What is Speed?

Have you ever seen a car zoom by? Or watched a snail slowly crawl across a leaf? The difference between the car and the snail is speed!

Speed tells us how fast something is moving. If something is moving very quickly, we say it has high speed. If something is moving very slowly, we say it has low speed.

Think about when you run. If you sprint as fast as you can, you have high speed! If you jog slowly, you have lower speed.

Everything that moves has a speed, even if it's super, super slow! Speed helps us understand how quickly things get from one place to another.

Moving Object Observation Activity

Objective: To observe and describe how different objects move and understand the concept of speed.

Materials:
* A ball (e.g., tennis ball, bouncy ball)
* A toy car
* Your own two feet!

Instructions:
1. Roll a Ball: Gently roll a ball across the floor. Watch it closely.
* How fast is it going? (Slow, medium, fast?)
* What do you think makes it move?
*





2. Roll the Ball Faster: Now, give the ball a harder push. Make it roll faster.
* How fast is it going now compared to before?
* What did you do differently to make it go faster?
*





3. Push a Toy Car: Push a toy car gently across a smooth surface.
* Describe its speed.
* What do you think would happen if you pushed it harder?
*





4. Walk and Run: Stand up and walk slowly across the room. Then, walk quickly, and finally, run a short distance (if space allows safely).
* How did your speed change?
* What did your body do to make you go faster?
*





Think and Share:
* What did you notice about how a harder push or more effort changed the speed of an object?
* Do you think the moving objects had

Speedy Energy Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Part 1: What is Energy?

1. Energy is what makes things _______.



2. Give two examples of things that have energy because they are moving.
a) _____________________________
b) _____________________________



Part 2: What is Speed?

3. Speed tells us how _______ something is moving.



4. If a race car is moving very quickly, does it have high speed or low speed?



5. Imagine a snail. Does a snail move with high speed or low speed?



Part 3: Thinking about Movement

6. During our activity, when you pushed the ball harder, what happened to its speed?



7. What do you think gives an object the power to move faster?






8. Draw a picture of something moving very fast and something moving very slow. Label them!

Kinetic Energy Explained

Hello, energy explorers! Last time we learned that energy makes things go. Today, we're going to learn about a very special kind of energy called kinetic energy.

Kinetic energy is the energy of movement. If something is moving, it has kinetic energy. It's like the

Kinetic Kids Activity Guide

Objective: To observe how the speed of a moving object affects its kinetic energy.

Materials (per group):
* A small ramp (e.g., a cardboard tube cut in half, a ruler propped up)
* A small toy car or a marble
* A small block or stack of coins (to be moved by the car/marble)
* Measuring tape or ruler

Instructions:
1. Set up your ramp: Place one end of your ramp on a stack of books or a low table so it creates a gentle slope.
2. Place the target: Put the small block or stack of coins about 10 cm (4 inches) from the bottom of the ramp.
3. Experiment 1: Slow Speed: Place the toy car (or marble) halfway up the ramp. Let it roll down and hit the block.
* What happened to the block? Did it move a little or a lot?
*





* Measure how far the block moved: _______ cm/inches

4. Experiment 2: Medium Speed: Now, place the toy car (or marble) three-quarters of the way up the ramp. Let it roll down and hit the block.
* What happened to the block this time? Did it move more or less than before?
*





* Measure how far the block moved: _______ cm/inches

5. Experiment 3: Fast Speed: Finally, place the toy car (or marble) at the very top of the ramp. Let it roll down and hit the block.
* What happened to the block? Compare its movement to Experiment 1 and 2.
*





* Measure how far the block moved: _______ cm/inches

Think and Discuss:
* When did the toy car/marble have the most speed?






* When did the toy car/marble make the block move the farthest? Why do you think this happened?











* How does the speed of the toy car/marble relate to how much power it had to move the block? This power to move the block is because of its kinetic energy!

Kinetic Energy Detectives Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Part 1: What is Kinetic Energy?

