Check it! - Energy - Year 3

Exploring the theme of energy within Year 3, students are encouraged to understand how we energise our homes and country. Teachers are reminded to include regular opportunities for children to review what they have learnt. This could involve a variety of engaging strategies such as a 'Brain dump' where children quickly jot down everything they remember, or 'Give me FIVE!' which prompts them to list five related facts. Other methods include adding to a 'mind map' to visually connect ideas, 'Expand and Elaborate' where they delve deeper into a topic, and using 'Retrieval Pyramids' to structure their recall from basic to more complex concepts.

Students are challenged to consider the practical applications of energy in their daily lives, with activities prompting them to 'CHECK IT!' by listing five ways electricity is used at home and identifying five different sources of energy. They are also encouraged to 'Expand and Elaborate' on statements such as the difficulty of living without electricity and the importance of renewable energy for our future. The 'Pyramid Check' activity asks progressively challenging questions, starting with simpler ones about wind turbines and batteries, and moving towards more complex topics like fossil fuels, the origins of oil, and the reasons behind the search for alternative energy sources. This tiered questioning ensures that all pupils can participate, with the third row providing a more demanding challenge for those ready to extend their understanding.