Today we were back in our main subject groups, and this time we finally had a session on how to teach a certain topic. This time it was the tricky topic of Energy, and how it should be taught to KS3 pupils. We started off with a series of cards with facts about energy from all through the topic, and we were ask to classify them any way we liked. Naturally, they were all based on topics in the KS3 syllabus that used energy, such as sound, light, electricity, resources and fuels, thermal, etc. We were then given another series of cards with statements about energy, and we had to decide whether they were true or false. This wasn't so much a test of our knowledge as an examination of the language used in the statements. One thing to keep in mind when teaching energy at KS3 is that energy must always remain abstract. If you quantify it as a "physical" substance, then misconceptions creeep in. One key point was the use of the words "transform" and "transfer". Energy never actually changes, it is either stored, or moved. It therefore makes sense to say that energy is transferred from a bulb to the surroundings via light for example, rather than the electrical energy fromt he circuit is changed into light energy. We had a look at several sets of online resources that could be used to aid teaching, as well as trying out envoying. This involves working in a group to come to a conclusion about a toipc, then sending someone out to another group to speak with them about their decision to see if it would have any influence on ours.
Quite a lot to cram in to one day, but thankfully I've got a study day tomorrow so plenty of time to reflect on it all. :)
1 comment:
When I was taught energy, its abstract nature was never clear. I always conceived it as something tangible. What exactly *is* energy?
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