Long-term overview - Electricity - Year 6

The Year 6 curriculum on electricity delves into the workings of electrical energy and its varying power levels. Pupils explore the concept of electrical energy, including how it differs in intensity and the implications of these variations. They investigate the nature of electrical particles and their role in the flow of electricity. Additionally, the curriculum covers the symbols that are universally used to depict various components within a simple electrical circuit, ensuring that students can accurately interpret and draw circuit diagrams.

Through hands-on experimentation, students compare and reason why certain components function or fail within a circuit. They learn to draw circuit diagrams with the appropriate symbols and understand the relationship between the number and voltage of cells and the resulting brightness of a lamp or volume of a buzzer. Fair testing is emphasised, particularly observing how increasing voltage affects a bulb's brightness. In pattern seeking activities, students compare the brightness of bulbs in series and parallel circuits. The practical application of this knowledge is further developed as students construct simple series circuits and use their understanding to create a simple game, integrating their skills in physics and working scientifically. This unit builds upon the Year 4 unit on electricity, with a greater focus on the power aspect of electrical circuits.