It’s Electric

Provided Resources

• Card zone labels
• Exploration Sheets

Additional Resources

• 3-4 plug in appliances that do different jobs, e.g. hair drier, kettle, lamp, CD player
• 3-4 different battery powered toys, e.g. push-button baby toy with sounds, toy vehicle, Karaoke machine, light up toy
• Selection of 6-8 different cells (batteries) - size, shape, voltage
• 3-4 torches each disassembled with all parts including the batteries in a sealable plastic bag or lidded tub
• 3-4 battery powered devices, e.g. fairy lights, hand held fan, book light, radio
• Paper, pens, pencils, felt tipped pens

Weblinks
An interactive, age appropriate site where children can explore a house and garden looking for electrical dangers from www.switchedonkids.org.uk

Teaching

• Explore a variety of electrical items and begin to ask questions, look for similarities and differences and form ideas and theories.
• Learn some basic scientific facts and vocabulary about electricity as an energy source.

Activities

1. Actively explore some electrical appliances and devices to ask questions and begin to answer them (Yrs3&4).
2. Play an active electrical guessing game to learn basic electrical concepts and vocabulary (Yrs3&4).
3. Create either a poster (Yr3) or a leaflet (Yr4) explaining the dangers of electricity.
4. Play a memory game to highlight the versatility of electricity as a power source (Yrs3&4).

Investigation
Introduce the outcome – by the end of the block you will create your own electric personality – a person or robot that is powered by electricity. But first you will need to become an expert on electricity. Investigate electrical components and identify items that run on electricity – both mains and battery power. (exploring, classifying and identifying, analysing secondary sources)
Year 3 – Draw and illustrate 3 facts about electricity
Year 4 – Draw and illustrate 5 facts about electricity.

Vocabulary
Electricity, cell, battery, plug, mains, cable, appliance, device, connection, power, danger, safety