Four Ways Energy Travels
A 55-minute Grade 4 lesson on making observations that energy is transferred by sound, light, heat and electric currents.
Four Ways Energy Travels is a free 55-minute Grade 4 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 4-PS3-2 — show that energy travels by sound, light, heat and electric current. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 4
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- 4-PS3-2
Grade 4 · Physical Science
4-PS3-2
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
Objective
Students will be able to identify which way energy travelled in an observed transfer.
Students are successful when they can
- Observes an effect at a distance from the source.
- Names which of the four carried the energy.
- Says how they know it was not carried by hand.
What you need
- Four stations: tuning fork and paper cone, torch and card, spoon in hot water, battery circuit
- Recording sheet with a row per station
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up
5 min- Strike a tuning fork and hold it near a paper cone without touching it.
- Ask what crossed the gap.
Teach — same idea, four carriers
14 min- Do station 1 and name the carrier: sound.
- Do station 2 with the torch and name it: light.
- Do station 3 with the spoon and name it: heat.
- Do station 4 with the circuit and name it: electric current.
- Ask what all four share: energy moved from one place to another.
- Insist on the evidence each time: something changed at a distance from the source.
“What changed over there, and what carried it?”
Investigate — rotate the stations
19 min- Groups rotate through all four stations.
- At each they record what changed and how far away it was.
- They name the carrier and give their evidence.
- They find one station where two carriers are involved.
Independent practice
14 min- Students complete the 'Four Ways Energy Travels' page.
- Check the sort is by carrier, not by equipment.
Close
3 min- Ask which carrier moves energy furthest, and how you would test it.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Thinks energy is a substance being poured.
Why: It moves like one.
Fix: Nothing is missing from the source afterwards. Stay with the observed effect.
Names the equipment as the carrier.
Why: 'The torch' is what they see.
Fix: The torch is the source. Light is the carrier.
Thinks heat only travels by touching.
Why: The spoon example touches.
Fix: A radiator warms a room across a gap. Heat travels several ways.
If they are not there yet
- Two stations rather than four.
- Carrier words on cards to place.
If they finish early
- Design a fifth station using a different carrier.
- Say which carrier is easiest to block, and test it.
- Explain how energy from the sun reaches a solar cell.
Exit ticket
A spoon in hot water grows warm at the far end. What travelled, how, and what is your evidence?
What to look for: Energy travelled by heat along the spoon, evidenced by the far end warming without being touched by the water. Naming the spoon means the carrier step is missing.
Printable practice for 4-PS3-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Four Ways Energy TravelsSort each one into how the energy travelled.
Questions about Four Ways Energy Travels
How long does the Four Ways Energy Travels lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 14 min, investigate 19 min, independent practice 14 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Four Ways Energy Travels teach?
4-PS3-2 — 4-PS3-2, Physical Science for Grade 4: “Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.” In plain terms, show that energy travels by sound, light, heat and electric current.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Four stations: tuning fork and paper cone, torch and card, spoon in hot water, battery circuit, recording sheet with a row per station and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: thinks energy is a substance being poured; names the equipment as the carrier and thinks heat only travels by touching. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “A spoon in hot water grows warm at the far end. What travelled, how, and what is your evidence?.” Energy travelled by heat along the spoon, evidenced by the far end warming without being touched by the water. Naming the spoon means the carrier step is missing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Four Ways Energy Travels?
Yes — 1 printable 4-PS3-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Four Ways Energy Travels free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 4-PS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.