1. Kinetic energy is the energy of _______________.
   
   
   
   
2. Circle the objects that have kinetic energy:
   • A sleeping cat
   • A flying bird
   • A bouncing ball
   • A parked car
   • A running child
     
     
     
     

Part 2: Speed and Kinetic Energy

3. The _______________ an object moves, the more kinetic energy it has.
   
   
   
   
4. Imagine two swings. One swing is moving very fast, and the other is moving very slowly. Which swing has more kinetic energy?
   
   
   
   
5. In our

Stored Energy: Potential Power!

Hey, energy detectives! We've learned about kinetic energy, the energy of moving things. But what about things that are just waiting to move? That's where potential energy comes in!

Potential energy is like stored energy. It's the energy an object has because of where it is or how it's shaped. Think of it as energy that's

Ready, Set, Go! Activity Guide

Objective: To observe how potential energy (stored energy) can turn into kinetic energy (moving energy).

Materials (per group):

• A rubber band
• A small toy car (or a small ball)
• A small block or paper cup
• A ruler or measuring tape

Instructions:

1. Rubber Band Stretch: Take a rubber band. Stretch it out between your fingers.

   • When the rubber band is stretched, does it have kinetic energy (moving energy) or potential energy (stored energy)?
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Now, let go of one end! What happened? What kind of energy did it show then?
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     

2. Car on a Ramp: Find a smooth surface (like a table or desk) and use a book to create a small ramp. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp.

   • When the car is at the top of the ramp, is it moving? What kind of energy does it have? (Hint: It's stored energy because of its position!)
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Now, let the car roll down the ramp! What kind of energy does it have when it's moving?
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. The Tower: Stack a few blocks (or paper cups) to make a small tower. Place the toy car at the top of a ramp again, but this time, aim it at the tower.

   • Before the car rolls, what kind of energy does it have?
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Let the car roll and hit the tower! What happened to the tower? What kind of energy did the car have when it hit the tower?
   • 
     
     
     
     
     
     

Think and Discuss:

• What did you notice about the energy in the stretched rubber band or the car at the top of the ramp? Where was it stored?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• How did that stored energy turn into moving energy? What caused it to change?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Give an example of something else that has potential energy.

Potential Power Detectives Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Part 1: What is Potential Energy?

1. Potential energy is _______________ energy.
   
   
   
   
2. Draw a picture of something that has potential energy. Explain why it has potential energy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Kinetic vs. Potential Energy

Match the type of energy to its description:

3. ______ Energy of motion

4. ______ Stored energy

   A. Potential Energy
   B. Kinetic Energy
   
   
   
   

5. Look at the pictures below. Write

Mechanical Energy: The Big Picture!

Hi energy explorers! We've learned about kinetic energy (the energy of moving) and potential energy (the energy of stored).

Guess what? When we put them together, we get mechanical energy!

Mechanical energy is the total energy an object has because of its movement AND its position. It's like adding up all the kinetic energy and all the potential energy an object has at one time.

Think of a Swingset:

• When you're at the very top of your swing, just before you start to come down, you have lots of potential energy (stored energy because you're high up!). You're not moving very fast, so you have little kinetic energy.
• As you swing down, your potential energy changes into kinetic energy (moving energy!). You go faster and faster!
• At the very bottom of the swing, you have the most kinetic energy because you're moving the fastest. You're also at your lowest point, so you have less potential energy.
• As you swing back up to the other side, your kinetic energy changes back into potential energy, making you go high again!

This is called energy transformation – when energy changes from one type to another. It's like magic, but it's really science!

No energy is ever truly lost; it just changes its form. The total mechanical energy (kinetic + potential) stays the same if there's nothing else slowing it down, like friction.

Rollercoaster Challenge Activity Guide

Objective: To observe the transformation between potential and kinetic energy using a marble and a simple

Energy Transformations Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Part 1: What is Mechanical Energy?

1. Mechanical energy is the total of _______________ energy and _______________ energy.
   
   
   
   
2. Fill in the blank: Mechanical Energy = Kinetic Energy + _______________
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Energy Changing Forms

3. When a roller coaster car is at the very top of a big hill, it has mostly _______________ energy. As it goes down the hill, that energy changes into _______________ energy.
   
