1
If it weren't for electricity, we'd all be watching television by candlelight.
– George Gobel

Grade 6
Term 1
(Natural Science)
THEMES
What is Electricity and How is it Made?
Types of Electricity
The History of Electricity
Conductors and Insulators
Safety and Electricity
Plugs and Wires
Cells and Batteries
Electrical Circuits
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1. Why should we make use of renewable resources to produce electricity?
SKILLS
Research and Recording - discussion, find key points
Thinking and Reasoning - analysing sources and answering questions insightfully
Investigation - explore, deduce and record finds
CONCEPTS
Cause and Consequence - every action has a reaction
Conservation - conserving electricity and natural resources
Adaptation - renewable energy usage
Independence and Interdependence - relationship between current and static electricity
Evidence - evaluating evidence
ATTITUDES AND VALUES
Empathy - listening with understanding, showing compassion, giving feedback
Responsibility and Meeting Deadlines - tasks completed on time, group and peer respect
ASSESSMENTS, TASKS AND PROJECTS
Electrical Charges Skit/Video (40)
Renewable vs Non-Renewable (10)
Static vs Current Electricity Comprehension (20)
Static vs Current Electricity Venn Diagram (15)
Benjamin Franklin (15)
The History of Electricity (20)
Plugs and Wires (15)
Cells and Batteries (15)
Electrical Circuits (20)
2

Electricity is a type of energy that can build up in one place or flow from one place to another. Electricity produces three types of energy: heat energy , movement energy and light energy . When electricity gathers in one place it is known as static electricity (at rest), while electricity that moves from one place to another is called current electricity .
Everything in the universe is made of atoms. At the centre of every atom is a nucleus containing protons and neutrons. Electrons are found in orbitals that surround the nucleus of an atom.
PROTON
NEUTRON
NUCLEUS
ELECTRON
STRUCTURE OF AN ATOM
Protons - these parts of an atom have a positive charge. They do not move.
Neutrons - these parts of an atom have no charge. They do not move.
Electrons - these are the smallest of the three particles that make up atoms. Electrons have a negative charge. They move in orbit around the nucleus of an atom.
Electrons can be made to move from one atom to another. When those electrons move between the atoms, a current of electricity is created.
For example - When two objects rub against each other it is likely that one will steal electrons from the other. If you rub a balloon against your hair, the balloon will steal electrons from your hair. This leaves your hair positively charged and the balloon negatively charged . Your hair will be attracted to the surface of the balloon.
3

There are THREE main rules about electrical charges:
1.
2.
3.
LIKE CHARGES
REPEL
UNLIKE CHARGED
OBJECTS ATTRACT
A CHARGED
OBJECT WILL
ATTRACT AN
UNCHARGED
OBJECT
If both you and your friend rubbed balloons on your head and then tried to stick the balloons together they would repel (push away). This is because both balloons have a negative charge.
Since your hair has a positive charge and the balloon has a negative charge, they are attracted to each other.
For instance, if a charged balloon is held above uncharged bits of paper, the force of attraction between the paper bits and the balloon will be strong enough to overwhelm the downward force of gravity and raise the bits of paper off the table.
Create a video/skit that explains the THREE main rules about electrical charges.
Make sure that you describe what you are doing , why you are doing it and what happens .
Your group can dress up as crazy scientists and use props to make your video/skit fun to watch. Edit your video using iMovie .
You will be assessed according to the following rubric:
Cause and
Consequence
Investigation
Speaking
Manipulating
Equipment
Video answers the questions: what you are doing, why you are doing it, what happens. Evidence of insight apparent.
Exceeds expectations: 8 - 10
Expectations met: 7
Good effort: 5 - 6
Some effort shown: 3 - 4
Does not meet expectations: 0 - 2
Care has been taken in researching and presenting the video. Accurate facts and information are relayed.
Exceeds expectations: 8 - 10
Expectations met: 7
Good effort: 5 - 6
Some effort shown: 3 - 4
Does not meet expectations: 0 - 2
Every group member has a chance to speak. Good use of projection and tone. Group faces the camera when they speak.
Exceeds expectations: 8 - 10
Expectations met: 7
Good effort: 5 - 6
Some effort shown: 3 - 4
Does not meet expectations: 0 - 2
Good usage of the technology available: video is well filmed and group have edited it using iMovie.
Exceeds expectations: 8 - 10
Expectations met: 7
Good effort: 5 - 6
Some effort shown: 3 - 4
Does not meet expectations: 0 - 2
/10
/10
/10
/10
4

