Electrical systems: Exploring electrical products
Investigating electrical components and circuits and how they are used in everyday products to improve safety and convenience.
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Electrical systems: Exploring electrical products
You're viewing: 2026 Scheme. This is the updated scheme for September 2026 onwards. Explore the current scheme
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify everyday products that use electrical components and name the components.
- Make and test toggle and push switches in electrical circuits.
- Explain why switches are useful in electrical products.
- Compare a toggle switch and a push switch.
- Research a design problem by asking questions and conducting a survey.
- Describe a target audience as a group of people that a product is designed for and identify the target audience for a new product.
- Identify what a cross-sectional diagram is and why it is useful.
- Draw a cross-sectional diagram with labels that shows the inside of a product.
Ensure the Science topic of Electricity is taught before, or alongside, this unit as it relies on prior knowledge of electricity from the Science National Curriculum. In the Kapow scheme, this is covered in the Year 4 Electricity and circuits unit.
Suggested prior learning
Electrical systems: Electric poster
Get startedLessons
Lesson 1: Why are electrical products useful?
Lesson 2: Light bulbs and toggle switches
Lesson 3: Buzzers and push switches
Lesson 4: Researching an electrical product using a survey
Lesson 5: Cross-sectional diagrams
Key skills
Key knowledge
Equipment list
Equipment needed across all lessons in this unit.
This list does not include equipment which is usually readily available in the classroom (e.g pencils, A4 paper etc)
Full equipment list for the subject
Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected
- Electrical circuit component sets: batteries, battery holders, wires, bulb, buzzer and motor ×8
- Cardboard
- A selection of Split pins
- A selection of Paper clips
- A selection of Wooden pegs
- Foil ×30
- Scissors right- and left-handed options recommended. ×30
Equipment list
Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected
- Electrical circuit component sets: batteries, battery holders, wires, bulb, buzzer and motor ×8
- Cardboard
- A selection of Split pins
- A selection of Paper clips
- A selection of Wooden pegs
- Foil ×30
- Scissors right- and left-handed options recommended. ×30
Related content
Unit resources
Cross-curricular opportunities
Suggested next steps
Electrical systems: Wobble bots
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