Year 6: Electricity
This list consists of lesson plans, activities and video clips to support the teaching of electricity at Year Six. It contains tips on using the resources, suggestions for further use and background subject knowledge. Possible misconceptions are highlighted so that teachers may plan lessons to facilitate correct conceptual understanding. Designed to support the new curriculum programme of study it aims to cover many of the requirements for knowledge and understanding and working scientifically. The statutory requirements are that children are taught to:
• associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
• compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
• use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.
Visit the primary science webpage to access all lists.
Changing circuits *suitable for home teaching*
This interactive activity could be used by small groups or pairs of children as a different way of comparing how components function within circuits. The simulation looks at how changing the thickness of a wire affects the brightness of a bulb, how changing the number of batteries affects the sound of a buzzer and how changing the number of light bulbs affects their brightness.
Children could try building the circuits from the simulation, observing the effects and giving reasons why.
Electricity
This resource is a series of six lesson plans including concept cartoons to assess understanding and games which incorporate key vocabulary, strengthening knowledge. In Session B children are asked to identify and name the parts of electrical circuits and represent circuit diagrams using recognised symbols. Following on from this activity groups could be given circuit diagrams and asked to sort them into those that they think: will work, won't work or are unsure about, giving reasons why. Children then create the circuits from the diagrams to test them and give reasons for their findings.
In Session D children investigate whether the thickness or length of wire changes the brightness of a bulb. Children could go on to investigate the effects of changing a different component in a circuit and observing the results. For example the number of cells in a circuit.
Electrical components
Children learn about the appearance and function of different electrical components, including switches, bulbs, buzzers, motors, cells and wires. They match pictures of each component to their electrical symbols. They cut and paste descriptions of how each component functions, or write their own.
Super Sucker: Designing a Machine to Clean up Litter
This project provides a design and technology project in which children focus on electric circuits, motors and batteries to build their own mini-vacuum cleaner.
Children take a detailed look at a hairdryer identifying its different parts and their functions. Applying previous learning about circuits, they then look at motors and fans, focussing on how differences in design change the effectiveness of the fan. They then make a switch for their device. Working in groups they design and build their own vacuum cleaner, thinking about materials and component parts and how they will work to solve the initial problem.
Investigating lamp brightness
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focuses on the investigation of how different supply voltages affect the brightness of a lamp.
Lamps produce light when connected to an appropriate power supply, such as a battery. Investigating how different battery voltages affects their brightness is key to understanding how series electrical circuits work.
In this activity learners will assemble three different lamp circuits; one powered by a single AA battery, one powered by two AA batteries and one powered by three AA batteries. They will investigate the brightness of the lamp for each configuration. They will learn about current, voltage and how simple series circuits work.
Session D: Circuit Investigations
Concept cartoons are a great tool to assess children's understanding and challenge their ideas through a follow-on investigation. In this activity children investigate the question: Does the length of the wire make a difference to how brightly a bulb glows? They could also look at other questions to investigate including Does the thickness of the wire affect the brightness of the bulb?
Using fruit batteries to produce electricity
This is one of a set of resources developed to support the teaching of the primary national curriculum. They are designed to support the delivery of key topics within science and design and technology. This resource focusses on the use of fruit to power a light emitting diode (LED).
Did you know that fruit can be used to produce electricity? Connecting four lemons in series can provide enough voltage to light an LED! This also helps us to understand how batteries work.
In this activity learners will construct a series circuit consisting of four fruit batteries and an LED. They will learn about the main parts of a battery and how fruit can be used to provide enough voltage to light an LED. They will also investigate how the brightness of the LED changes depending on the number of fruit batteries used in the circuit.
Drawing an electrical circuit diagram with symbols
Circuit diagrams are used to draw circuits with circuit symbols. This provides many advantages over using pictures, such as making them easier to understand and saving time when drawing them.
In this activity learners will construct a series circuit using a battery, switch, resistor and an LED. They will learn about why symbols are used instead of pictures to represent components and produce a circuit diagram for the circuit that they have constructed.
Year 6 - Starters for Science* Suitable for Home Learning*
Starters for science provides the key learning, key vocabulary and 4 easy to run activities for each topic in Y6. These sheets may be sent home, so children can carry on learning science whilst self-isolating, or they can be used in class. There are further sheets for other year groups here.
Generating Electricity
A range of activities and teacher guides to support children in learning how to use electricity safely and create a range of circuits.
