Section 3: Investigating electricity

Key Focus Question: What sorts of practical activities with electricity can you do in your classroom?

Keywords: sound; musical instruments; assessment; local resources; game; project

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this section, you will have:

  • gained confidence to do practical activities in your classroom involving electricity and improved your understanding of the dangers associated with electricity;
  • used rotating group work;
  • supported your pupils in undertaking investigations in small groups.

Introduction

This section deals with electricity. This topic often frightens teachers – you may think it is complicated, difficult or even dangerous. But there are straightforward, practical activities that help pupils make sense of an important aspect of modern life.

We suggest you use small group demonstrations and investigations to help pupils understand two key ideas:

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another. What can we change electrical energy into?

An electric device will only work when there is a complete circular path for the electric current.

Resource 5: Traditional musical instruments

1. Working in groups