worksheet that explores classification of objects according to light transmission.
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Let the Sun Shine In! - Worksheet
A worksheet to use when exploring the sun as a light source.
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Understanding Conductors Teaching Slides
Teach your students about the basics of conductors with this 17-slide teaching presentation.
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Sound Energy Board Game for Grade 2
Enable your students to practise identifying and describing sound energy sources with this fast-paced board game!
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Year 3 Heat Energy Vocabulary Cards
Explore heat energy vocabulary with this set of thermal energy vocabulary cards.
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Understanding Insulators Teaching Slides for Year 6
Teach your students about electrical and thermal insulators with this teaching presentation.
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Electrical Circuits Wall Display
Create a wall display showing different types of circuits and related vocabulary.
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Voltaic Pile Poster
A poster showing Alessandro Volta's Voltaic Pile.
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Light Display Banner Version 2
A classroom display banner to use on your 'Light' display board.
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Electricity Teaching Resource Pack
A collection of electricity posters, worksheets and activities.
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Light Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive set of posters, activities and worksheets related to the concept of light.
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Heat Energy Teaching Resource Pack
A comprehensive set of posters, activities and worksheets related to the concept of heat energy.
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Light Fantastic Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the properties of light. It explores the phenomena of reflection, refraction, shadow and more.
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Light and Sound Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the concepts of light and sound and how they are sensed.
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It's Electric! Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the principles of electricity. It explores what electricity is, how it is transferred and how energy is transformed to create it.
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The Heat is On Unit Plan
This Physical Sciences unit addresses the concept of heat energy, including heat sources, heat transfer, thermal conductors and thermal insulators.
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See Light Through Me
A 60 minute lesson in which students will classify objects based on how much light is transmitted through them.
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Electricity Explained
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of energy transfer and transformation when generating electricity.
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Light and Shadow - Design an Experiment
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate an understanding of light and fair testing.
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Lights Line Up!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will draw simple ray diagrams to show the paths of light from a source to the eyes.
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What is Light?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will research the concept of light and generate a list of statements that can be tested.
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Moving Heat
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the concept of heat transference.
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Make a Sound
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if similar sounds can be made in different ways.
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Is It Sustainable? Evaluating Sources of Electricity
A 60 minute lesson in which students will consider whether energy sources are sustainable.
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Reflecting Light
A 60 minute lesson in which students will use mirrors to investigate some of the properties of reflected light.
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The Heat is On
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of heat energy and how it moves.
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Design a Musical Instrument
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of sound.
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Line Up the Light
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate if light travels in a straight line.
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Let the Sun Shine In
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore sources of light and identify the sun as a light source.
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Sensational Senses
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the five senses and the information they provide.