Science / Year 6 / Science Understanding / Physical sciences

Curriculum content descriptions

Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources (ACSSU097)

Elaborations
  • recognising the need for a complete circuit to allow the flow of electricity
  • investigating different electrical conductors and insulators
  • exploring the features of electrical devices such as switches and light globes
  • investigating how moving air and water can turn turbines to generate electricity
  • investigating the use of solar panels
  • considering whether an energy source is sustainable
ScOT terms

Electricity,  Energy conversion,  Electric circuits

Interactive

Energy chains: make electricity

Build up to six energy chains that make electricity. Select from different energy sources and choose energy converters to match. Examine the type of energy change that happens in each converter. Arrange the converters into the correct chain so that the energy can be delivered as electricity. For example, construct a chain ...

Interactive

Energy chains: energy use

Select energy sources and energy converters to build energy chains to power appliances and vehicles. Examine how each energy converter in a chain loses some energy and reduces the energy available for use. For example, show that using a solar panel and an electric motor to drive a car delivers only 16% of the original ...

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Interactive

Syllabus bites: Electricity

This resource is designed to support science teachers in addressing concepts in electricity in the BOS NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum in Science - Stage 3. Making decisions about the use of electricity is approached from an understanding of circuits, sources and sustainability.

Interactive

Sites2See: Exploring energy for Primary

One page with links to websites with interactive resources, information and activities to support primary students investigating energy and the Climate Clever Energy Savers program.

Video

How do solar panels work?

The Earth intercepts a lot of solar power: 173,000 terawatts. That’s 10,000 times more power than the planet’s population uses. So is it possible that one day the world could be completely reliant on solar energy? Richard Komp examines how solar panels convert solar energy to electrical energy. This TedEd animation (4:58 ...

Video

Catalyst: Supercapacitors: new battery technology

Discover how nanotechnology is contributing to the creation of new, improved batteries that may soon be used in all our mobile phones and portable music devices - even in cars and trams. Catalyst's Tanya Ha looks at how traditional batteries produce electricity and how their efficiency may be increased by tiny devices known ...

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Physical world – design and production investigation

This investigative task focuses on energy transformations between kinetic (movement), electric and light energies. Students design, test and evaluate a system that uses energy transformations to meet an identified need. They work in pairs to design and construct a wind turbine tower that demonstrates how different types ...

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Paper Circuits

This activity invites students to use copper tape and surface-mount LEDs to make creative circuits on a flat surface, like a piece of paper. Students can make light-up greeting cards or create three-dimensional pop-up paper sculpture that have working lights in them. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, ...

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Tiny Theaters

This activity invites students to tell stories inside cardboard boxes using craft materials and light. Turn on and off LEDs using a homemade switch and a circuit made with copper tape. The activity includes a list of tools and materials required, assembly instructions, inspiration and ideas, and encourages a tinkering mindset.

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All about hydrogen

This is a fact sheet providing information on how we produce hydrogen from fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. The uses of hydrogen are briefly discussed and information is provided about hydrogen fuel cells.

Video

Low-emission energy future

Find out about the technologies that can reduce our greenhouse-gas emissions. This resource consists of an animated video accompanied by an interactive landscape activity. The video focuses on technologies that can reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, as well as renewable energy and improved ...

Online

Caring for our carbon

Carbon is all around us and available to us in many different forms – as an atmospheric gas, as an energy source, and as a food source. This unit investigates the science of carbon and the issue of climate change as both a scientific concept and a political issue, and, through discussion and debate, support students' to ...

Video

Clean Energy fact sheets

This resource is a web page that contains links to fact sheets about clean energy and different forms of clean, renewable energy: wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, solar water heating, hydroelectricity, biomass, geothermal and marine energy. The resource also contains a link to a 14.5-minute video of a lecture presentation ...

Online

Activity: from audit to solution

This is a web resource about implementing an energy reduction plan in a school or business that includes a teacher guide and student worksheet. It describes a student activity involving carrying out an energy audit in discussion with school or business leadership. The activity requires students to produce a report with ...

Interactive

Ecospace

A resource for Stage 3 students called Ecospace which takes students on a journey through the design process, requiring them to explore a real space in their immediate learning environment and to show a real school audience how improvements could be made.

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Gas-fired power

Find out how gas-fired power stations work. This fact sheet describes the generation of electricity in gas-fired power stations, which typically produce 50 per cent less carbon dioxide than conventional coal-fired power plants. Information is provided about the Daandine Power Station located west of Brisbane, which uses ...

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Energy efficiency in industry

Find out how industries can reduce their carbon footprints. This is an information sheet describing practices that can be used by industry to make energy use more efficient and thus reduce power bills as well as lowering greenhouse-gas emissions. A number of examples from the mining industry, such as the redesign of dragline ...

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Energy efficiency in homes

Find out how to save energy at home and reduce your carbon footprint. This fact sheet describes strategies that can be used in the home to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

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About marine energy

This resource is a web page containing information about using the ocean's currents, tides or waves to generate electricity. It gives a brief description, with annotated diagrams, of one system that uses the movement of water to push hydraulic pistons which drive turbines. It also provides information about the potential ...