Watch this video:
Can you name the different materials that can be used to make electricity?
Here is how traditional power plants make electricity:
• Coal is dug up.
• At the power station, the coal is ground into powder and burned to heat water.
• The boiling water creates steam which spins a big wheel called a turbine.
• The turbine is linked to a generator which uses a coil to produce an electrical current.
• The electric current is transported by a system of power lines and substations to our homes.
This is how electricity gets to your home:
Power station
Pylon
Substation a place where electrical power is generated.
used for carrying electricity cables high above the ground reduces the high voltage of electrical power before it reaches consumers
Electricity box based in your home/school/shop - connects with wires, plugs and fittings
Home/school/shop
5

The materials used to make electricity are grouped into two categories:
1.
Renewable (also called infinite)
• Solar - the sun’s energy is captured and used to create electricity.
• Hydro - the power and weight of water is used to turn turbines.
• Wind - the strength of wind is harnessed to turn turbines and generate electricity.
• Biomass - energy from plants and other organic material.
• Geothermal - energy from steam underneath the surface of the earth.
• These resources are infinite - they can be used over and over again.
• This means that they are environmentally friendly.
2.
Non-renewable (also called finite)
• Fossil fuels - wood, coal, oil and natural gas.
• Fossil fuels are the remains of prehistoric organisms.
• Uranium is used by nuclear power plants.
• Fossil fuels and uranium create waste during the production of electricity.
• These materials are finite - they will eventually run out.
Choose ONE of the following tasks and complete it in the allocated time:
Task One
Use your iPad to research one non-renewable resource and summarise it on an A4 piece of paper. State how this resource is used to create electricity. Give the pro’s and cons of using this resource to create electricity. Use appropriate illustrations to support your answer.
OR
Task Two
Use your iPad to research one renewable resource and summarise it on an A4 piece of paper. State how this resource is used to create electricity. Give the pro’s and cons of using this resource to create electricity. Use appropriate illustrations to support your answer.
Total: 10
6

Static Electricity
Static electricity exists when there is a build-up of opposite charges on two separate objects. Static (as in “at rest”) electricity exists until the two groups of opposite charges can find a path (using an insulator) between each other to balance the system out. When the charges do find a means of equalising, a static discharge occurs.
One of the most dramatic examples of static discharge is lightning. The movement of rain and ice inside a thundercloud creates an electrical charge, with the negative charge (electrons) forming at the bottom of the cloud and the positive charge (protons) forming at the top. As the thundercloud moves over the surface of the Earth, a positive electrical charge is created on the ground underneath the cloud. The ground's electrical charge concentrates around anything that sticks up, such as mountains, lone trees, people, or even blades of grass. The charge streaming up from these points eventually connects with a charge reaching down from the clouds, and - zap!
- lightning strikes.
Static electricity also exists when we rub balloons on our head to make our hair stand up, or when we shu ffl e on the carpet with fuzzy slippers and shock the family cat (accidentally, of course). In each case, friction from rubbing di ff erent types of materials together transfers electrons. The object losing electrons becomes positively charged , while the object gaining electrons becomes negatively charged . The two objects become attracted to each other until they can find a way to equalise.
Current Electricity
Current electricity is the form of electricity used most commonly in our day to day lives. This form of electricity exists when charges are able to constantly flow. As opposed to static electricity where charges gather and remain at rest, current electricity is dynamic - charges are always on the move. Current electricity refers to the movement of electrons from one atom to another.
In order to flow, current electricity requires a circuit: a closed, never-ending loop of conductive material (we’ll learn more about this later in your iBook).
7

