Science and Technology
Stage: 3
Class: 6M
Term: 2
CONTENT STRANDS: PHYSICAL PHENOMENA
UNIT DESCRIPTION: This unit has been designed to help deepen the students’
understanding of electricity and how it is generated. The students will be involved in
doing research to discover more about renewable and non-renewable sources of
energy, and how electricity is generated. They will design fair tests to investigate
materials, which are conductors and insulators of electricity, and will be involved in
creating electric circuits. They students will also design and make a simple device
that uses a simple electric circuit.
Unit 1: What do we know about electricity?
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Discuss what electricity is
Obtain information from a video source
Who invented electricity?
Teaching: Introduce the title of the unit and discuss. Ask the students what they
already know about electricity (class discussion) Who invented electricity and how?
Clarify how electricity works by watching “What is electricity video”? students to
record down facts and term words for the class wall. Have a whole class discussion
about the video.
Learning Experience: Record and share what they know about electricity. What is
electricity? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru032Mfsfig
Unit 2: Electricity Safety
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Sort appliances according to energy source
Suggest alternative sources of energy
Predict problems that may arise with our sources of energy
Teaching: Discuss with the students what was learnt last lesson. Tell the students
that today the students will learn about electricity safety. Watch the brief video on
electricity safety and tell the students to take down safety points when using
electricity from the video. Have a whole class discussion on the safety points found
from the video.
Watch the first section of the video “Powerful Stuff” and divide students into groups
of 3. Give each group a worksheet on which there are questions based on the video.
Encourage the students to answer as much as they can.
Questions may include:
1. What were the dangers of electricity that the boys encountered in the movie?
2. What are some facts about electricity?
3. How can we be more cautious around electricity?
Discuss findings as a whole class by group to group.
Learning Experience:
Electricity Safety Points https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIYVTUCpVP4
Video Powerful Stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoL3MjllVSs
Unit 3: Types of Electricity Sources
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Identify batteries as a source of power
Identify solar panels as a source of power
Identify power stations as a source of power
Identify wind turbines as a source of power
Identify water power as a source of power
Electrical safety
Electricity and the impact on the environment
List various energy sources
Unit 4: Types of Electricity Sources
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Identify batteries as a source of power
Identify solar panels as a source of power
Identify power stations as a source of power
Identify wind turbines as a source of power
Identify water power as a source of power
Electrical safety
Electricity and the impact on the environment
List various energy sources
Teaching: Revisit the Science Wall to see what has been covered so far in Science
lessons. Using the Ipads, demonstrate to the students that today they will be
exploring a website in groups of 2 that identifies the different types of sources of
power and how they are transmitted. Students start with completing sections:
1. What is electricity?
2. Electrical safety in your home
3. Electricity and the environment
4. Amazing electrical knowledge quiz.
With sections 1-3, students must record down points. Hand out the worksheets that
include a table with 5 types of power uses and the students must give examples on
how each power source is used in the world. The Power Plant to the Home activity
as additional example
Learning Experience: http://www.switchedonkids.org.uk/
Unit 5: What is energy and how do we transform it?
INDICATORS:
Discuss what energy is?
How is energy produced?
How is energy transformed?
What are renewable sources of energy?
What are non-renewable sources of energy?
How are both resources used to produce energy?
Teaching Sessions 1: Using IPADS to extend learning. Discuss last session topic to
test students listening and learning skills. Notify the students today that we are
learning about Energy and how it is transformed to produce power. Ask the students
what they think energy is how how/why is it used? Read the text about energy from
the booklet and demonstrate the examples of how energy can be formed anywhere
at any time (metabolic, mechanical, kinetic), - energy never dies! Clarify their
understanding by watching the video about Energy and how it is transferred to
produce movement/power. Students must record down points. When the video
finishes, use THINK, PAIR and SHARE method to discuss what they have learnt and
come back together as a class to write down points on Microsoft Word. Students
must then create a flow chart on a chosen energy source and how that energy
source is used to provide electricity. Demonstrate the flow chart and what is
expected on it. Students use the IPADS to research information.
Teaching Session 2: Educate the students about Renewable and Non-renewable
sources. Renewable energy resources are resources that can be replenished by the
environment by a relatively short period of time and cannot be run out. Examples of
these solar energy(sun), wind energy, water energy, biomass energy and
geothermal energy. Non-renewable energy resources are resources that are far on
the planet earth that either can’t be recreated or take millions of years to be
replenished. Examples of these are: fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil.
Given the examples of Renewable and Non-renewable sources… using think-pair-
share method, allow the student to think how these resources are used to produce
energy in the world? Allow the students to fill out the lesson work sheet to record
responses.
Resources:
Unit 6: Exploring Electrical Circuits
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Identify batteries as a source of energy
Describe how a circuit works
Create a diagram of a circuit
Manipulate electrical materials appropriately
Discuss the potential uses of electrical materials
Identify conductors and insulators
Hands on experiment
Teaching: Place the words “battery and circuit” up on display for the students to see.
Discuss what they know about these two things. Record. Lead the discussion, and
add to the information, so that the students understand the basic features of
batteries and circuits. Speak about closed circuits and open circuits and how to form
them. Suggest that bulbs and batteries have two points of connection. On a battery,
one of these is positive and the other is negative. To make a bulb light up using a
battery, wires must be connected from the battery to the bulb and back to the battery
again, so that a complete circuit is formed. If there is a break in the wires or bulb
filament, then the electricity won’t flow through the circuit (Open circuit). Show the
students the equipment, (batteries, bulbs, wire, crocodile clips) and explain how to
use them. Give the students an opportunity to manipulate the equipment briefly and
ask questions (hands on task, give out job roles for each member of the group such
as, safety officer, organises materials, lab workers and science journalist) Have the
students draw a diagram of a circuit (A diagram of a circuit).
Unit 7: Insulator and Conductor
Learning Outcome: ST3-6PW describes how scientific understanding about the
sources, transfer and transformation of electricity is related to making decisions
about its use. ST3-4WS investigates by posing questions, including testable
questions, making predictions and gathering data to draw evidence- based
conclusions and develop explanations.
INDICATORS:
Identify the source of energy of an appliance
Illustrate the electrical circuit used to power an appliance
Investigate how electricity powers an appliance
Record their observations of the workings of an electrical appliance in detail
Identify and discuss the purpose of a fair test
Identify the variables which need to remain constant in a fair test
Identify the variables that will change
Devise a fair test to investigate materials which are conductors and insulators
of electricity
Create an electrical circuit to test different materials
Observe and predict what materials which will be conductors and insulators of
electricity
Record the results of their test in a scientific format
Discuss whether test is considered “fair”
Make generalisations based on the results of the test
Teaching:
Design & Make a device that uses a simple electric circuit.
The design must:
Use only electricity stored in a battery
Include a switch
Include a detailed sketch of the circuit
Explain the design task, defining any unfamiliar words.
With the students brainstorm a list of suggestions such as:
Eyes that light up on a doll
An alarm
Traffic lights
Review some items which the students have observed which are powered by simple
electric circuits. Discuss how these items operate. Create a sketch of a simple
circuit. Ask the students to think about what happens to the circuit when a light is
switched on and off. Have the students work with a partner to come up with a brief
explanation.
Resources:
