Lesson Plan
Energy Conversion Guide
Students will understand how carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are converted into cellular energy by completing guided slides, a scenario-based worksheet, and a personal reflection—building a foundation in metabolism basics.
Understanding nutrient-to-energy conversion empowers students to make informed health choices and connects biology concepts to real-life wellness.
Audience
6th Grade
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive slides, hands-on worksheet, and reflection.
Materials
Prep
Teacher Preparation
5 minutes
- Review the lesson flow in Energy Conversion Guide
- Open and preview Metabolism Maps
- Print or have ready Metabolism Mystery Worksheet
- Prepare digital or paper copy of My Energy Reflection
- Gather any writing tools and ensure student’s workspace is set
Step 1
Introduction and Objective
3 minutes
- Greet the student and state today’s goal: explore how nutrients become energy
- Activate prior knowledge: ask “What foods give you the most energy?”
- Display slide 1 from Metabolism Maps and review key terms: carbohydrate, fat, protein
Step 2
Guided Slide Exploration
5 minutes
- Walk through slides 2–5 in Metabolism Maps
- Discuss each macronutrient’s pathway: digestion → bloodstream → cell
- Use the map visuals to explain how ATP is produced in cells
- Ask student to summarize one step to check understanding
Step 3
Worksheet Activity
7 minutes
- Distribute Metabolism Mystery Worksheet
- Student works through scenario-based questions identifying nutrient sources and energy outcomes
- Provide targeted hints from Energy Conversion Guide as needed
- Review answers together and correct misconceptions immediately
Step 4
Reflection Journal
3 minutes
- Have student respond in My Energy Reflection
- Prompt: “Describe how your body turns lunch into energy for play. Which step surprised you?”
- Encourage using vocabulary like mitochondria and ATP
Step 5
Formative Check and Closing
2 minutes
- Ask two rapid-fire questions: e.g., “Which nutrient yields fastest energy?” and “Where is ATP made?”
- Summarize the nutrient-to-energy journey in one sentence
- Preview next lesson topic: enzymes in digestion
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Metabolism Maps
Explore how carbs, fats & proteins journey:
• Digestion → Absorption → Cellular Processing → ATP Production
Welcome the student and introduce today’s topic: how our bodies convert nutrients into energy. Explain that we will explore carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and follow their journey to ATP. Prompt: “Can you name a food that gives you quick energy?”
Carbohydrates: Quick Energy
• Digestion: carbs → glucose
• Absorption: glucose enters bloodstream
• Cellular Uptake: glucose into cells
• ATP Production via Glycolysis & Krebs Cycle
Explain each step in the carbohydrate pathway. Compare glucose to gasoline for a car. Ask the student to name a carbohydrate-rich food (e.g., bread, fruit). Reference the detailed map in Energy Conversion Guide.
Fats: Slow-Burning Fuel
• Digestion: fats → fatty acids + glycerol
• Transport: via bloodstream
• Beta-Oxidation in Mitochondria
• ATP Yield: more energy per gram than carbs
Describe fat digestion using the analogy of breaking a big log into smaller pieces. Highlight that fats yield more ATP per gram. Ask: “Why might our bodies store extra energy as fat?”
Proteins: Building & Fuel
• Digestion: proteins → amino acids
• Uses: repair tissue or energy source
• Deamination: remove amino group
• ATP via entry into Krebs Cycle
Clarify proteins’ primary role in building tissues, but note they can fuel energy when needed. Use deamination analogy: ‘removing the nitrogen head to use the rest.’ Confirm understanding by asking how proteins differ from carbs and fats.
ATP: Cellular Energy Currency
• Made in mitochondria
• Powers muscles, brain & cells
• All nutrient pathways converge here
• More mitochondria = more energy potential
Summarize that all nutrients converge in the mitochondria to make ATP—the energy currency for everything we do. Prepare the student for the worksheet activity by previewing scenario questions.
Worksheet
Metabolism Mystery Worksheet
Use your notes from Metabolism Maps and Energy Conversion Guide to help answer the following scenarios.
Scenario 1: Pre-Game Banana Snack
Alex eats a banana 15 minutes before soccer practice.
- Which macronutrient is Alex getting from the banana?
__________________________ - Describe the steps this nutrient takes from digestion to entering the bloodstream.
__________________________ - Once inside the cell, name the pathway that converts this nutrient into ATP.
__________________________ - Explain how the ATP produced helps Alex during practice.
__________________________
Scenario 2: Peanut Butter Sandwich for a Hike
Jamie packs a peanut butter sandwich for a long hike.
- What primary macronutrient in peanut butter supplies sustained energy?
__________________________ - Outline how this nutrient is broken down and transported to cells.
__________________________ - Identify the mitochondrial process that yields ATP from this nutrient.
__________________________ - Why is this a good fuel choice for long, steady activities?
__________________________
Scenario 3: Post-Game Chicken Dinner
Taylor enjoys grilled chicken after a football game.
- Which macronutrient does chicken primarily provide?
__________________________ - Describe how this nutrient can become an energy source (include deamination).
__________________________ - Into which cycle do the remaining components enter to produce ATP?
__________________________ - How does this support Taylor’s muscle recovery?
__________________________
Scenario 4: Balanced Breakfast
Morgan eats cereal with milk (carbs, proteins, fats).
- List each macronutrient found in this breakfast.
__________________________ - For each macronutrient, name its final entry point (glycolysis, beta-oxidation, or Krebs cycle).
__________________________ - Where in the cell do all these pathways meet to make ATP?
__________________________ - Why is eating mixed macronutrients important for sustained energy?
__________________________
Journal
My Energy Reflection Journal
Use what you learned today from Metabolism Maps, Energy Conversion Guide, and the Metabolism Mystery Worksheet to answer the following prompts. Try to write complete sentences, use science vocabulary (e.g., ATP, mitochondria, glycolysis), and reflect on your own experiences.
1. From Plate to Playground
Describe in your own words how your last meal turned into the energy you use for play or exercise. Which step in the nutrient-to-ATP journey surprised you the most, and why?
__________________________
2. Quick Energy vs. Slow Fuel
Compare a carbohydrate-rich snack (like fruit or cereal) with a fat-rich snack (like nuts or avocado). Which type of fuel would you choose before a quick sprint? Which before a long activity, like a hike? Explain your choices using what you know about how each nutrient is processed in the body.
__________________________
3. Making Smart Snack Decisions
Imagine you have a soccer game after school. Based on today’s lesson, plan a balanced snack or mini-meal that will keep you energized through the whole game. List the foods, identify their macronutrients, and explain how each will help you perform.
__________________________
4. Questions & Next Steps
What is one question you still have about how nutrients become energy? How could you find the answer—through an experiment, a book, or asking an expert?
__________________________