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Generating Electricity

Age range
9-11 years
Science topic
Electricity
Type of enquiry
Comparative/fair tests, Problem solving

The activities in this book provide opportunities for children in Year 6 to extend their understanding of electricity by applying it to the concepts of generating and using it in the electronics industry. The activities use a real life context of helping people in a developing country to use local resources available to them to produce electricity and develop electronic sensors to detect the water level in a well. The children take on the role of researchers to investigate the ways that electricity is produced, make windmills to show how wind power can be converted into energy to do work and develop a sensor to detect water.

Download the full resource:

Generating Electricity .pdf - no IPT (PDF , 1,267kb)

Shock to the system

  • Science topic: Electricity
  • Type of enquiry: Problem solving
  • Keywords: Y6, electricity, circuits, components, electrical appliance/device, mains, plug, complete circuit, cell, battery, positive, negative, connect, crocodile clip, bulb, switch, buzzer, motor, conductor, insulator, metal, non-metal, symbol

This activity revises concepts covered in Year 4. It gives children the opportunity to build circuits and use the correct vocabulary for the components. They explore issues around the safe use of electricity and sustainable production.

light bulb

Wonderful wind

  • Science topic: Electricity
  • Type of enquiry: Comparative/fair tests
  • Keywords: Y6, electricity, energy, generate, turbine, fair test, variables, measure, observe, cross-curricular, geography, natural resources, renewable energy, circuits, components, electrical appliance/device, mains, plug, complete circuit, cell, battery, positive, negative, connect, crocodile clip, bulb, switch, buzzer, motor, conductor, insulator, metal, non-metal, symbol

The children construct a windmill to lift a bucket in response to a request to help solve problems in a developing country. A demonstration of how the energy from the turning of the windmill can produce electricity concludes the session.

wind turbines

Switched on: using switches imaginatively

  • Science topic: Electricity
  • Type of enquiry: Problem solving
  • Keywords: Y6, electricity, circuits, switches, insulator, conductor, components, electrical appliance/device, mains, plug, complete circuit, cell, battery, positive, negative, connect, crocodile clip, bulb, buzzer, motor, metal, non-metal, symbol

Responding once again to the problems posed in the letter. The children build a variety of circuit switches and explore ways in which they can be incorporated into sensors.

light switch

Sensors

  • Science topic: Electricity
  • Type of enquiry: Problem solving
  • Keywords: Y6, electricity, circuits, sensor, conductor, insulator, cross-curricular, geography, natural resources, renewable energy, components, complete circuit, cell, battery, positive, negative, connect, crocodile clip, bulb, switch, buzzer, motor, conductor, insulator, metal, non-metal, symbol

The children follow guidelines and using the knowledge, understanding of circuits and switches that they have revised, design and build a water sensor to indicate an effective water level in the village well.

water well

Partners

Gatsby Charitable Foundation

Supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.