Science / Year 6 / Science understanding / Physical sciences

Curriculum content descriptions

investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in electrical circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators and conductors (AC9S6U03)

Elaborations
  • identifying necessary components for an electric circuit such as a source of electrical energy and conducting material such as metal wires
  • constructing a real or virtual circuit to examine requirements to allow the flow of electricity, including exploring the construction and role of switches
  • constructing representations of electrical circuits and their components using accepted conventions
  • examining the purpose of different components such as switches and bulbs and exploring use of ammeters to measure current
  • investigating different electrical conductors and insulators and examining why they may be used
  • exploring how electricity is used in the home and identifying electrical hazards and safety measures used to mitigate these hazards
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and Creative Thinking
ScOT terms

Electric currents,  Electric circuits,  Electrical conductivity,  Observations (Data)

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Draw a circuit | Questacon

In this activity, students draw a simple working electric circuit with a soft graphite pencil, and use it to light up an LED. The activity includes a list of what is required, suggestions of what to do and notice, questions to ask, an explanation for the underlying science of what students observe and suggestions for other ...

Interactive

Circuit Construction Kit: DC

This interactive simulation challenges students to build a DC circuit. In the first simulation, students explore building a series or parallel DC circuit with wires, batteries and various components. Students can change the values of resistance and voltage in their circuits to explore the relationship between voltage, current ...

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Living off-grid

This set of learning activities challenges students to create simple, environmentally sustainable solutions that generate energy and produce clean drinking water for living off-grid. Students design and build their solutions as examples of ways to provide these essential services in a developing country, in a developed ...

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Electrifying Vehicles

In this activity, students explore vehicles powered by electricity. They explore the story of the Lucas Bedford electric van, make a battery-powered car in a hands-on design challenge, and then use the specifications of different electric vehicles to plan a road trip.

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FLEET schools: Conductors, insulators and electricity

This collection of learning activities explores the nature of electricity; how we managed to harness this power; how it changed human society and paved the way to the digital age we live in today. There are links to critical thinking activities and experiments that cover the concepts of conductors, insulators, resistance ...

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Primary Connections: Circuit breakers

In this sequence of 7 lessons, students learn about the role of the components in an electrical circuit and how they affect the transfer and transformation of energy. Using the context of blackouts, students explore how switches work and prototype backup electrical circuits. Professional learning for teachers is integrated ...

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Years 5–6: Designing a digital solution

This scope and sequence unit explores the user-centred design process through three different pathways that incorporate visual programming.

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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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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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Wild ride: get a grip

Investigate the role of friction in performance of bicycle tyres. Test how the type of tread affects grip and speed. Choose tyres best suited to track and weather conditions in a time trial. Please note that the 'About Grip' button is intentionally hidden and will only appear based on the user's choices. This learning object ...

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Seasons

Control the motion of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. Work out how the Earth’s orbit and the tilt of its axis determine seasons in the different hemispheres. Work out how the Earth’s orbit and the tilt of its axis determine day length in the different hemispheres. Examine the heating effect of the Sun. Compare seasons ...

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For the birds | Questacon

In this activity, students design a birdbath for their garden or school. They consider the needs and physical characteristics of local birdlife when designing their birdbath, build and manage the bath, and observe the birds that visit. The activity includes a list of what is required, suggestions of what to do and notice, ...

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Four Corners: Ecological effects of bushfires

Did you know that Australia is the most flammable continent on Earth? Watch this clip to discover how bushfires impact natural ecosystems, and how the increasing global threat of bushfires may affect Australia. Australian scientists explain the ecological consequences of fire and a US expert describes his concerns for the future.

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Different paper plane designs

How many different paper plane designs are there? Lots! Watch as Dylan Parker, paper plane expert, demonstrates some of his favourites. Notice the way the different shapes and features of the planes cause them to move through the air in different ways. Which one do you like the most? Why not have a go at making something similar?