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: 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

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 ...

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 ...

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.

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.

Text

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 ...

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 ...

Video

The physics of invisibility cloaks

Could an invisibility cloak actually work? Prashanth and Maria from MIT explore this idea and demonstrate the cool ways that light bounces, bends and mixes. How do the wings of the Morpho Butterfly give clues about how an invisibility cloak could work? How would light need to be channelled in order for something to seem invisible?

Online

Primary science: authentic contexts

These seven learning activities, which focus on 'authentic contexts' using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware), illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers engage their students' interests, ...

Video

Colourful Weather, Ep 1: What shape is a rainbow?

All you need is water, the sky and sunlight and you’ve got something that’s colourful – with a pot of gold at each end. What is it? A rainbow! Find out what happens to sunlight inside a raindrop, why rainbow colours are always in the same order and the real shape of a rainbow. Tip: it’s not an arch!

Text

About geothermal energy

This resource is a web page that includes information about generating electricity using the heat from beneath the Earth's surface. It gives a brief description, with an annotated diagram, of pumping water deep underground to extract heat from hot fractured rocks, and using the steam generated to drive a turbine. It also ...

Online

Activity: evaluating energy saving technology

This is a web resource that provides a student activity involving evaluating technologies that can reduce the use of non-renewable energy resources, accompanied by a teacher guide. The activity requires students to research and evaluate a particular technology such as solar panels or wind turbines and produce a diagram ...

Online

Activity: coal-fired class debate

This is a web resource about reducing reliance on coal-fired power that provides a student activity accompanied by a teacher guide. It describes a class activity in which students debate the best way to reduce reliance on coal as a source of electricity. The activity requires students to research supporting evidence based ...

Online

Activity: homework task - energy then and now

This is a web resource about changes in energy use over time that provides a student homework activity and a detailed teacher guide including questions for student discussion. The resource requires students to compare the electrical appliances currently used in their home with those used in the past. The activity encourages ...

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 ...

Text

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 ...

Text

About bioenergy

This resource is a web page that includes information on clean energy sources including generating electricity using waste organic matter (biomass). Using sugar-cane offcuts as an example, the resource gives a brief description of one way in which organic waste can be used to generate electricity. It defines the terms bioenergy, ...

Text

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.

Text

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.