Date here 1

Electricity
Use scientific vocabulary confidently in
your writing

Explain how major discoveries led to the

widespread use of electricity

Explain how our understanding of electricity

has changed over time

Explain what electricity is and how we use it

in our lives
What do we use How is it made?
electricity for?

Make a list of as
many ‘things’ as
you can that use
electricity. https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=a
PsetQ9Nt48
 Next to each picture,
summarise this step in the
journey that electricity takes
all the way from fossil fuels
to arriving at our homes!

You can use the topic

booklet to help you!
Read the information about electricity – create
your own flow diagram of how it was
discovered and how it has evolved.

idea idea idea

Which invention in the
history of electricity do
you think was the most
important and why?
Electricity was invented.
The Ancient Greeks discovered
static electricity
Electricity is a form of energy
The same person who invented the
lightbulb invented the plug
Most of our electricity in the UK is
generated burning fossil fuels
 The invention of the plug made
connecting electrical appliances more
dangerous
Imagine you are living in the 1920s in Britain, where electricity is a relatively
new discovery. You’ve heard that people in your area are sceptical about this
new energy source and don’t want anything to do with it. You’re going to write
a column for your local newspaper about why people should embrace this new
way of life. Include the following:

• Explain what electricity is

• Explain how scientists have developed their
understanding of electricity and mention some key
developments
• Explain how different your town has been since Use scientific
vocabulary in your
electrical lighting was invented
writing, as well as a
• Talk about your hopes for the future and how you
range of grammatical
think electricity will change the world structures!
Date here 2

Light it up!
begin to understand how changing
components affects the circuit

create working circuits that power an output

component

draw circuit diagrams using electronic

symbols accurately

identify circuit symbols and label circuit

diagrams correctly
 Test your
What dopartner
each onofthese
thesecomponent
symbols
symbols. Can you identify them from the
pictures?represent?
Can you draw them?
 How are the two circuits different?
Name the
components in this
circuit diagram.

What would you

expect to happen in
this circuit?

How does the switch alter the circuit?

 How are the two circuits different?
Name the
components in this
circuit diagram.

What would you

expect to happen in
this circuit?

How would you make both of these work?

 Name the components in
this circuit diagram.

What would you expect

to happen in this circuit?

Why would an indicator light be used?

 Label each of the circuit diagrams.
What does each circuit do?

Draw and label these circuits yourself:

1. A circuit containing a light, two batteries
and a closed switch
2. A circuit containing a cell, a buzzer and an
open switch
3. A circuit containing two motors, an indicator
and two batteries.
Using the components, make the circuits that
you have just labelled.

Then, make the circuits you drew yourself.

Experiment: how does

adding more batteries
Can you explain why
affect the brightness of a you think changing
bulb? What about adding components in the
circuit affects the
more bulbs? output?
 What does a circuit need to work?

What could cause a circuit to not work

properly?

What would happen if you add more

output components to a circuit?

How could you increase the performance

of the components?
A circuit needs an energy source
to work
You can only put one output
component into a circuit
The circuit has to be complete to
work
Opening the switch breaks the
circuit
If a circuit doesn’t work, the
battery must be faulty
Date here 3

Electric circuits
Explain why altering components affects
the output

Recognise that altering the power source and

output components affects the performance
of electrical circuits

Explain why circuits do not work and

suggest corrections

Draw accurate circuit diagrams and

recognise when circuits will/won’t work
Which of these
is the symbol
for a lamp?
Which of these
is the symbol
for a buzzer?
 Which of these
is not an output
component?
Which of these
is the symbol
for a battery?
 switch

This is the
symbol for… buzzer

indicator bulb

motor
Draw the
symbol
for a
lamp
Draw the
symbol
for a
closed
switch
 Power source not working
Give two
reasons Power source not strong enough
why a Circuit is broken
circuit
Circuit is connected incorrectly to
might not the battery
power a
Bulb damaged
bulb
 You need your
whiteboard ready.
We’re going to
pause the video to
test your
knowledge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYKVf6edvcA
SATs Questions!!
Answer the exam-
style questions in
your book.

This is NOT a test –

it’s to develop your
understanding.

Make sure you

explain your thinking
fully.
Create your own guide to electricity! Include the
following:
• The circuit symbols
• a labelled demo circuit that powers a bulb,
motor, a buzzer
• Why your circuit might not be working
• Top tips for electrical safety
Date here 4

Conductors
Apply understanding of conductors and
insulators to answer hypothetical questions

Use scientific vocabulary to explain how

electricity flows through materials

Explain why some materials conduct

electrical currents and others don’t

Sort materials into conductors and insulators

To make an electrical circuit
work you need…
If the circuit doesn’t work, you
could try…
Changing the power source
affects the circuit by…
Changing the output components
affects the circuit by…
To make a bulb brighter, I could…
 How does electricity actually flow through a
circuit?
What are conductors
and insulators?

Why do only some

materials conduct https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc979OhitAg

electricity?
 Investigation planning
1. What do you want to find out?
2. What do you predict will happen?
3. How are you going to carry out the experiment?
4. How are you going to make the test fair?
5. What equipment will you need? Use a range of scientific
vocabulary in your
6. How will you record your results? planning. You can find
this in your topic
booklet.
 Using everything you’ve
learnt about electricity so far,
have a go at the thinking point
questions. Write your ideas on
a post-it note. Remember to
use scientific language.
Date here 5

Bright lights
Use scientific language to explain your
ideas

Explain how the number/voltage of cells

used in a circuit affect output components

Compare variations in how components

function and give reasons for this

Devise and investigate questions about

changing components in a circuit
A conductor is…
An example of a conductor is…
An insulator is…
An example of an insulator is…
 Knowing which materials are
conductors and insulators helps us to
use electricity safely because…
 Investigation planning
1. What do you want to find out?
2. What do you predict will happen?
3. How are you going to carry out the experiment?
4. How are you going to make the test fair?
5. What equipment will you need? Use a range of scientific
vocabulary in your
6. How will you record your results? planning. You can find
this in your topic
booklet.
 Look at the thinking point
questions in your booklet.
Write your own thinking point
based on what you have learnt
in today’s lesson. Remember
to use scientific language.
Date here 6

Steady hand game

Use scientific language confidently

Test and evaluate your design

Build and test your circuit to ensure it

functions correctly

Design, draw and label a circuit for a steady

hand game
A fair test is…
Scientists repeat experiments so…
If I use a bigger bulb the light
will shine brighter
A single cell can power as many
output components as I can fit in
the circuit
Not all materials conduct electricity.
Design and make a steady-hand game!
Design and make a steady-hand game!
• Draw and label a circuit to work
for this type of game
• Write a list of components that
you will need
• Build and test your circuit