ENERGY and MATTER
“The ability to examine, characterize, and model the transfers and cycles of matter and energy is a tool that students can use across virtually all areas of science and engineering.”
Source: NRC Framework
Introduction to Energy and Matter
Source: NGSS Appendix G
Energy and Matter are essential concepts in all disciplines of science and engineering, often in connection with systems. “The supply of energy and of each needed chemical element restricts a system’s operation—for example, without inputs of energy (sunlight) and matter (carbon dioxide and water), a plant cannot grow. Hence, it is very informative to track the transfers of matter and energy within, into, or out of any system under study.
“In many systems there also are cycles of various types. In some cases, the most readily observable cycling may be of matter—for example, water going back and forth between Earth’s atmosphere and its surface and subsurface reservoirs. Any such cycle of matter also involves associated energy transfers at each stage, so to fully understand the water cycle, one must model not only how water moves between parts of the system but also the energy transfer mechanisms that are critical for that motion.
“Consideration of energy and matter inputs, outputs, and flows or transfers within a system or process are equally important for engineering. A major goal in design is to maximize certain types of energy output while minimizing others, in order to minimize the energy inputs needed to achieve a desired task”.
K-12 Progressions for Energy and Matter
Source: NGSS Appendix G
Critical Questions
Source: Peter A'Hearn/ CrossCut Symbols
How are energy and matter related in this system?
Where does the energy for this system come from? Where does it go?
What does energy do in the system? How is it changed?
What is the role of matter in this system? How does it change? How does it enter and exit the system?
Is the role of energy and matter in this system similar to other systems I have learned about? How is it different?
Engineering(energy)- How can we improve the energy efficiency of this system?
Engineering(matter)- If we change the materials, does that improve the system?
How do the energy and matter in this system relate to other crosscutting concepts?
Based on what I've learned, what other symbol could be used to represent Energy and Matter?
What other crosscutting concepts apply to this system?
Based on what I've learned, what other symbol could be used to represent Systems and Systems Models?
Questions connecting to Practices
Source: Peter A'Hearn/ CrossCut Symbols
Asking Questions- How does energy work in this system? How does matter function?
Defining Problems- How can I make this more energy efficient? How can I use energy to improve the system? How can the materials be improved?
Models- How can we model the flow of energy ? How can we model the cycling of matter?
Investigations- Can we design and carry out an investigation to determine how energy or matter affects this system?
Data- What does the data tell us about the effect of energy on this system? What does the data tell us about the matter in this system?
Using Math- How can we use math to quantify the energy and matter in this system?
Computational Thinking- How can computers be used to track matter or energy in this system?
Explanations- How can I explain how energy affects this system? How can I explain how matter changes in this system?
Solutions- Does the change in materials improve the system? Is energy being used to improve the system?
Argument- What is the evidence for how energy and matter affect this system?
Information- What is already known about energy and matter in this system? How can I best communicate about energy and matter in this system?
Prompts for Energy and Matter
This set of prompts is intended to help teachers elicit student understanding of crosscutting concepts in the context of investigating phenomena or solving problems. Source: STEM Teaching Tools

Learn more about Energy and Matter
Bozeman Science Video - Concept 5 - Energy and Matter
Wonder of Science Graphic Organizer: Energy and Matter - Google Draw or PDF