Grade by Grade
C. Matter and Energy · Energy in Our Lives

Energy Sources and How We Use Them

C2.4 C1.2 A2.2 A3.1 A3.3About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can name sources of energy: the sun, wind, moving water, food, fuel, batteries and electricity.
  • I can tell how we use energy every day for light, heat, movement and sound.
  • I can describe how life would change for people and other living things without electricity.

Words to know

energy source
Where energy comes from, like the sun, wind, moving water, food, fuel or a battery.
electricity
A kind of energy that comes through wires or from batteries and makes lights, fridges, computers and many other things work.
fuel
Something that is burned to make heat or make things move, like wood, gasoline or natural gas.
battery
A small container that stores energy for toys, flashlights and phones.
device
A tool or machine made to do a job, like a phone, a lamp or a fan.

Where does it come from?

You flick a switch and the light comes on. You press a button and the TV turns on. Your family drives to Grandma's house in a car.

All of these need energy. But where does the energy come from? Let's find out!

Sources of energy

An energy source is where energy comes from.

Energy sourceHow we use it
☀️ sunlight and heat; solar panels can turn sunlight into electricity; drying clothes on a line
💨 windturns wind turbines to make electricity; moves sailboats; flies kites
🌊 moving waterat dams and waterfalls (like Niagara Falls) it is used to make electricity
🍎 foodgives people and animals energy to move, grow and stay warm
🪵 fuel (wood, gasoline, natural gas)burned to heat homes and cook; gasoline makes many cars and buses go
🔋 batteriesstore energy for toys, flashlights, remote controls and phones
🔌 electricity (from the wall outlet)lights, fridge, stove, TV, computer, washing machine
Some energy sources and their uses
Tall white wind turbines standing in green farm fields under a blue sky.
The wind is an energy source. It turns the blades of these wind turbines, and the turbines make electricity. AI-generated image
1234Moving waterfalls or flowsIt spins aturbineWires carryelectricityA lamplights up!
At places like Niagara Falls, moving water spins big wheels called turbines. That makes electricity, which travels through wires to our homes.

Four big ways we use energy

At home, at school and in our community, we use energy to make:

  • 💡 light: lamps, street lights, flashlights
  • 🔥 heat: furnaces, stoves, toasters, kettles
  • 🚗 movement: cars, buses, fans, the washing machine, you!
  • 🔊 sound: radios, speakers, doorbells, alarms
We use energyto make...lightlamp, flashlightheatstove, furnacemovementcar, fan, you!soundradio, doorbell
Energy is used to make four big things: light, heat, movement and sound. Some devices make more than one, like a TV (light and sound).

Electricity and technology

Many of the devices we use run on electricity: computers, tablets, phones, robots and even some cars and buses. They follow code, which is a list of instructions written by people.

For example, a thermostat can be set (coded) to turn the heat down at night while you sleep, which saves energy. Some street lights turn on by themselves when it gets dark.

Energy long ago and today

For thousands of years, Inuit families in the Arctic used a qulliq (say "KOO-lik"), a stone lamp that burns seal or whale oil, for light, for heat and for cooking. The qulliq is still lit today for special events and celebrations. It is a smart way of using an energy source from the land.

Worked example

Let's find the energy source

What is the energy source for each one? A flashlight, a sailboat, a wood stove, a bicycle.

  1. Flashlight: It uses batteries. It makes light.
  2. Sailboat: The wind pushes the sail. It makes movement.
  3. Wood stove: Burns wood (fuel). It makes heat.
  4. Bicycle: You! Your legs push the pedals. Your energy comes from food.

Batteries, wind, wood and food are all energy sources.

What if there were no electricity?

Sometimes a big storm causes a power outage (no electricity). What happens?

Worked example

Let's imagine a day without electricity

An ice storm knocks down power lines. Your home has no electricity for a day. What changes?

  1. Light: The lights don't work. We use flashlights (batteries) or candles (with a grown-up).
  2. Heat: Many furnaces need electricity, so the house gets cold. We put on sweaters and blankets.
  3. Food: The fridge and freezer stop. Food can spoil. The electric stove doesn't work.
  4. Fun and learning: No TV or charging tablets. We play board games or read!
  5. Other living things: A pet fish's tank filter and heater stop. Farm animals may need help, like water pumped by hand. Wild animals mostly carry on as usual, because they don't use electricity.

People depend on electricity for light, heat, cooking and much more. Electrical workers (like line crews) work hard to fix the power lines and get it back on.

Just for fun

Why did the light bulb do so well at school?

Because it was very bright!

Hands-on activity

Energy detective hunt

You need: paper, a pencil and crayons.

  1. Make a chart with 4 columns: Light, Heat, Movement, Sound.
  2. Walk through your home with a grown-up. Find things that use energy. Draw each one in the right column. (Some can go in more than one!)
  3. Next to each, write or draw its energy source: 🔌 plug, 🔋 battery, 🔥 gas/wood, ☀️ sun or 🍎 you!
  4. Count: Which source did you find the most?
  5. Pick 3 things that use electricity. Talk about what you would do instead if the power went out.

Safety: Look, don't touch. Never put anything into a wall outlet.

Your turn

1

What is an energy source?

2

What is the energy source for a flashlight?

3

Name 2 energy sources that can be used to make electricity.

4

What are the 4 big ways we use energy?

5

Name one thing in your kitchen that uses electricity. What does it make?

6

What is a qulliq?

7

Name 2 things that would change in your home if the power went out.

More practice: warm-up

1

What gives energy to a kite?

2

What gives energy to you?

3

Does a lamp make light or sound?

4

Does a doorbell make light or sound?

5

Name something that uses batteries.

More practice: on your own

1

A wood stove burns logs. Is wood a fuel? What energy does it make?

2

Name one thing that uses energy to make movement and one that makes heat.

3

How can a thermostat with a program (code) save energy?

4

During a power outage, why should you open the fridge as little as possible?

5

How might a power outage affect a pet goldfish?

Challenge

1

Pick one device you use. Tell its energy source, what it makes (light, heat, movement or sound) and how life would be different without it.

2

Long ago, before electric lights, how did people get light at night? Name 2 ways.

3

Wild animals don't use electricity. Can you think of one way a power outage in a city could still affect them?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is an energy source?

2.

What energy source makes a flashlight work?

3.

A fan uses energy to make...

4.

Which would stop working in a power outage?

5.

How did Inuit families traditionally use a qulliq?

6.

Which energy source is used at Niagara Falls to make electricity?

7.

Which device makes sound?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Energy comes from many sources (the sun, wind, moving water, food, fuels, batteries, electricity), and we use it every day for light, heat, movement and sound. Life would be very different without electricity (C1.2).

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking electricity "comes from the wall". The outlet is where we plug in, but electricity is made somewhere else (in Ontario, mostly at nuclear stations and at hydro dams on rivers, plus some from wind, sun and natural gas) and travels through wires.
  • Only listing devices, not sources. Ask "Where does it get its energy?"
  • Worry about power outages. Keep it calm and practical. Show your child where the flashlight is kept.

How to help: Do the energy detective hunt together. Talk about a time the power went out. Mention people in your community who keep the energy flowing, such as hydro line crews (A3.1). Point out programmable devices like thermostats or timers, which follow code to save energy (A2.2).