Teachers’ notes – Electricity 1

Synopsis

In this activity, learners consider the different ways we use electricity. Learners are encouraged to think critically about their use of electricity. They are encouraged to consider the effects of TV viewing practices on the national demand for electricity.

Curriculum links

How things work:

1.the uses of electricity and its control in simple circuits

Skills

Communication: 1 & 2

Enquiry – Planning: 2 3

Enquiry – Developing: 4, 5, 6 & 7

Enquiry – Reflecting: 5 & 6

Activities

Tab 1

/ This tab invites learners to explore their ideas about what would not be possible in a world with no electricity. They are encouraged to list their ideas and categorise them as ‘essential’, ‘useful’ or ‘luxury’ activities.

Tab 2

/ This tab relates to essential use of electricity and poses the question– ‘How do the emergency services rely on electricity?’ Six photographs of the emergency services are provided for learners. Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard, mountain rescue, roadside recovery.
When they click on a photograph the name of the emergency service appears with a box that learners can use to record their ideas.

Tab 3

/ This aim of this tab is for learners to consider ways they could reduce the amount of electricity they use.
They are provided with three boxes entitled – ‘heating’, ‘entertainment’ and ‘lighting’ in which to record their ideas.

Tab 4

/ This tab provides learners with information about the phenomenon known as ‘The TV pick up’. When popular TV programmes, soap operas, major sporting events, etc, finish there is a massive power surge caused by people switching on kettles, lights in other rooms, etc. Engineers at the National Grid have to prepare for these events so that the power surge can be met without any problems. Rollover questions provide a stimulus for learners to think about and discuss why ‘The TV pick up’ happens.Demand for electrical power changes throughout the day.

Tab 5

/ This tab provides learners with a balance scale. They are asked to consider what they think will happen to the total demand for electricity if fewer people watch TV. An icon may be dragged and dropped at any point on the balance scale. One end represents ‘more demand for electricity’ whilst the other end represents ‘less demand for electricity’.
Learners are encouraged to explain why they have put the icon in a particular place. The final position of the balance scale provides learners with an at-a-glance view of the overall opinion within the class.

Tab 6

/ In this tab, learners are asked to consider how the number of TV viewers more precisely affects the demand for electricity. An interactive bar chart is provided for learners with ‘TV viewers’ represented in red and ‘Total demand for electricity’ represented in green. Encourage the learners to think about and discuss how the two factors are dependent. By dragging either of the bars on the chart the learners can see how the other bar is proportionally affected.

Tab 7

/ The final tab of this activity, provides learners with a line graph to show the changing demand for electricity during the 2009 ‘Britain’s got talent’ final. Learners are asked to think about and discuss what the line graph might look like and are encouraged to sketch the line on screen. A button at the bottom left hand corner of the screen can be clicked on to overlay the actual line graph. Learners might then compare this with the line they have drawn and consider differences and similarities.

Unit 3.1.2 Electricity 11