You Will Need
Provided Resources
- Prediction Sheets
- ‘Is it a circuit?’ sheets
Additional Resources
- Cells (batteries)
- Double ended crocodile clip lead
- Bulbs
- Bulb holders
- Buzzers
- Motors
- Sandwich bags
Crocodiles, Cells and Circuits
Science Year 3/4
This unit is part of
Year 3/4 Science Electric Personalities
Objectives
How can you light a bulb with 2 leads and a cell (battery)? It’s your job to experiment and find out! You will discover a mysterious fact about electricity and the way it flows. Can you use this fact to predict which devices will work and which will not from a series of electrical scenarios?
Science Objectives
i) Construct a simple series electrical circuit, identifying and naming its basic parts, including cells, wires, bulbs, switches and buzzers.
ii) Identify whether or not a lamp will light in a simple series circuit, based on whether or not the lamp is part of a complete loop with a battery.
Working Scientifically
- Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.
- Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.
- Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
Lesson Planning
Teaching
- Explore how electrical components can be arranged to make a bulb light up and draw conclusions.
- Make predictions and test them out.
Activities
- Actively explore how a bulb can be lit using a cell and 2 leads (Yr3&4)
- Draw their own conclusions that a continuous loop or circuit is necessary for electricity to flow (Yrss3&4)
- Make predictions on which drawn “circuits” will work and which will not and give an explanation for their theory (Yrs3&4)
- Test out their ideas and write their results in a table (Yrs3&4)
Investigation
Discover that electricity can be very dangerous. Research some of the dangers of electricity using interactive websites and books (analysing secondary sources)
Year 3 – Make safety posters to position in danger points around the school drawing attention to the potential dangers
Year 4 – Make a safety leaflet to remind people of the dangers of using electricity
Vocabulary
Electricity, circuit, battery, plug, device, wire, lead, crocodile clip, bulb, bulb holder, buzzer, connection, power, cell, energy, flow, current