PARISH CHURCH CE PRIMARY SCHOOL, GAINSBOROUGH

TERMLY PLANNING SHEET

Subject: Science circuits and conductors Theme: Team: 2 Year: A Term: Summer 1st half (Term 6 – May-July)
Brief Summary of Aims: This unit builds on children’s previous practical experience of making circuits and extends their understanding of circuits, conductors and
insulators and the need for a complete circuit in order for a device to work. Children are introduced to ways in which they can vary the current in a circuit.
Key Vocabulary: battery, bulb, buzzer, motor, break, electrical conductor, electrical insulator

Learning objectives
I know that a circuit
needs a power source.
I know that a complete
circuit is needed for a
device to work.
Assessment
Introduction Activities Plenary Resources
Success Criteria
TP Q – What is a circuit? Where Ask children to make 2 circuits – 1 Discuss the circuits that the ● Circuit I can explain why
might circuits be used? circuit which will work, and 1 that children have made asking equipment some circuits
wont – Children to record circuits by children to explain why – wires, shown in
Ask children to look at drawings drawing, and to annotate their devices in some circuits will batteries, drawings will
of circuits on IWB and decide drawings to indicate the purpose of work but devices in other bulbs, etc. work but other
and explain which will work and each part eg the battery provides circuits will not eg the switch ● Images of circuits will not
is open so there is a break in (eg the switch is
which will not. Children could the power/electricity. circuits
the circuit and the bulb won’t open so there is
have cards to hold up saying “Will” that
light. a break in the
and “Wont”. (Teachingideas website worksheet – will/wont
circuit and the
PP “Will this circuit work?” do you think it will work? Construct work
Create a flipchart with bulb won’t light).
and test tick or cross.) flipchart.
drawings of the circuits that
Discuss children’s choice – how did work and those that didn’t Identify the
did they decide which circuits Sheets – Turn the light on and will it allowing a good chance for purpose of
would/wouldn’t work? work more able? discussion as in the intro. components in a
circuit
What do we think a circuit needs http:// Identify the purpose of
to be able to work? Create a list www.primaryresources.co.uk/ components in each circuit
on IWB – We will come back to science/pdfs/
this list later and see if we want simple_circuit_sheets.pdf – images Exp,lain that at times a circuit
to add anything to it or take that may be good for sticking into
might not work even if it
anything away from it. books to test.
appears to be ok – eg. Faulty
leads, bulbs or cells.
Discuss the names of the parts of
the circuits – introduce the term
“cell” as the proper name for the
battery part of the circuit.
Briefly discuss what each part of
the circuits job is.
I know that circuits Show children a video of the
powered by dangers of mains electricity
batteries can be and discuss the differences
used for between devices which can be
investigation and run on batteries and those
experiment, which require mains
appliances connected electricity.
to the mains must
not ???Do we have a video???
Possible look at games
spotting electricity dangers.
Sort the images as in the Dangers of I can identify
Could have an activity to sort children’s activity – discuss electricity which devices
which devices use mains how we knew which devices video/clip/DV use mains
electricity – cut and stick for did use mains electricity D electricity.
LAP – HAP cut and stick and then and which didn’t.
write a list of the characteristics Images for I can say why I
of those that do use mains TP Q – Why do these cut and stick think devices
electricity – Why do we think devices have to use mains activity – on use mains
that they don’t run off electricity? Why do you sheets and on electricity.
batteries? think they can’t run off IWB to sort.
batteries? (Too big – use I can identify
http:// too much power) the features of
www.primaryresources.co.uk/ devices that
science/pdfs/KS1electbook.pdf
Create a class list of the use mains
Look at the KS2 booklet – useful
features of the devices electricity.
pages?
that use mains electricity.
I can say what
TP Q - Why do we carry the dangers of
out experiments and using mains
investigations in school electricity are.
using batteries and not
mains electricity?
Explain that batteries are
a much safer type of
electricity and we must
never use mains electricity
for investigations or
experiments.
To know that some
materials are better
conductors of electricity
than others.
To know how to find out
which materials allow
electricity to pass through
them.
