Welcome to the course Energy Forms and Their Uses. This professional development module is designed to strengthen your understanding of the different types of energy and how each is applied in real-world contexts. You’ll explore how energy exists in various forms and how humans harness these forms for work, technology, and daily life. The course also aims to provide you with practical tools and strategies with the help of the Watt Watchers of Texas resources to help your students identify, categorize, and analyze energy forms in familiar situations. By linking core science concepts to relatable examples, you’ll be able to guide students toward recognizing the role energy plays in shaping the modern world and influencing environmental and societal outcomes. Before we explore teaching strategies and student-centered activities, it’s essential for you, as an educator, to build a clear conceptual framework. In this opening chapter, we’ll focus on the science itself: What are the main forms of energy? How are they used? And why does understanding them matter in both the classroom and the world beyond?
