Establishing a common, correct conception of the particle-nature of matter and energy is key to the effective learning of chemistry. This webinar will introduce a curriculum (developed by AACT members) as well as instructional practices to help students develop a particle-level model of energy. Students will build arguments around how energy is transferred between matter via conduction and how changes in energy impact matter. Students will use their models to explain phase changes at the macroscopic level, symbolically through bar graphs and at the particle-level. Lastly, we'll explore how this early foundation lead into quantifying energy, developing the concept of chemical energy and connecting to energy ideas in other science courses.