Energy: Circuits, batteries and switches

Developing knowledge of circuits, the effects of changing voltage and how switches contribute to different devices.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Components and circuits

Lesson 2: Circuit diagrams

Lesson 3: Current and resistance

Lesson 4: Batteries and voltage

Lesson 5: Voltage and bulb brightness

Lesson 6: Practical circuits

Key skills

Planning

  • Suggesting which variables will
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Key knowledge

To know:

  • A variety of
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Key vocabulary

anomaly

cell

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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)

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Full equipment list for the subject

Quantities marked × will update. Items without quantities are unaffected

  • A range of batteries (including different sizes of 1.5 V button cell batteries, 3V button cell batteries, AAA, AA, C, D, 9V and a camera battery).

    ×1
  • Cups

    ×30
  • Bowls 2
  • Wrapped sweets or counting cubes

    ×30
  • Sticky tack ×1
  • Rulers ×30
  • Circuit kits (including: 4 cells/batteries, 5 wires with and without clips, switches, 5 bulbs, a buzzer)

    ×8
  • Ammeters (one for the teacher; optional for the class)

    ×1
  • Motors (teacher demonstration).

    ×1
  • Dice ×15
  • Large space such as a playground or hall

    ×1
  • Large plastic hoops ×15
  • Calculators ×30
  • Devices with internet access ×15
  • Short lengths of cardboard tube.

    ×8
  • Data loggers or light meters to record light intensity/brightness in lux (apps on devices would also work).

    ×1
  • One data logger or decibel meter to measure volume, or decibel app on a device (teacher demonstration).

    ×1
  • Equipment for practical circuit building to be shared (tin foil, sticky tape, double-sided tape, paper clips, sharp pencils and modelling dough).

    ×8
  • Equipment for building a greetings card (A4 white card, colouring pencils or pens, 2 cells, a buzzer or bulb/LED, wires, optional copper tape, a switch).

    ×8
  • Equipment for building a burglar alarm (thick card from a box, tin foil, cells, a buzzer and a bulb, wires)

    ×8
  • Equipment for building a dog’s push button (sponge, split pins, thin cardboard, cells, wires, a buzzer and a bulb).

    ×8
  • Equipment for building a water butt alarm (milk bottle lids, a jar or small bucket, tin foil, lolly sticks or similar, modelling dough or sticky tack, cells, wires, a buzzer and a bulb).

    ×8

The equipment below is optional

  • Chalk ×30
  • Tricky circuit building kit (9V battery, paper, LED, 6B or 8B graphite pencil, copper tape or foil, a paper clip)

    ×1
  • A camera for recording

    ×1
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Subject resources

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