Investigating the

Effects of Energy
TEKS 2.6A
INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS on an object by
increasing or decreasing amounts of light, heat, and
sound energy such as how the color of an object
appears differently in dimmer light or how heat melts
butter.
Here is what you need to be sure
to teach!!
(found on page 1 of this unit)
Give the students a list of 5 things to touch.
file cabinet
desk top
metal leg of a chair
plastic chair
carpet
List the items from coolest to warmest:
1. file cabinet
2. metal leg of chair
3. desk top
4. plastic chair
5. carpet
Consider letting the students draw 2 or 3 pictures of
items that produce heat.
This is a teacher
demo.
*be sure to ask
how the lamp is
similar to or
different from
the sun
*don’t forget to
have the
students predict
(using pictures
and words)
what will
happen when
the tray is
placed under the
lamp
Suggestion:
If you use a lamp in your room, it takes TIME for the butter and chips to melt. So, start the lab, go
on with your day and record results periodically during the day on the board. Have students record
the chart at the end of the day during science.

Minutes ICE BUTTER Chocolate

Under the Lamp Chips
Time @ room ICE BUTTER Chocolate
temp Chip

Time in frig ICE BUTTER Chocolate Chip

Time in freezer ICE BUTTER Chocolate Chip

This is the lab sheet
for this activity. You
can certainly use the
sheet as is…or…….
Model on the board and have students copy!!!
 So, we suggest you find pictures of different
“sources of light energy”.
How about this as an idea for a center???

 How can increasing and decreasing light energy affect objects?

The same items can be used for both styles of
sound cups.