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Energy Conservation Law — Reading Comprehension

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NGSS 4-PS3-7

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This comprehensive 250-word reading passage introduces elementary students to the Energy Conservation Law, aligned with NGSS standard 4-PS3-7. Students learn that energy cannot be created or destroyed—it only changes forms or moves between objects. The passage uses concrete examples like bouncing balls to demonstrate energy transformation from kinetic energy to heat and sound energy. Through clear explanations and relatable analogies, students understand that the total amount of energy in a system remains constant even as it transforms. The passage includes audio integration for accessibility, a simplified differentiated version for struggling readers, complete Spanish translations of both versions, an interactive glossary, multiple-choice comprehension questions, writing activities requiring critical thinking, and graphic organizers that help students visualize energy transformations. Students explore cause-and-effect relationships in energy systems and apply their understanding to real-world scenarios. This resource provides educators with comprehensive materials to teach this fundamental physics concept in an engaging, age-appropriate manner that builds scientific literacy and prepares students for more advanced energy concepts in middle school.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Energy conservation is one of the most important rules in science. It means that energy cannot be created or destroyed—it can only change from one form to another or move from one object to another. Understanding this law helps scientists explain how everything in the universe works, from tiny atoms to huge planets.

Think about what happens when you drop a ball. Before you let go, the ball has potential energy because of its height above the ground. Potential energy is stored energy that an object has because of its position. When you release the ball, that potential energy changes into kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. As the ball falls faster and faster, more potential energy transforms into kinetic energy.

When the ball hits the ground and bounces back up, something interesting happens. The ball doesn't bounce as high as where you dropped it from. This might seem like energy disappeared, but it didn't! Some of the kinetic energy transformed into other forms. When the ball hit the ground, some energy changed into heat energy, making the ball and ground slightly warmer. Some energy also changed into sound energy—that's the bouncing noise you hear.

If you could measure all the energy—the kinetic energy, potential energy, heat energy, and sound energy—you would find the total amount stays exactly the same. This is called energy transformation, where energy changes from one type to another. The ball keeps bouncing lower each time because more and more energy transforms into heat and sound with each bounce. Eventually, the ball stops bouncing completely, but all the original energy is still there as heat in the ball, the ground, and the air.

Energy transformation happens everywhere around you. When you rub your hands together quickly, kinetic energy from the motion transforms into heat energy, warming your hands. When you turn on a flashlight, chemical energy in the batteries transforms into light energy and heat energy. In each case, energy changes forms, but the total amount never increases or decreases.

The law of energy conservation helps us understand that energy is never lost—it just moves around and changes forms. Scientists use this law to study everything from how cars work to how stars shine. By knowing that the total energy always stays the same, we can predict what will happen in different situations and solve important problems about how energy works in our world.

What does energy conservation mean?

Energy can be created anytimeEnergy cannot be created or destroyedEnergy always disappears completelyEnergy only exists in batteries

What is potential energy?

Energy of motionEnergy from soundStored energy from positionEnergy from light

Where does energy go when a ball bounces?

It disappears into the airIt changes to heat and soundIt goes into the ground onlyIt stays the same form

Why does a ball bounce lower each time?

The ball loses all its energyEnergy transforms to heat and soundGravity pulls it down harderThe ground gets softer

What happens to total energy during transformation?

It increases over timeIt decreases over timeIt stays exactly the sameIt doubles each time

How do scientists use energy conservation law?

To predict what will happenTo create new energyTo destroy old energyTo stop energy from moving

Energy can be created from nothing.

TrueFalse

What is kinetic energy?

Stored energy from heightEnergy of motionEnergy from batteriesEnergy that makes noise

Perfect For:

👩‍🏫 Teachers

• Reading comprehension practice
• Auto-graded assessments
• Literacy skill development

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents

• Reading practice at home
• Comprehension improvement
• Educational reading time

🏠 Homeschoolers

• Reading curriculum support
• Independent reading practice
• Progress monitoring

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Reading Passage

Engaging fiction or nonfiction text

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Comprehension Quiz

Auto-graded questions

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Instant Feedback

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Printable Version

Download for offline reading

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Read Aloud

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