SHORT TERM PLAN 35
Year 2 Sci 3 Materials and Properties Science from Story Electricity
Year Group:
Class Name / Number:
Class
size:
Year 2
28
Subject / Theme of Lesson:
NC References:
Electricity, using the story of Burglar Bill as a starting
KS1.Sc4/1a,1b,1c
point (he uses a torch to burgle houses, and switches
KS1.Sc1/2c,2i
on a light when he is burgled himself).
Links with previous session:
Pupil Age:
6-7
Date:
Link to next session:
Move onto making circuits with buzzers, motors, etc. A
PSHE/citizenship session on right and wrong, also
using Burglar Bill, talking about crime, particularly
theft, and what it would be like for the victim.
Prior achievement:
Links to PSHE, Citizenship or Global Citizenship:
PSHE & Citizenship KS1 – 1a, 2c (what is fair and
unfair, right and wrong) – could mention this during the
initial reading of the story, or otherwise follow up this
lesson with a session on right and wrong for PSHE.
Resources:
Simple circuit-making equipment; light bulb, battery,
wires, crocodile clips, switch.
Links to ECM:
Stay safe – talk about how electricity can be
dangerous and explain how to be safe around the
house and around school, avoiding touching sockets,
never poking a knife into a toaster, never touching
switches with wet hands etc.
Vocabulary:
Circuit, electricity, bulb, battery, cell, switch, connect,
power.
ICT Opportunities:
www.learningcircuits.co.uk – a website with activities
about circuits. Could be used by children at home or in
a subsequent lesson.
Possible homework:
Look around your house and make a note of as many
things as possible that are powered by batteries.
Target QTS Standards:
Q25
Focus for personal reflection:
Learning Objective(s):
Success criteria:
To know that torches (and other things) are powered
by electricity and that batteries are a source of
electricity.
To know that electricity can be dangerous.
To make a simple circuit containing a bulb and a
battery cell.
To predict whether or not a bulb will light up in various
circuits.
To interpret symbols for bulbs and battery cells.
I can explain that Burglar Bill’s torch must have
contained a battery to make it light up.
I can explain 2 ways to be careful around electricity.
I can make a bulb light up by connecting it to a battery
in a simple circuit.
I can guess if a bulb will light up or not in different
circuits.
I can recognise the symbols for a bulb and a battery
cell.
How the learning will be assessed:
By asking questions at the beginning (see below), by circulating during the activity and asking questions (“why
doesn’t the bulb light up in that circuit?” etc) and observing pupils in action. During the plenary, asking
questions, and asking individuals to come to the front and make guesses about further circuits. By marking the
worksheets.
Timing
Overview of whole class work ( eg Mental/oral, lesson Introduction)
Key Questions you will use to promote learning.
Read Burglar Bill to the class.
Ask, “What did Burglar Bill use to look around houses in the dark?” to start discussion about the
torch. Explain that things like torches need power to light up. Ask, “What is inside a torch that makes
the bulb light up?” and then talk about batteries as a source of power, and that this is a form of
electricity. Use a real torch, open it up and take out the battery for them to see. Try it with and
without the battery, and ask them to guess whether or not the bulb will light up. Turn off the lights for
this bit to make it more exciting!
Talk about when Burglar Bill switches on the light when he’s being burgled; ask, “Do you think this
light was powered by a battery?” Talk about how lots of big things in a house (and in the classroom)
need electricity, and that a battery would run out too quickly as it only contains a small amount of
electricity. Ask, “What can you see in this classroom that needs electricity to work?” Explain that
these things are powered by the Mains – the huge bank of electricity that everyone can share. Talk
about the dangers – electric shock – and how to be careful (don’t touch switches of electric things
with wet hands, don’t poke things into or fiddle with sockets).
Talk about the torch again. What does it have in it to make it work? Get them to say “a battery”, “a
light bulb”. Then draw these two components on the white board, and talk about the need to connect
them with wires – the wires take the electricity to the bulb from the battery. Explain that the
electricity needs to be able to get back to the battery from the bulb too, and that this is called a
“circuit”. Draw in the wires. Draw symbols used for components (bulb, battery, wire, switch) on
board.
Say, “Now we’re going to have a go at making our own torch circuits”, and explain what they will be
doing in the practical task. Demonstrate at the front the way to connect components of the circuit,
but without making the bulb light up, so that this is a new thing for them when they go off to try it
themselves.
Learning Objectives for group/individual work (if
Success criteria:
different):
See above
See above
How the learning will be assessed:
See above
Timing
Group activities (including differentiation):
Split into pairs of mixed ability (so that children can help each other) and go to tables. Per pair there
will be a bulb, cell, crocodile clips and wires. They will be given worksheets (see attached).
They will have a go at predicting whether or not the bulb will light up in the different pictures of
circuits, and then will make up the circuit and fill in the tables on the worksheet with Yes or No
depending on whether the bulb lit or not. Teacher Assistant to sit with any groups who are struggling
to offer support, and teacher will circulate, offering help as well and checking that everyone
understands.
Any children that finish early can be given switches too and the second worksheet with circuits
containing switches, and they can again predict whether the bulb will light up in each of the pictures.
The teacher would have to explain switches to small groups first.
Timing
Plenary activities:
Ask if anyone can remember what was powering the light bulb in Burglar Bill’s torch. Draw symbols
for bulb, battery and switch on board, ask children if they can name them. Draw some circuits on the
board, ask children to come up to the front and put a tick or a cross by the circuits to say whether
the bulb would light or not to see if they’ve understood. Ask one of the children who got onto the
switch task to come out and make a circuit including a switch, turn off the lights before they close
the switch to light the bulb. Reinforce again that the circuit needs to be all connected up for the bulb
to light.
How and what did we learn? Review main learning objectives
Go through success criteria and ask children to put thumbs up or thumbs down for whether they
think they managed each. Ask children to recall the ways to be careful around electricity. Give out
stickers for anyone who offers a good answer.