This is an eight lesson unit designed to cover the Australian National Curriculum for Year 6 Physical Science. Throughout this unit, students will develop an understanding of how electrical energy flows through a circuit and transforms along the way through hands-on experiments and investigations. Students also consider the environmental effects of electricity generation and how their choices can lead to more sustainable outcomes.
An activity and worksheet for each lesson, classroom materials, and an assessment task are available as part of this unit.
Investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in electrical circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators and conductors
Examine why advances in science are often the result of collaboration or build on the work of others
Investigate how scientific knowledge is used by individuals and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make decisions
Pose investigable questions to identify patterns and test relationships and make reasoned predictions
Plan and conduct repeatable investigations to answer questions including, as appropriate, deciding the variables to be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests; describing potential risks; planning for the safe use of equipment and materials; and identifying required permissions to conduct investigations on Country/Place
Use equipment to observe, measure and record data with reasonable precision, using digital tools as appropriate
Construct and use appropriate representations, including tables, graphs and visual or physical models, to organise and process data and information and describe patterns, trends and relationships
Compare methods and findings with those of others, recognise possible sources of error, pose questions for further investigation and select evidence to draw reasoned conclusions
Write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings for specific purposes and audiences, including selection of language features, using digital tools as appropriate
Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources
Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and reflects historical and cultural contributions
Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions
With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investigations
Identify, plan and apply the elements of scientific investigations to answer questions and solve problems using equipment and materials safely and identifying potential risks
Decide variables to be changed and measured in fair tests, and observe measure and record data with accuracy using digital technologies as appropriate
Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations
Reflect on and suggest improvements to scientific investigations
Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts
Plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions
Plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity
Explains how energy is transformed from one form to another
Investigates the effects of increasing or decreasing the strength of a specific contact or non-contact force
Examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things
Explains how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health and nutrition
Explains the effect of heat on the properties and behaviour of materials
Explains how the properties of materials determines their use for a range of purposes
Explains regular events in the solar system and geological events on the Earth’s surface
Defines problems, and designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions
Explains how digital systems represent data, connect together to form networks and transmit data
Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives
With guidance, pose questions to clarify practical problems or inform a scientific investigation, and predict what the findings of an investigation might be based on previous experiences or general rules
With guidance, plan appropriate investigation types to answer questions or solve problems and use equipment, technologies and materials safely, identifying potential risks
Decide which variables should be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests and accurately observe, measure and record data
Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations
Suggest improvements to the methods used to investigate a question or solve a problem
Communicate ideas and processes using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and to identify simple cause-and-effect relationships
The key concepts in this unit include:
Lesson 1
Flow
Investigate how electricity flows.
Lesson 2
Components
Investigate different components that can be used in an electrical circuit.
Lesson 3
Controlling Circuits
Investigate how we can use what we have learned to control the flow of electricity.
Lesson 4
Types of Circuits
Investigate different types of circuits.
Lesson 5
Conductors and Insulators
Investigate how electrical energy moves through materials.
Lesson 6
Generating Power
Investigate how the electricity in our homes is made.
Lesson 7
Sustainable Power
Investigate how the electricity in our homes is made.
Lesson 8
Electrical Circuit Assessment
Reflect on what we have talked about during this unit.
Designed in a science theme, this set of WALT, WILF & TIB charts have been created specifically to support classroom science units of work....
This Physical Sciences presentation has been created to support Lesson 1 of the Electricity unit written for Year 6. It allows the teacher t...
These posters show electrical components in cross section so that students are better able to understand how they work.
This Physical Sciences presentation has been created to support Lesson 2 of the Electricity unit written for Year 6. It allows the teacher t...
An illustration of the difference between series and parallel circuits
This Physical Sciences presentation has been created to support Lesson 4 of the Electricity unit written for Year 6. It allows the teacher t...
This Physical Sciences presentation has been created to support Lesson 5 of the Electricity unit written for Year 6. It allows the teacher t...
This Physical Sciences presentation has been created to support Lesson 6 of the Electricity unit written for Year 6. It allows the teacher t...
Students learn the basics of an electrical circuit through trial and error. Students draw a diagram of the circuit they’ve created in a rea...
This title page worksheet is a great way to kick off the Year 6 unit on electricity or a perfect fast finishers activity to use at any point...
This word search worksheet is a great way to kick off the Year 6 unit on electricity, or a perfect fast finishers activity to use at any poi...
This crossword worksheet is a great way to kick off the Year 6 unit on electricity, or a perfect fast finishers activity to use at any point...
Students create an electromagnet, compare it to others in the classroom, and then answer a series of questions regarding how their magnet co...
Students learn how energy is converted from one form to another as it travels along a circuit.
Students solve a number of problems by constructing circuits. The problems get more difficult as time goes on, allowing for all students to...
Students create a circuit to test whether a material is a conductor or an insulator. Students are asked to reflet on safety, as well as whet...
Students conduct research to compare different types of electrical power generation, from both fossil fuels and more sustainable options
Students do a number of calculations to identify the financial and environmental effects of making more sustainable decisions around the hom...
This is the assessment for the Year 6 science unit on electricity. It tests scientific knowledge and understanding, and practical skills. It...
