BBC - Using electricity: Interactive circuits.
Added: 11 Apr 2014
Contributor:
Scoilnet
Resource type:
Game
An interactive circuit to encourage students to create thought provoking questions. Students use self discovery strategies to answer their questions safely in the virtual world. Students will want to know does electricity work the same in the real world; students initiating the pathway to their own curiosity.
How it maps to the curriculum
Strand: Energy & Forces
Strand unit: Magnetism & Electricity
Content objective: This resource should enable a child to:
- identify some household appliances that use electricity
Suggestions for use: Click on the 6-7 age tab. Using projector, ask the pupil to brainstorm what objects will make the bulb light up? What objects will not allow the bulb light up? Ask pupil to explain why this might happen. What would happen if there was no wires? Allow one pupil to become the class electrician; using the animation this pupil demonstrates to the class the answers to their thought provoking curiosity.
Suggestions for use: Click on the 8-9 tab. Allow students to create though provoking questions on the possibilities that could happen when the items are placed into the circuit. Ask students to categorize the items into what will enable the light bulb to glow and what won't. Think-Pair-Share. After, allow a pupil to become the master investigator by using the animation to show to the class. Allow time for students to re-organise their categories.
Strand: Energy & Forces
Strand unit: Magnetism & Electricity
Content objective: This resource should enable a child to:
- investigate current electricity by constructing simple circuits
- learn about electrical energy
Suggestions for use: Perfect activity after an introductory class to electricity and circuits. Be sure to try the quiz. Use the 10-11 tab at the side to investigate changing circuits and circuit symbols. Illustrate using the projector the objects available for components to place into the circuit. In pairs; get students to create questions that the electrician needs to answer for them. Examples: What will happen when the 1.5V battery is replaced with the 3V? I think the light bulb will shine brighter, why does this happen? What will happen if the thin wire is replaced with a thicker wire? Why does this happen? ...etc. Allow time for students to investigate their idea questions using the link.
