How Electric Current Transfers Energy β Reading Comprehension
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3
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5
Standards
NGSS 4-PS3-2
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This learning resource is available in interactive and printable formats. The interactive worksheet can be played online and assigned to students. The Printable PDF version can be downloaded and printed for completion by hand.
This 250-word reading passage introduces fourth-grade students to the concept of energy transfer through electric current, aligned with NGSS 4-PS3-2 and Disciplinary Core Ideas PS3.A and PS3.B. Students discover how electrical energy travels through wires from power sources to devices, converting into other forms of energy like light and heat. The passage uses age-appropriate language and real-world examples such as lamps, power plants, and household appliances to help students understand this fundamental physical science concept. Audio-integrated features support diverse learners by providing text-to-speech options that enhance comprehension and accessibility. The passage includes bolded vocabulary terms with immediate definitions, concrete analogies, and explanations of how electricity powers homes, schools, and businesses. Accompanying activities include multiple-choice questions testing recall and application, writing prompts requiring explanations and real-world connections, and graphic organizers that help students visualize the energy transfer process. This resource builds foundational understanding of electric circuits and energy conversion, preparing students for hands-on investigations and deeper exploration of physical science concepts in elementary school.
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Electric current is the flow of electricity through wires. Image Credit Elsemargriet / Pixabay.
Electric current is the flow of electricity through wires, and it carries energy from one place to another. This matters because electric current is how we get power to devices in our homes, schools, and communities.
When you turn on a lamp, electrical energy travels from a power source through wires to the light bulb. A power source is something that provides electricity, like a battery or an outlet connected to a power plant. The electrical energy moving through the wires is like water flowing through a hose. Just as water carries energy that can turn a water wheel, electric current carries energy that can make things work.
Once the electrical energy reaches the light bulb, something important happens. The energy converts, or changes, into other forms of energy. In a light bulb, electrical energy converts into light energy that lets you see and heat energy that makes the bulb warm. Different devices convert electrical energy in different ways. A toaster converts it mostly to heat, while a radio converts it to sound.
Electric current is especially useful because it can transfer energy over long distances. Power plants generate electricity and send it through wires that stretch for many miles. These wires carry energy to homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. Without electric current, we would not have lights, computers, refrigerators, or many other things we use every day.
What is electric current?
Water flowing through pipesElectricity flowing through wiresHeat from the sunSound traveling through air
What is a power source?
Something that uses electricityA type of light bulbSomething that provides electricityA kind of wire
Where do power plants send electricity?
Only to schoolsOnly to hospitalsHomes, schools, and businessesOnly to stores
What happens to electrical energy in a bulb?
It disappears completelyIt stays the sameIt converts to light and heatIt turns into water
Why is electric current useful?
It can transfer energy long distancesIt makes things coldIt only works in batteriesIt stops energy from moving
How does a toaster convert electrical energy?
Mostly to lightMostly to heatMostly to soundIt doesn't convert energy
Electric current carries energy through wires.
TrueFalse
What does 'converts' mean in the passage?
Stops completelyChanges from one form to anotherMoves very slowlyGets bigger