Energy and Flight
Grade 4•45 minutes•Organizing Idea
Energy: Understandings of the physical world are deepened by investigating matter and energy.
Guiding Question
How can forces affect objects from a distance?
Guiding Question
How are forces similar and different in water and air?
Learning Outcome
Students investigate and compare how forces affect living things and objects in water and air.
Knowledge
Thrust and drag are opposing forces.
Lift and weight are opposing forces.
Thrust is a force that can act in the direction of movement.
Drag is a force that can act in opposition to the direction of movement.
Lift is an upward force that acts to overcome the weight of a living thing or object and hold it in the air.
Weight is a force caused by gravity that acts on a living thing or object in a downward direction.
Forces can affect the flight of living things and objects in various ways, including
speed
horizontal and vertical movement
altitude
straight and level flight
Traditional technologies developed by diverse cultures that reflect understanding of forces that affect flight include the
bow and arrow
slingshot
fishing spear
Understanding
Flight of living things and objects is influenced by opposing forces.
Skills & Procedures
Diagram opposing forces that act on living things or objects in flight.
Explain the effects of thrust and drag on the flight of living things and objects.
Explain the effects of lift and weight on the flight of living things and objects.
Observe living things and objects in flight.
Describe traditional or modern technologies developed by diverse cultures that reflect understanding of forces that affect flight.
Construct a device that can fly.
Practise safe and appropriate use of tools, equipment, and materials while constructing a device.
Knowledge
Buoyant force is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of anything placed in the fluid.
When the buoyant force is greater than the weight of an object, the object will float.
When the buoyant force is less than the weight of an object, the object will sink.
Fluids include liquids and gases.
Understanding
The relationship between buoyant force and gravity can be used to explain the behaviour of an object in water.
Skills & Procedures
Relate buoyant force and weight to the tendency to float or sink in water.
Conduct controlled experiments to determine if various objects and materials float in different fluids.
Construct a device that can float.
Practise safe and appropriate use of tools, equipment, and materials while constructing a device.
Guiding Question
How are energy resources understood?
Learning Outcome
Students investigate and analyze various energy resources.
Knowledge
Energy resources are renewable or non-renewable.
Renewable energy resources are not depleted over time as they can be naturally replenished if handled responsibly.
Renewable energy resources include
solar
wind
biomass
geothermal
tidal
water and hydro
Non-renewable energy resources are depleted over time because they will not be naturally replenished for thousands or millions of years.
Non-renewable energy resources include nuclear and fossil fuels.
Alberta relies on both renewable and non-renewable energy resources to fulfill energy needs, including
fossil fuels
water and hydro
wind
biomass
Understanding
Humans rely on energy resources to fulfill energy needs.
Skills & Procedures
Compare renewable energy resources with non-renewable energy resources.
Discuss advantages and disadvantages of using renewable and non-renewable energy resources.
Examine how various provinces and territories throughout Canada fulfill energy needs.
Learning Objective
I can build a flying or floating device and explain how forces and energy help it work.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 7 practice questions to reinforce learning.
View questions preview
1. What are renewable energy resources? Give three examples from the video.
2. Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using renewable energy resources, as discussed in the video.
3. Imagine you are designing a solar-powered boat. How could you use solar energy to make the boat move?
...and 4 more questions
Educational Video
Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic
National Geographic