Year 6 Science Electricity – Block 6E – Electric Celebrations

Session 6: Entering the Dragons’ Den
Science curriculum area: Electricty / i. associate the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
ii. compare and give reasons for variations in how components function, including the brightness of bulbs, the loudness of buzzers and the on/off position of switches
iii. use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram
Working Scientifically (UKS2) / i. report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
ii. identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments
Teaching Objectives /
  • Present findings from prior investigations through presentation

Other Curriculum areas / D&T: Evaluate ideas and products against design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work; understand and use electrical systems in their products
Teaching Objectives /
  • Evaluate and make improvements on prototype
  • Present a working prototype, explaining how it works and how it meets the design criteria

Key Vocabulary:electricity, appliances/device, electrical circuit, complete circuit, circuit diagram, circuit symbol, components, cell, battery, positive/negative, terminal, connect/connection, loose connection, short circuit, wire, crocodile clip, bulb, bright/dim, switch, buzzer, volume, motor, fast(er)/slow(er), conductor, insulator, metal/non metal, voltage, current, resistance.
Resources
Presentation prompts, sample copy for festive lights and photo examples, Dragon questions / Weblinks
Whole Class:Invite your Dragons back in for this session (to arrive about half way through) for chn to present their product ‘in the den’. You may want to make this final session slightly longer, or do the presentations at another time, to enable chn plenty time to finalise their prototype and presentation. Explain to chn that they need to evaluate their prototype and make any last minute improvements before putting together their final presentation. Remind chn that they need to present their design in relation to the design brief and their success criteria, but also to have a technical aspect to their presentation that draws on their findings from the investigations they completed earlier on in the block, in order to explain how the components in their design work and why they have selected the batteries and overall voltage that they have. (Ensure chn have their graphs and diagrams from earlier sessions.) Explain that they will also need to provide costings and some ‘copy’ to accompany their product - explain that this will be their marketing overview of the product and should be used to introduce their design in their presentation.Explain that they also need to include safety guidance on the use of batteries and an explanation about what will happen with different voltages and the volume or brightness – put in what the team recommends and how the product has been designed but explain how this can be altered safely (without blowing bulbs!). Once complete, each group can present their prototype to the Dragons (make sure your Dragons question them - see resource - if all information is not provided). Use the presentations to assess understanding of electrical content as well as noting how well chn can present their findings from investigations – look especially for clear explanations of causal relationships.
Activities:Evaluation - Support chn as they evaluate their prototype - ask them to reflect on both the aesthetics of their design and whether they are happy with their electrical decisions as well. Make sure that for their presentation chn have their circuit diagram and ideas board, drawings and notes. Marketing - Encourage chn to think about how they would market their product to their given audience by looking at the sample ‘copy’ for festive lights (note that the last two are the same product marketed in different ways and at different prices). Get chn to think about the key pieces of information about their product which they feel are the real selling points.Also note the electrical details that accompany the sample descriptions and get chn to include these in their description. Get chn to take some photos of their final product (see examples to decide what type of photo might help sell their product as well as give people a good idea of what the product looks like). Presentation – use the presentation resource to help chn organise their ideas and ensure they include all ‘technical’ information. Ensure each member of the team is involved in the presentation. Remind chn that they only have a maximum of 3 mins in the den.
Plenary / Feedback to chn that they have impressed the Dragons and have been commissioned to start manufacturing. Now ask chn if they went into business what other electrical products they could produce using the circuit equipment? Traffic lights, burglar alarms, fans – give chn a few minutes to come up with a list. You might like to incorporate a follow up session for chn to experiment with further usage of electrical circuits.
Outcomes / Children will
  • Demonstrate how their decoration works and to link their circuits to their diagrams
  • Link findings from previous electricalinvestigationsto their circuits
  • Outline how their design meets all success criteria
  • Demonstrate electrical knowledge and skills through presentation

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We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.