The concept of energy arises in all disciplines of science, from ecosystems and species niches to gravity and motion. Most students have difficulty understanding the relative sense of energy, however. Unless students are studying thermal energy and using the kelvin scale, the energy of an object or system is always with respect to some baseline or reference. To help students grasp the relative sense of energy, the author has developed an activity centered on road gravel and how it accumulates at certain positions at an intersection. In this activity, road gravel models energy in various scientific systems. This article discusses the geometries of common gravel positions, as well as specific applications of the model in physics, chemistry, Earth systems, and astronomy. The simplicity of road gravel, coupled with its everyday occurrence in the lives of students, makes it a perfect candidate to help explain the relative sense of energy in various disciplines. (Contains 2 figures.)