This unit integrates the concepts of waves, energy transfer, and technological information to challenge students to develop a device that will communicate a message over long distances. Students first explore light, sound, and water waves and their properties by developing models and conducting investigations. Students focus on how patterns emerge when the properties of a wave, wavelength and amplitude, are changed. The properties affect the wave and matter interacting with the wave.

Students then learn about energy through the lens of sound, light, and electrical energy. Students develop models that show how light, sound, and motion are produced from the movement of electrical energy in a circuit. They will construct their own circuit, seeing the cause and effect relationships between energy transforming in a circuit and the construction of the circuit.

Finally, students explore how technology has enhanced human communication. Students discover that codes, developed by patterns, are transmitted between people because energy transfers. Students see that communicating with technology is different than communicating with humans. At the end of the unit, students complete the design challenge of creating a device that communicates over long distances.

Unit 19: Transfer of Energy and Information looks different from the rest of the courses for this grade. Instead of lesson-by-lesson teacher implementation videos, this course uses mini-lesson videos that feature real mySci teachers doing the most important activities in a lesson (usually explore + explain). The videos were designed to support science instruction during the pandemic and continue to be useful for shortened science time, absent students, and to support teacher planning. Mini Lesson Videos are available for every mySci K-5 unit and can be found on the mySci partners webpage under the “Remote Learning” heading on the right side of the unit page.