Forms of Energy

Gr 9 Up—This program offers a clear, succinct, and visually stimulating exploration of energy and its transformative states. The audience is walked through this core concept using short vignettes that each focus on one aspect of the physics energy curriculum. The student narrator uses objects in his everyday life to exemplify each energy state. He is effectively assisted by sophisticated animated sequences. While some of the vernacular in this Australian-made film could be confusing to American audiences, the use of accessible materials makes the consideration of energy more concrete for students by connecting it to experiential learning in their own lives. The teacher's guide includes extensive supplementary resources. A very good choice for physics departments and aligned information centers at the high school and community college level.—Vincent M. Livoti, University of Maine at Augusta