To use results to draw
conclusions about which
materials conduct
electricity
Ask children what materials are used
to make electric circuits and ask them
to suggest why this is. Look again at
the images of circuits (pp teaching
ideas) and discuss the components and
what they are made of.
AFL Have circuit equipment out and
ask each child to set up a working
circuit – Ensure that all children know
how to set up a simple circuit.
TP Q - How could you test which
materials are good ones to use in an
electrical circuit? eg by inserting
different materials into a complete
circuit with a bulb, motor or a buzzer
and observing whether the device will
still work.
Discuss children’s ideas for
experiments to test which materials
are good conductors. Introduce the
term conductor and explain that a
conductor is a material that allows
electricity to pass through it.
Share the image of the circuit that
the children can use to test materials.
**Target work** Discuss fair test –
What is a fair test? Why is it
important that we make sure our
science experiments are all fair tests?
Discuss idea of results needing to be
accurate.
***TARGET WORK***
Discuss possible hazards for H&S
target – record ch’s ability to identify
hazards?
Children to work together in small groups Discuss results with children and ● Circuit I can construct a
(depending on amount of equipment) to ask them to make a generalisation equipment. simple circuit.
create the circuit and insert the different about the type of materials which ● Images for
materials to test whether they light the complete the circuit. Introduce children to I can test which
bulb or not. record their materials are good
the concepts of electrical
results. conductors.
conductors and insulators.
***TARGET WORK*** I know what a fair
Children to decide how they are going to TP Q – Which materials did not test is and why it is
make sure that they conduct a fair test light the bulb? Which materials important.
with the materials – record into topic were good conductors? Remind the
books. children that a conductor carries I can carry out a
the electricity. fair test.
Record which materials complete the
circuit and which do not. Children could Explain that with some materials I can identify
have copies of the circuit image and draw the bulb did not light because the hazards and discuss
the material that they are testing in the
circuit was not complete.
how to stay safe.
gap labelled and colour whether the bulb
lights or not.
NB - Graphite (used as pencil lead)
I can make
generalisations
which is a form of carbon and a
HAP to write a conclusion of which types
non-metal is a good conductor of
about which
of materials lit the bulb. materials are good
electricity.
eg metals let electricity pass, plastics did conductors.
not, metals are good conductors of
electricity and plastics are not
See Which carry electricity worksheet –
cut and stick into books?
To know that metals Ask children to explore eg using secondary sources and a collection of plugs, wires and cables Various I know that
are good conductors used in the home, selection of electrical devices (pictures of) which have plastic around as a devices and metals are
of electricity, most protective cover, the uses of metals and plastics in relation to their properties as electrical images of good
other materials are conductors and insulators. Record where conductors and where insulators are useful. devices for conductors of
not and that metals children to electricity.
are used for cables Explain that metals are used eg for cables and wires because they are good conductors and explore
and wires, plastics plastics eg for plugs because they are insulators. Discuss why these choices of materials have materials I know that
are used to cover been made by the manufacturers – safety. used. plastics are not
wires and as covers good
for plugs and conductors.
switches
I can discuss
why
manufacturers
have chosen
materials for
their electrical
devices.
To know that a switch Construct a circuit again – asking the To start with all small groups Discuss how the children have Circuit I know what a
can be used to make or children to direct you as to how to do it (size dependent on equipment) made the switches, ask groups equipment. switch is.
break a circuit to turn – could make some mistakes and discuss need to construct a simple to explain how their switches
things on or off (using why the circuit wont work (recap prior circuit with a gap like that worked. Recap how a switch Materials for I know why
both batteries or learning). made when testing for works by breaking the circuit switches – devices need
mains) conductors. and then rejoining it to allow paperclips, switches.
TP Q – How do I turn the bulb off? the electricity to flow – tinfoil, drawing
What do I have to do? (disconnect part Which ones worked pins, split pins. I can make a
of the circuit) Is that what I have to particularly well? Why do we circuit.
do at home to turn off a light? What do need switches? (easier to
I do at home? turn off appliances that I can make a
disconnecting – saves switch in a
Discuss switches and that there are electricity by turning circuit to stop
many different types and that they are appliances off) and start the
all used to turn devices on and off – have We are going to insert a flow of
some devices with switches around the switch where the crocodile electricity.
room for the children too look at and clips are.
discuss – bring back and talk about the
different types of switches.