Answer the following questions to the best of your ability and in full sentences:
1. What causes static electricity? (1)
2. What does the word static mean? (1)
3. Give TWO examples of static electricity (not lightning). (2)
4. How do we create static charge on a carpet? (1)
5. Explain, in your own words, how lightning is formed. (4)
6. Research task - use your iPad to answer the following questions: a. Give a definition and ONE example of a conductor. (2) b. Give a definition and ONE example of an insulator. (2) c. List THREE things that we can to do protect ourselves from lightning during a storm. (3)
7. Current electricity is dynamic. What does this mean? (1)
8. Which type of electricity is most commonly used? (1)
9. Discuss ONE di ff erence between static and current electricity. (2)
Total: 20
Finished with your work? Can you complete this word search?
8

Using the Venn Diagram provided below, fill in the similarities and di ff erences between static and current electricity.
at rest caused by friction need a conductor circuit required most common form of electricity build up of opposite charges electrons dynamic objects are attracted to one another form of energy a discharge occurs electricity is created need an insulator free flow of electrons from atom to atom least common form of electricity
STATIC CURRENT
Total: 15
9

Many people have heard of Benjamin Franklin flying a kite with a key in an electrical storm, but few of us actually understand how this experiment worked. Franklin hypothesised that the electrical e ff ect of lightning might be transferable to another object and cause an e ff ect that could be recognized as electricity. He set out to prove it in an experiment.
In 1752, on a stormy June afternoon in Philadelphia, 46 year-old Benjamin Franklin decided to fly his kite. With the help of his son, William, he attached his kite to a silk string, tying an iron key at the end of the string. Next, they tied a thin metal wire from the other end of the key and inserted this wire into a Leyden jar, a container for storing an electrical charge.
Holding onto the kite by the silk ribbon, Franklin flew the kite and once it was in the air, he retreated into a barn so that he would not get wet. The thunder storm cloud passed over
Franklin's kite and the negative charges in the cloud passed onto his kite, down the wet section of the silk string, to the key, and into the jar. He was una ff ected by the negative charges because he was holding the dry part of the silk ribbon, insulating him from the charges on the key. When he moved his free hand near the iron key, he received a shock.
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Why?
Because the negative charges in the key were so strongly attracted to the positive charges in his body, a spark jumped from the key to his hand. Franklin's experiment successfully showed that lightning was static electricity. You can experience this same reaction when you shu ffl e your feet on a carpet and reach for a metal doorknob.
Franklin was actually lucky to have survived as, after this famous incident, several other would-be-scientists who performed this same kite experiment were electrocuted.
Realizing that this form of electricity could be charged over a conductor and into the ground, he invented the lightning rod and conductor, providing the lightning with an alternative path to the earth. Later in his life, lightning struck his own house, but his lightning rod saved it from burning.
Read the story about Benjamin Franklin and answer the questions that follow. You must use FULL sentences unless otherwise instructed.
1. Short answers. Give just the word/s. You do not need to use a full sentence: a. How old was Benjamin Franklin? (1) b. What was his son’s name? (1) c. In which state in America did they live? (1) d. In which month and year did this experiment take place? (2)
2. Find a word in the comprehension that is a synonym for ‘educated guess’ . (1)
3. Name FIVE pieces of equipment that Franklin needed for his experiment. (5)
4. Why did Franklin not want to get wet? (1)
5. Why did Franklin get a shock when he touched the iron key? (1)
6. What type of electricity is lightning? (1)
7. What was the result of Franklin’s discovery? (1)
Total: 15
11

