Energy

After reading the section on Energy, it is understandable that students existing ideas about this concept will affect their future learning. Most students would say that the only thing they know about energy is that it is something the utility or electric company people sell or it something our bodies get from eating food. The terms used when talking about energy may cause confusion for some students. For example, students might think the terms “energy” and “force” are interchangeable. The only experience that my students (five-year-olds) have with energy is when we observe and discuss the effect of sunlight on the Earth’s surface. Students in this age group work well in comprehending concrete concepts, but have a hard time grasping abstract concepts. As a teacher, I need to be careful when explaining and demonstrating energy concepts as my word choices might cause some students to misunderstand what I am saying.