UtSTA 2024: Out-Of-This-World Science Teaching

Students make long-lasting connections to content when they engage with a phenomenon before direct instruction. In this workshop, participants will dive into a lesson that introduces the concepts of kinetic and potential energy before those terms are formally defined for students. This activity also provides an excellent opportunity to develop your student's skills with the practice of planning and carrying out investigations. It has multiple options for scaffolding to meet diverse student needs. Use this lesson at the beginning of your energy unit for an engaging and memorable launch point that students will connect back to in future lessons.