When you were born you were 0 years old. You were also in your first year of life. When you turned one years old, you entered the second year of your life. By the time you are seventeen years old, you will be in your eighteenth year of life.
Did you notice how the number of your age is always different to your year of life?
Dates in history also work this way. We calculate time in sets of 100 years - these time frames are called centuries .
When we talk about the 15th century we are referring to the years 1400 - 1499.
We are currently in the the 21st century: the years 2000 - 2099.
When writing an essay in high school you can also write a century like this:
C st
You may also come across these acronyms:
B.C
. which stands for "Before Christ," is used to date events before the birth of Jesus.
A.D.
is the abbreviation for the Latin phrase “anno Domini”, which means "in the year of our Lord," and is used for dates after Jesus's birth.
This system of dating has been used for many years by Western archaeologists.
Today, however, with a growing understanding that not all archaeologists are
Christians, some people prefer to use these terms:
Before the Common Era ( B.C.E.
) which is the same as B.C. and,
Common Era ( C.E.
) which is the same as A.D.
1. Cut out the dates and events and place them onto a timeline in chronological order. (13) e.g.
Dr. William Gilbert studies the reaction of amber and magnets, first recording the term “electric” in a report on the theory of magnetism.
German physicist and engineer Otto von Guericke builds the first machine to generate an electric spark.
1600 1663
Use the example above to guide you when drawing your own timeline.
1876 - Alexander Graham
Bell patents the telephone, which transmits speech over electric wires.
1898 - The first dry cell flashlight is made in New
York City.
1819 - Hans Christian
Oersted of Denmark holds a magnetic compass near a currentcarrying wire, discovering electromagnetism.
1920 - Working television models are created.
12

1746 - Pieter van
Musschenbroek invents the Leyden jar – the first device that could store electricity for future use.
1769 - Scotsman James
Watt invents the steam condensing engine to help generate electricity on a large-scale.
1951 - A nuclear reactor built at Arco, Idaho, powers a generator, producing the first electricity generated by atomic energy.
1889 - Edison invents one of the first successful motion-picture devices.
1910 - Alva Fisher develops an electricallypowered washing machine.
1899 - John Thurman of
St. Louis, Missouri, patents a “pneumatic carpet renovator,” otherwise known as a vacuum cleaner.
1880 - The earliest battery-powered cars are built in Europe.
1859 - Moses Farmer lights his house in Salem,
Massachusetts, by electric lamps that contain a glowing platinum wire. The current is supplied by batteries.
2. Do you think that the dates in your timeline are B.C. or A.D.? Why? (2)
3. Give another acceptable acronym used for: a. B.C. (1) b. A.D. (1)
4. We are currently in the 21st century. Into which THREE centuries do the dates in your timeline fall? (3)
Total: 20
One of the earliest records of electricity in
History was in 600 B.C
.
“Thales of Miletus, a Greek philosopher, records that when he polishes amber with a piece of wool or fur, a static electric charge is created, attracting straw or feathers. “
13

Watch this video:
Conductors are materials that allow electrons to flow freely from atom to atom.
Insulators are materials that prevent the free flow of electrons from atom to atom.
Classify the following materials as conductors or insulators: string, wool, cotton, wood, plastic, zinc, foil, rubber, paper, copper, aluminium, charcoal, chalk, wax, glass, cardboard, lead, polystyrene, grass, tape, tin, pencil lead.
CONDUCTORS INSULATORS
What was common about the conductors?
________________________________________________________________________________
Research: What specific material is the best conductor of electricity?
________________________________________________________________________________
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Do not put anything into an outlet except for a plug
Do not pull on the cord to unplug an appliance, hold the plug and pull.
Dry your hands before you plug in or unplug a cord.
If a plug is broken or a cord is cut or worn, do not use it.
Do not plug too many cords into one outlet
Never take an electrical appliance into the bathroom.
Never touch power lines or exposed wires or cables.
Do not fly a kite or climb a tree near a power line.
Never change a light bulb while the wall switch is on.
Don’t try to remove toast from toaster with a metal utensil.
Never put water, drinks or other liquids on or near electrical equipment.
Never try to fix a plug or appliance by yourself - ask an adult.
Electricity is very useful but it can also be very dangerous . Electricity can cause fires and injuries, even death.
If the live wires in an appliance touch one another, a short circuit can occur. This may
lead to a fire. Fire spreads easily from an appliance to the furniture and curtains. People
trapped in burning buildings can get badly burnt or be su ff ocated by smoke.
Electricity can flow easily through your body as it acts like a conductor. The electricity
that flows in the wires in a house is strong enough to kill a person.
The videos below will remind you of a few critical safety rules. They also emphasise the importance of having an “ exit strategy ” - a way to get out of your house if a fire starts:
Safety Rules Exit Strategy
ELECTRICAL SHOCK
Call 107 if you observe any of these symptoms:
15

