These five pages of guided notes take 4th grade students through designing an energy converter for NGSS 4-PS3-4. Students fill blanks on input and output energy, then trace three real devices: a solar oven, a hand-crank flashlight, and a rubber-band car. The second half follows an engineer's steps, from naming a need and success criteria to testing and refining a design. The answer key covers every blank and gives sample answers for the open questions.
4-PS3-4
“Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.*”
Every section, and most directly the Test and Refine prompt about the rubber-band car that stops after 2 feet.
Four blanks set the key terms. Energy is changed from one form to another, the device is a converter, and energy goes in as input and comes out as output.
Students fill in the input and output energy for the solar oven, the hand-crank flashlight, and the rubber-band car, with a line of evidence for each. A short prompt asks why evidence matters.
Blanks cover need, conversion, materials, and criteria, with a note about a base that is 6 inches long. Students then write one idea for a converter they could build.
The last four blanks are test, observation, weakness, and refine. Students then fix a rubber-band car that travels 2 feet and stops because its wheels rub the side.
Before the build
Use the notes in the lesson before students build. The Planning Your Own Design page then works as each group's design brief.
Build day
Keep the Test and Refine page at the build table. After each trial run, students write one observation and one weakness.
Reflection
Read out the 2-foot rubber-band car problem when the build is over. The sample fix (spacers between the wheels and the car body) shows students how specific a good refinement is.
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