Electricity

What students will do

Students begin by rubbing a static sphere and disc with sheep's wool to generate and observe static electricity, then use an Energy Rod to close a circuit through their own bodies, testing whether the rod still lights up with two, three or more people in the chain. Working individually and in pairs, students assemble simple circuits and test a range of materials to classify them as conductors or insulators, then construct series and parallel circuits using light bulbs and batteries, and use snap circuits with motors and speakers to explore energy transformation. Teacher demonstrations include a five-bulb parallel circuit, a propeller car, an electromagnet and a hand-powered push torch, with a final hand-crank generator allowing students to produce electricity themselves.

Learning outcomes

• Investigate static electricity by rubbing different materials together and observe how a static charge builds up and attracts light objects
• Use a human circuit to identify materials as electrical conductors or insulators, and explain what makes the human body a reasonably good conductor
• Build both open and closed circuits and describe the difference between them
• Describe how electrical energy is transferred through series and parallel circuits and explain why adding a second light bulb changes their brightness
• Use snap circuits to observe electrical energy transformed into light, sound and motion
• Investigate how different energy sources, including chemical energy from batteries and mechanical energy from a hand-crank generator, can be used to produce electricity

Curriculum links

• VC2S6U09·Core

  Materials can be electrical conductors or insulators; energy is transferred and transformed in electrical circuits, with each component playing a particular role. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S6I03·Core

  Equipment can be used to observe, generate, measure and record data with reasonable precision for repeated measurements, using digital tools as appropriate. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S6I01·Core

  Investigable questions and reasoned predictions can be used in guiding investigations to identify patterns and test relationships. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2TDE6C01·Core

  Explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound or light in a product or system. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S6H02·Related

  Scientific knowledge, skills and data can be used by individuals and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make decisions. View on VCAA ↗