Electricity

Pupils should be taught to:
• associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit;
• compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches;
• use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.

Y6 Conductor or Insulator?

Resource Details

Pupils construct and record a circuit using recognised symbols before predicting and recording whether or not a number of everyday materials will act as a conductor or insulator when placed in the circuit.

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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS -  use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - Building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components, for example, switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They should learn how to represent a simple circuit in a diagram using recognised symbols.
  • WS -  planning different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions, including recognising and controlling variables where necessary

Y6 Circuit Symbols

Resource Details

Pupils use their knowledge of circuit symbols to make and record a number of electrical circuits and their components.

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Learning Objectives:

  •  use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaGBuilding on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components, for example, switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They should learn how to represent a simple circuit in a diagram using recognised symbols. -

Y6 Circuit Symbol Checklist

Resource Details

Pupils use their developing knowledge of circuit symbols to draw a number of circuits.

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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - Building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components, for example, switches, bulbs, buzzers and motors. They should learn how to represent a simple circuit in a diagram using recognised symbols.

Y6 Changing Ciruits

Resource Details

Pupils make a simple circuit then predict what will happen to that circuit id a number of components are changes. They construct new circuits to investigate their predictions.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - pupils should build on their work in Year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - pupils should systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Are all Metals Conductors?

Resource Details

Pupils predict whether or not a range of metals are insulators or conductors. They construct a simple circuit to investigate their predictions.

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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG -building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components

Y6 Conductive Materials

Resource Details

Pupils construct a simple circuit before investigating a range of materials to see if they are conductors or insulators.

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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG -building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components

Y6 Insulators and Conductors

Resource Details

Pupils construct a simple circuit to investigate a range of common materials to see if the are conductors or insulators. They make predictions before investigating and drawing conclusions.

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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG -building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components

Y6 Will this Circuit Light Up?

Resource Details

Pupils follow instructions and make a range of series circuits. Before making the circuits they predict whether or not they will be complete and illuminate a bulb.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches; use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Will these Circuits Work?

Resource Details

Pupils look at a range of circuit diagrams and predict whether or not they will illuminate a bulb. Pupils then make the circuits and test their predictions.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches; use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Bulb Brightness

Resource Details

Pupils investigate whether the length of wires in a simple circuit effects the brightness of a bulb.



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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches; use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Changing Circuits

Resource Details

Pupils construct a simple circuit then predict what will happen to the circuit when components are changed and added.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches; use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Investigating Circuits

Resource Details

Pupils look at a number of circuit diagrams and predict which ones will work and illuminate a bulb. Pupils then make each circuit to investigate their predictions.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG -building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit

Y6 Making and Investigating Circuits

Resource Details

Pupils make a range of circuits and investigate what happens when they change and add various components.


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Learning Objectives:

  • PoS - compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches; use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
  • NaG - building on their work in year 4, pupils should construct simple series circuits, to help them to answer questions about what happens when they try different components
  • WS - systematically identifying the effect of changing one component at a time in a circuit