Context

The basic understanding of electricity and electrical energy are of great importance and great relevance to scientifically literate citizens.

This Electricity module is structured around the context of a journey by electric train. This provides continuity and a focus; many of the concepts studied are represented on the electric train itself.

While not every State or Territory in Australia has electric trains, the concept will be known to most students. Even without the experience of riding on a train, the context of a journey, with its associated stops along the way, provides a setting for the exploration of electricity.

It is likely that mass transport by electrically powered vehicles will increase in the future rather than decrease, thus making this topic particularly important for young people to study.

Of course, reference is made along the journey to other applications of electricity, such as those in the household.

Overview

The list below gives an overview of the module on electricity.

The module is designed to be relevant to students' lives and interests, and to cater for individual learning needs.

Not all activities must be done by all students. You or your students can choose the activities you do.

The stars (***) indicate the starting level of difficulty of each activity. Some students or teachers may extend some of the easier activities to a higher level.

Introduction

How important is electricity in our lives?

Questions to think about

Questions to establish students' current understanding and to stimulate curiosity.

On the main line

Station 1: Making a light globe work*

Introductory activity: Lighting the globe
Discussion
Summary

Station 2: Making electric circuits**

Introductory activity: Using a globe, battery and switch
Activity 1: Conductors or insulators
Summary

Station 3: Circuits and symbols**

Activity 1: Symbols
Activity 2: Circuit diagrams
Summary

Station 4: Controlling electricity**

Introductory activity: Controlling electricity
Activity 1: Fuses
Activity 2: Light dimmer
Summary

Station 5: Detecting electricity**

Activity 1: Making an electricity detector
Summary

Station 6: Understanding electricity***

Introductory activity: What's happening here?
Activity 1: Electric charges
Activity 2: Electricity and electric currents
Summary

Station 7: Making electricity***

Activity 1: Sources of electric charges
Activity 2: An electricity generator

Station 8: Electrical terms***

Activity 1: Current
Activity 2: Voltage
Activity 3: Power
Activity 4: Resistance

Station 9: Applications**

Conclusion

On the effects-of-electricity line

Station 1: Magnetic effect**
Station 2: Heating effect**
Station 3: Chemical effect**
Station 4: Electric shocks**

Choice

Not every activity in this module needs to be completed by all students. There is a selection to be made.

These curriculum materials have been deliberately structured to facilitate the differentiation of the curriculum. They allow students achieving at a lower level to have experiences suited to their level of understanding of the concepts. They allow those students that already understand some of the concepts, and who are achieving at a higher level, to move on.

Planning a course

Start the whole class off with the Introduction to establish the format of the module.

Prior experience

Some students may have learned enough about electricity in previous years to enable them to move through Stations 1 and 2 very quickly.

Understanding electricity

All students should start 'Station 6: Understanding electricity' together. It requires a significant amount of class discussion and teacher input.

Optional

Students working at a lower level could consider 'Station 4: Controlling electricity' optional if this assists them to get to Section 6 on time.

Students working at a higher level or faster rate could be extended by investigating the optional stations on the 'Effects-of-electricity' line while waiting for the rest of the class to reach Station 6.

Curriculum framework

Some schools may choose those activities that best fit the outcomes of the curriculum framework of their State or Territory.

Sample course

Below is a sample course for a student of average ability and average background.

Introduction

Questions to think about

Station 1: Making a light globe work*

Introductory activity: Lighting the globe
Discussion
Summary

Station 2: Making electric circuits**

Introductory activity: Using a globe, battery and switch
Activity 1: Conductors or insulators
Summary

Station 3: Circuits and symbols**

Activity 1: Symbols
Activity 2: Circuit diagrams
Summary

Station 5: Detecting electricity**

Activity 1: Making an electricity detector
Summary

Station 6: Understanding electricity***

Introductory activity: What's happening here?
Activity 1: Electric charges
Activity 2: Electricity and electric currents
Summary

Station 7: Making electricity***

Activity 1: Sources of charge
Activity 2: An electricity generator

Station 8: Electrical terms***

Activity 1: Current
Activity 2: Voltage
Activity 3: Power
Activity 4: Resistance

Station 9: Applications**

Electric motor

Conclusion