Students in 5^th grade have been studying about energy and work.  To understand conduction, they observed the melting rate of chocolate chips along a piece of foil.  Students noted which melted first, second, etc. and then placed the candle at a different spot to see if it changed the order of melting.  To understand about how force is affected by friction, students moved blocks with a rubber band on a smooth surface as well as a piece of sand paper.  They also moved blocks stacked and in a line.