Year 4 & Year 6 Electricity workshop
(can be taught to other year groups)
Learn about the science and history of electricity and build circuits easily with our custom circuit boards
THIS SCIENCE WORKSHOP
AT A GLANCE
National Curriculum suggested year group:
Y4/Y6
Duration (for single class, multiple classes are normally one or two sessions each):
Half day or a single session as part of a science day
NC objectives covered:
Both sets of objectives for each year group, from simple circuits for Y4 to complex circuits / symbols and topics such as variable resistance for Y6.
Take an exciting journey through the discovery and development of electricity in this year 4 or year 6 workshop (though as per most of our workshops it can also be taught to any KS2 year group).
Beginning with an interactive presentation about the science and history of electricity including working electric motors and electromagnets, the action soon moves on to creating circuit using our purpose made boards, followed by a trip through history with pupils using a real WW2 Morse code set to send secret messages to their friends.
The session then ends with a fun quiz to assess pupils' learning, either in teams or as a quieter cool down task as per your preference.
This is one of our most popular school visits as it allows the pupils to access some excellent custom made equipment of the kind that isn't normally available in school!
Activities in this workshop
(may vary if multiple classes so please contact us for more details)
1) Presentation on the science and history of electricity
In this exciting presentation we look at how electricity actually works at the atomic level with fun front of class activities such as making a human circuit with a (very low and safe) 3v electric current and another linked group activity to simulate the flow of electrons.
We then move on to an interactive timeline of the history of electricity discoveries such as the electric motor and the electromagnet, linking to the real inventions that came about as a result to change the lives of everyone on earth, in a perfect introduction to the rest of the day.
2) Circuit board investigation
Have your pupils ever struggled with investigating circuits using your mixed tray of tangled components? Put all that stress aside as pupils solve a range of challenges using our pre made circuit boards.
The boards are extremely simple to use, with clearly labelled parts (using the correct circuit diagrams) and easy to make connections.
As well as teaching directly to the curriculum, they can also be used to extend knowledge with the exploration of more advanced topics such as variable resistance and solar power using the differentiated challenge cards provided.
3) The electric telegraph and morse code
This task has been so popular in our Incredible Inventions workshop that we have also included it in this workshop as a perfect example of the importance of electricity to the modern world.
Learning about electromagnetism and code breaking in WW2, pupils take turns to come to the front of the class to send secret messages for their friends to decode, using a genuine WW2 Morse code training set.
This provides a really tangible link between the nature and uses of electricity throughout history and right up to the modern day.
4) End of session fun quiz
Pupils answer a range of fun and challenging questions about the science and history of electricity in teams against their friends.
Can pupils remember the story of Abbot Nollet and his test for speed of electricity? Can they remember which circuit symbol matches which component?
This is a great activity to assess pupil's knowledge from the day and to have a bit of fun to end with.