There are three wires inside each electrical cord. Each has a core of copper, because copper is a good conductor of electricity. They are wrapped in plastic of di ff erent colours. The plastic acts as an insulator so that you do not shock yourself when working with these wires.
When these wires are connected to a plug, they each have a specific place:
Brown wire:
This is the live wire that carries electricity directly from the power source.
Green and yellow (or striped) wire:
This is a safety wire to stop the appliance becoming live and prevent you from getting shocked. It is referred to as the e a r t h wire.
Blue wire:
This is the neutral wire. This wire completes the circuit and carries the current back to the source. A current can’t flow without a complete circuit.
Where does each wire go?
There is an easy way to remember where to connect each wire. Take the second letters of the words blue, brown and striped. This reminds you that when you look into a plug from above:
1 B L ue goes L eft
2 B R own goes R ight
3 S T riped goes to the T op
16

Extension - Want to know how to wire a plug? Watch this video:
1.
Draw an electrical cord with the three exposed wires. (12)
Labels: copper wires, plastic covering, earth, neutral, live, conductor, insulator
ELECTRICAL CORD
Draw a straight line with a pencil and ruler from the part that you want to label. Label lines must touch the part of the drawing being labelled. The lines must be parallel to each other. You can shade and stipple but do not colour in. Write the names for each part neatly using CAPITALS and a black pencil crayon.
2. Colour the wires correctly. (3)
Total: 15
17

Batteries and cells come in all shapes and sizes. Most torches, radios, calculators, cell phones, some toys and even cars, pacemakers and hearing aids need them to work.
Batteries and cells are useful because they store chemical energy . This stored energy becomes electrical energy when the battery or cell is connected to a circuit.
Batteries are made up of smaller parts, known as cells , that store chemical energy. A typical cell has a voltage of 1.5 volts (we write this as 1.5 V). voltage - a measure of the “push” provided by a battery; a bigger voltage will drive a bigger
current around a circuit.
Cells are made of FOUR main parts:
1. A cathode, such as carbon or graphite, that allows electric current to be generated.
2. An anode, such as zinc, also allows electric current to be generated.
3. An electrolyte, which is a paste or liquid that conducts electricity.
4. A separator, a material that insulates the positive and negative electrodes.
POSITIVE TERMINAL (+)
SEPARATOR
CATHODE (+ CHARGED)
ELECTROLYTE
ANODE (- CHARGED)
NEGATIVE TERMINAL (-)
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A CELL
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Due to a chemical reaction within the battery the anode builds up an excess of electrons.
This causes an electrical di ff erence between the anode (-) and the cathode (+). Electrons repel each other and try to move to a place with fewer electrons. This causes a flow of electricity between the negative and positive terminals of the battery. Some batteries can be recharged - this is just a reversal of the process described.
It’s very easy to get confused between a cell and a battery. Think of a single “battery”, like the type you put in a torch. In physics, each of these is actually called a cell - it is only when you have two or more of these cells connected together that you call it a battery.
CELLS BATTERIES
This is a 1.5 V cell - exterior and interior
This is a 9 V battery - see how it consists of 6 cells?
Button cells - these are used in remotes, watches...
To decide whether it is a cell or battery, you will need to know its
INTERNAL structure.
Many people use the terms cell and battery interchangeably, but keep in mind that `cell' is the scientific term for what most people call a battery in everyday life. One cell stores a small amount of energy. If we need to store a lot of energy we use a battery.
An 8 cell battery
This A23 battery consists of 8 button cells
Some batteries and cells are rechargeable and others are disposable. They all contain a hazardous waste that is corrosive. They need to be used and recycled carefully.
19