Ask children to make simple
switches eg from paper clips,
TP Q – How do you think a switch works? foil, drawing pins and
How does it turn the device on and off? incorporate them into circuits
Give the children time to discuss ideas – with bulbs or buzzers.
then demonstrate how a switch breaks
the electrical current and then joins it
Take photos of children’s work
up again.
to stick into science books as
TP Q – What king of material would we
evidence – children could later
have to use in the switch to make the
write about what they did
electricity continue to pass through the under the photos.
circuit? CONDUCTOR – recap prior
learning.
SAFETY – Mains appliances,
including those brought in
from home, should only be
used if they have been
subject to an electrical supply
check.
To make predictions Ask children in their groups to
about the effect of make a simple circuit (sizes of
including additional groups depend on amount of
batteries in a circuit equipment). Final assessment of
chs ability to make a circuit – may
To explore how to want to choose particular children
change the brightness
to make the circuit for
of bulbs and speed of a assessment purposes.
motor in a circuit.
TP Q – How could you change the
To make suggestions
brightness of the bulb? Either
about what can be
make it brighter or make it
investigated and
dimmer? Discuss language if
predictions about what
eg by changing the number of
will happen.
bulbs, the type of bulb, the
number of batteries, the voltage
To plan to change one
of the battery.
factor and keep others
constant.
Ask them to plan what to do with
their groups and what
To make comparisons
circuits/equipment they will use.
indicating whether the
results support the Complete plan/predictions sheet –
prediction made cut and stick into books?
**TARGET WORK** discuss fair
To know that care
test and how to ensure that we
needs to be taken when
know what has affected the bulb
components in a circuit
are changed to ensure we need to change only one thing
bulbs/motors do not at a time. Eg add more bulbs but
burn out. keep batteries/wiring the same –
or add more batteries but keep
bulbs and wiring the same.
Time allowing - Review work on electricity and ask children to make annotated drawings of circuits showing how to make bulbs light up brightly without
burning out. Present children with drawings of circuits and ask them to decide whether each device in the circuit will work.
Give children time to explore how to Discuss children’s results – Circuit I can make a
change the brightness of the bulbs in equipment with circuit.
their groups – they need to draw a TP Q - What made the bulb extra
diagram of their circuit and show brighter? Why? What made bulbs/wires/cel I can investigate
what happened when they made the the bulb dimmer? Why? ls for how to change
changes (use images of circuit experiment. the brightness
of a bulb.
diagrams from science wall to help) Discus how we need to match
power supply up to the device
I can make
HAP to write what happened in that we are using so that the
predictions
sentences and why they think this battery and the device are
about what will
happened. the same strength – if we use
happen.
LAP to write sentence from board, a really string volt battery or
The bulb got________ electricity supply and a I can compare
(brighter/dimmer) weaker bulb what do you think circuits fairly by
might happen? The bulb would changing one
NB - Children sometimes think that burn out and be wasted. factor at a time.
when there are two bulbs in the
circuit, the electricity will reach one **TARGET WORK** Discuss I can explain why
bulb first and this will be brighter how the children carried out a a fair test is
than the second because the bulb fair test and why it was important.
uses up the electricity. Some important to only change one
children think that electricity flows
thing at a time – children
from both ends of the battery.
could write this into books
Teachers should try to ensure they (HAP only?)
match bulbs exactly so that two
equivalent bulbs in a simple circuit
are of equal brightness.
By the end of the unit:
Less able
Can construct a simple working circuit, and
explain why some circuits work and others
do not
http://www.safeelectricity.org/esw_v1_2/index.html
Most children More able
Can construct simple circuits and use them Can explain how they matched different
to test whether materials are electrical components for a particular circuit and
conductors or insulators and how switches describe what may happen if the
work; relate knowledge about metals and components are not matched
non-metals to their use in electrical
appliances and systematically investigate
the effect of changing components in a
circuit on the brightness of bulbs