Move and Energy

Overview

In this lesson from the unit Energy in Our World, students investigate how the body uses energy to move. They first collect and display categorical data about how students travel to school, then link the information to how muscles help us move.

Learning intentions

• Students will investigate how muscles help the body move and stay active.
• Students will conduct a simple survey to collect categorical data about how students travel to school.
• Students will create and interpret a categorical data display using drawings.
• Students will compare categories and discuss what the display shows about the class.

Success criteria

• I can draw one clear picture that shows how I travelled to school and place it in the correct category.
• I can help read the class display by answering questions about which category has more or fewer responses.
• I can explain, in my own words, how muscles are involved when we move.

Curriculum links

• Science: living things and movement, including the role of the musculoskeletal system in enabling movement.
• Science inquiry skills: asking questions, collecting data, and using evidence to answer questions.
• Data skills (categorical data): creating simple surveys and displaying data in a way that helps others understand.
• Communicating findings: using drawings, observations, and short explanations to share thinking.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 2–5 — Hook and question (whole class) Teacher asks: “How do our muscles help us move?” Students do a quick think-pair-share: “Where in your body do you feel your muscles working when you run, jump or walk?”

2. 5–10 — Introduce the survey and categories Teacher asks: “How do students travel to school?” The class agrees on categories already prepared on chart paper/whiteboard: car, bus, bike, walk. Teacher clarifies what “categorical” means at a student level: each response fits into one group.

3. 10–25 — Collect categorical data by drawing Students draw one picture showing how they travelled to school that day on their paper. Teacher circulates to check that students select one category and draw clearly enough to be placed confidently into the correct group.

4. 25–32 — Create the class data display (sorting) Students bring their drawing to the front and place it into the matching category on the class chart. Teacher prompts careful categorising by asking: “What does your drawing show? Which category fits best?”

5. 32–40 — Interpret and evaluate the display (whole class discussion) Teacher leads students to observe the display using sentence starters:

• “Most/least students chose…”
• “I notice that…” Teacher asks:
• “Which category has the most responses?”
• “Which category has the fewest responses?”
• “Does this display help us quickly understand the class? Why?”

Teacher also links back to movement: “When we travel (walk/bike/run) our muscles work. Muscles pull to help our bones move, using energy from our body.”

6. 40–44 — Quick movement connection (micro-activity) Students do 30 seconds of gentle movement (e.g., march on the spot or slow jumping). Teacher asks: “What do you notice in your muscles? What energy do you think your body needs to keep moving?”

7. 44–45 — Exit reflection Students write or draw one sentence/thumbnail: “Muscles help us move by ______.” Teacher collects and checks for understanding of muscles enabling movement and energy use in the body.

Resources

• Chart paper or whiteboard divided into car, bus, bike, walk
• Markers and pencils
• Student drawing paper (one response per student)
• Category headings displayed at the front
• Optional example images of categorical data displays
• Teacher cue cards with discussion questions
• Timer for steps and transitions

Assessment

• Informal teacher observation during sorting: students place drawings into the correct category.
• Discussion monitoring: students answer questions about which category has the most or fewest responses using evidence from the display.
• Exit reflection: students link movement to muscles (e.g., muscles pull to move bones; muscles help us move when we are active).

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide pre-labelled category cards or colour-coded cues at the sorting area to reduce confusion.
• Offer a model example of a “clear” drawing and demonstrate placing it in a category.
• Pair students strategically so they can check category choice before placing.
• Extension:
• Ask students to add an extra comparison statement: “How do you think our results might change if we asked another day?”
• Challenge students to explain why some categories may have more responses (without requiring real-world travel knowledge).
• EAL:
• Use sentence starters for sharing (“I chose… because…” and “Most/least is…”).
• Accept drawing as the main response; teacher can validate understanding verbally.
• SEN:
• Reduce drawing complexity (e.g., icon-style wheels for bike/car, walking figure) and focus on correct categorisation and participation in discussion.