1. Research task: Use Google to find the following: (6) a. The voltage of an AAA cell (or “battery”) b. The voltage of an AA cell (or “battery”) c. The voltage of a watch cell (or “battery”) d. The voltage of a car battery
Present your findings as shown below by redrawing the table:
Name
AAA
AA
Watch cell
Car battery
Picture Voltage Battery or cell?
cell cell cell battery
2. Fill in the missing words: The ____________ energy in a battery is converted to
_____________ energy. (2)
3. Discuss TWO di ff erences between a battery and a cell. (2)
4. How does voltage a ff ect the performance of a battery? (1)
5. Fill in the missing labels: (4) a.
b.
c.
d.
Total: 15
20

An electrical circuit is a system that consists of di ff erent parts. We call these parts the components of the circuit. When these components are connected the right way, electricity can flow around the circuit.
Electricity - the flow of electrons around a circuit.
A simple electric circuit has at least three components:
1. A source of energy, such as a cell or battery.
2. Conductive material, such as copper wire.
3. A device that indicates whether the circuit is working, such as a light bulb or buzzer.
A switch can added to put an electrical device on or o ff . We can also say that a switch is used to close or open an electrical circuit. Electricity will only travel around a circuit that is closed and complete.
Electrical circuit components are drawn as symbols so that they are easy to draw and are recognisable all over the world:
CELL
BATTERY
WIRE
We draw wires as straight lines in a circuit diagram.
Lengthening the wires in a simple circuit will reduce the electrical energy as it has further to travel. This will also make the bulbs dimmer.
21

BULB
SWITCH (ON - CLOSED)
SWITCH (OFF - OPEN)
Adding more bulbs to a simple circuit will reduce the electrical energy and make the bulbs dimmer.
Electricity can flow.
Electricity cannot flow.
When a switch is on, the circuit is closed. An electric current then exists in the circuit. We could also say there is an unbroken electric pathway in the circuit.
When the switch is off the circuit is open. In this case there is no electric current in the circuit. The electric pathway is now broken.
Other symbols that you may see:
RESISTOR MOTOR BUZZER
We show the directional flow of electrons around a circuit like this:
SPEAKER
Electrons flow from negative to positive wires
Terms to learn:
Voltage - a measure of the “push” provided by a battery; a bigger voltage will drive a bigger current around a circuit.
Current - Current is the measure of the flow of electrons in a circuit. Current is measured in Amps or
Amperes.
Power - The power or energy used by a circuit is measured in Watts. When your parents get their electrical bill it's generally in kilowatts per hour.
Resistance - how well a material or object conducts electricity. Low resistance means the object conducts electricity well. High resistance means the object does not conduct electricity well.
22

There are TWO di ff erent types of circuits:
SERIES
Simple circuits (only one component, e.g. a bulb) belong to this type of circuit.
The more bulbs you add to a series circuit, the dimmer they burn.
If a bulb breaks or a component is disconnected, the circuit is broken. All components
stop working.
A series circuit uses less wiring than a parallel circuit.
+ -
PARALLEL
Parallel circuits make use of branches of wire.
If a bulb breaks or a component is disconnected, one branch will stop working but the
other branches will continue to function.
Adding more bulbs to a parallel circuit does not make it burn less brightly.
+ -
Can you figure out which way the electrons should be flowing?
23

c.
e.
1. Draw a picture of an electric circuit with: (6)
• A battery
• A closed switch
• 2 light bulbs in series
• The directional flow of electrons
2. Draw a picture of an electric circuit with: (6)
• A cell
• An open switch
• 4 light bulbs in parallel
• The directional flow of electrons
3. Explain what happens when something short circuits (see page 10 of iBook). (2)
4. Look at the pictures below and decide whether or not the circuit will work: (6) a.
b.
d.
f.
Total: 20
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Sun Valley Group of Schools 2015 xxv