How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound Colin Hughes Winnie Wade
Contents PoS reference Page Introduction 4 Links to the National Curriculum 5 What uses electricity? P/1a (KS1) 7 Beware electric items may be dangerous! Gen PoS 5a and 5b 8 How does electricity pass through the bulb? P/1a 9 Electricity pathways P/1a; M/1c 10 Make your own electric circuit quiz board P/1a 11 Putting bulbs and buzzers in circuits P/1a 12 Making switches P/1b; P/1a 13 Morse code P/1b; P/1a 14 Design a set of model traffic lights P/1a; P/1b 15 How bright? P/1c; P/1a 16 The lifting nail electromagnets P/1c;P/1a 17 Drawing circuits P/1d; P/1a 18 Circuit diagams using symbols P/1d; P/1a 19 Make a lighthouse P/1b; P/1d; P/1a 20 Electricity detective P/1d; P/1a 21 Light in our lives P/3a 22 What makes a shadow? P/3b 23 When are shadows formed? P/3b 24 Who's who? P/3b 25 Reflections P/3c 26 Writing with mirrors P/3c 27 Comparing images P/3c 28 Tall mirrors do you need them? P/3c 29 Make a periscope P/3c 30 Seeing the light P/3d 31 Light quiz P/3c; P/3b 32 Different sounds P/3e 33 Bottle music P/3e 34 Bang the drum P/3e; P/3f 35 Pan-pipes P/3e; P/3f 36 Scrapers P/3e; P/3f 37 Musical notes P/3f 38 Making sounds P/3f 39 Make a speaking tube P/3f 40 High tension P/3f 41 Telephone call P/3g 42 Sounds travel P/3g 43 Tick-tock P/3g 44 Absorbing sounds P/3g 45 Model traffic lights hint sheet 46 Cut-out circuit drawings 47 Cut-out circuit symbols 48
Introduction How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound contains over 40 photocopiable sheets for use with children working at levels 2-5 of the National Curriculum (Scottish levels C-E). The activities are designed to help children develop the scientific knowledge and understanding of these topics. They can be used whenever the need arises for particular activities to support and supplement your existing scheme of work for science. The activities provide learning experiences which can be tailored to meet individual children s needs. The activities are addressed directly to the children. They are self-contained and many children will be able to work with little additional support from you. You may have some pupils, however, who have the necessary scientific skills and concepts, but require your help in reading the sheets. Pupils should be encouraged to use the sheets for all aspects of communicating their work. Most of the activities require basic classroom science resources and these are listed in the What you need box on each sheet. Some of the sheets require the use of an additional resource sheet. Where this is the case, it has been indicated by a small box, with the page number in it, in the top right corner, eg 48. Links to the National Curriculum How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound relates directly to themes 1 and 3 of the programmes of study for Physical Processes. Pages 5 and 6 give details of those elements of the programme of study that are covered. 4
What uses electricity? So many things in our lives today depend on electricity. From the moment we get up, to the time we go to sleep, we are surrounded by machines, toys and appliances which use electricity. Did you know that one hundred years ago very few houses had electricity? Look carefully at the picture below. Which appliances are using electricity? Is the electricity provided by the mains supply or by batteries? Record your findings in the table. Appliance Uses battery or mains electricity? Appliance Uses battery or mains electricity? EXTRA! List the items in and around your house which run on mains electricity. Make a separate list of those items which run on batteries. Colin Hughes and Winnie Wade This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only. How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound 7
Beware electric items may be dangerous! If simple rules are followed, electrical items are usually safe. If the rules are broken, electric items may be very dangerous. Look at the pictures below. Write a few words beside each picture explaining the danger. EXTRA! Design a poster to help your friends and family keep safe from the dangers of electricity. How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound 8 Colin Hughes and Winnie Wade This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.
How does electricity pass through the bulb? What you need: battery (1.5 volt), bulb (1.5 2.5 volt), 2 pieces of wire, sticky tape, Plasticine. Follow these instructions carefully. Attach the battery on its long side to the table using Plasticine. Use sticky tape to attach a wire to each end of the battery. Ensure that the wires make a firm connection with the middle of each end of the battery. Use Plasticine to attach the bulb on its side to the table. Using the two free ends of the wires, try to make the bulb light. If the bulb does not light: check the connections with the battery; try touching different parts of the bulb with the wire. Draw a picture of your circuit here: Describe the path the electricity takes as it passes around the circuit, explaining in detail the route through the bulb. EXTRA! Turn the battery around. Does the bulb still light? Move the two wires to different places on the bulb. Can you get the bulb to light? Colin Hughes and Winnie Wade This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only. How to be Brilliant at Electricity, Light and Sound 9