   
   
   

4. Imagine throwing a ball straight up in the air.

   • When the ball first leaves your hand and is going up, what kind of energy does it mostly have?
   • 
     
     
     
   • When the ball reaches its highest point and pauses for a second, what kind of energy does it mostly have?
   • 
     
     
     
   • As the ball falls back down to your hand, what kind of energy does it mostly have?
   • 
     
     
     

5. Draw a picture of a child on a swing. Label where the swing has the most potential energy and where it has the most kinetic energy.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Thinking Deeper

6. Can energy disappear? Explain your answer.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. How does understanding mechanical energy help us understand how things move in the world around us?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Real-World Energy: Super Speed & Power!

Hey Superheroes! We've learned all about kinetic energy (moving energy), potential energy (stored energy), and how they combine to make mechanical energy. Now, let's look at how this amazing energy works all around us!

Bicycles: Speedy Rides!

Think about riding a bicycle. When you pedal hard, your bike goes fast! That's lots of kinetic energy. When you stop pedaling and coast up a small hill, your bike slows down, but you gain potential energy as you get higher. Then, as you roll down the other side, that potential energy turns back into kinetic energy, making you speed up!

Swings: Up, Down, and All Around!

A swing is a perfect example! When you are at the very top of your swing, just for a moment, you almost stop. At that point, you have the most potential energy (stored energy because you are high up!). As you swing down, that potential energy quickly changes into kinetic energy, and you zoom through the air! At the very bottom of the swing, you have the most kinetic energy because you are moving the fastest. Then, as you go back up, the kinetic energy changes back into potential energy.

Cars: Fast and Slow

A car driving down a flat road has mostly kinetic energy because it's moving. The faster the car goes, the more kinetic energy it has! If a car is parked on a hill, even if it's not moving, it has potential energy because of its high position. If the brakes were released, that potential energy would quickly turn into kinetic energy as it rolled down the hill.

Sports: Jumps and Throws

In sports, we see mechanical energy all the time! When a basketball player jumps, they use their leg muscles to give themselves kinetic energy to go up. At the top of their jump, for a split second, they have a lot of potential energy. As they come back down, that potential energy changes back into kinetic energy. When a pitcher throws a baseball, they give it lots of kinetic energy with their arm to make it go fast!

Mechanical energy helps us understand why things move, how fast they go, and how much power they have. It's truly superhero science!

Speedy Superheroes Project Guide

Objective: Design a superhero or a special device that uses your knowledge of speed and mechanical energy to do something amazing!

Your Task:
Imagine you are an inventor or a superhero creator! You need to design either:

1. A Superhero: This superhero has powers that clearly use kinetic energy, potential energy, and changes between them.
2. A Special Device/Machine: This device uses kinetic energy, potential energy, and energy transformations to solve a problem or do a cool job.

What to Include in Your Design (You can draw, write, or both!):

1. Name of your Superhero/Device: Give it a cool, energy-themed name!
   
   
   
   
2. Picture/Drawing: Draw your superhero or device. Make it colorful and show what it does!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. How it uses SPEED: Explain how speed is important to your superhero or device.
   • *Example: My superhero,

Energy Application Worksheet

Name: _____________________________

Part 1: Identifying Energy

Read each scenario and identify whether the object primarily has Kinetic Energy (KE) or Potential Energy (PE). Circle the correct one.

1. A car driving down the street.
   KE / PE
   
   
   
   
2. A ball sitting at the top of a tall slide.
   KE / PE
   
   
   
   
3. A child running across the playground.
   KE / PE
   
   
   
   
4. A stretched rubber band.
   KE / PE
   
   
   
   
5. An apple falling from a tree.
   KE / PE
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Energy Transformations

6. Describe how the energy of a diver changes as they climb to the high diving board, stand still at the edge, and then dive into the water.

   • Climbing up:
     
     
     
   • Standing at the edge:
     
     
     
   • Diving into the water:
     
     
     
     
     
     

7. A pendulum (a ball swinging back and forth on a string) shows energy transformations. Where does it have the most kinetic energy? Where does it have the most potential energy?

   • Most Kinetic Energy:
     
     
     
   • Most Potential Energy:
     
     
     
     
     
     

Part 3: Speedy Superheroes Application

8. Think about the