Exploring Electrical Circuits and Mobile Phones

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• collaboration
• digital literacy
• ethical understanding
• global citizenship
• problem-solving

Australian Curriculum (v9.0) content description: 

Year 5 & 6 Design and Technology:

• explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound or light in a product or system. (AC9TDE6K02)
• explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions. (AC9TDE6K05)

Year 6 Physical Science:

• investigate the transfer and transformation of energy in electrical circuits, including the role of circuit components, insulators and conductors. (AC9S6U03)

Relevant parts of achievement standards: 

Year 5 & 6 Design and Technology: Students can explain how the features of technologies impact design decisions and they create designed solutions. 

Year 6 Physical Sciences: Students can identify the role of circuit components in the transfer and transformation of electrical energy. 

NSW Syllabus outcomes: ST3-6PW, ST3-7PW, ST3-13MW, ST3-12MW, ST3-6PW

General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability 

Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion and support students in circuit building.

UN SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 

• Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

• Device capable of presenting audiovisual material
• Circuit building materials (minimum three lights e.g. LED or similar, six alligator clip wires, one battery holder and a battery between each group of four students
• Student devices for group research

Note: There is an online circuit simulator that can be used in place of physical materials. If you would like to source some materials for your class, follow the links in the Teacher Content Information.

This lesson has been developed as part of Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week. Following this lesson plan is an ideal way for your school to take part in MobileMuster. You’ll be joining thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference and creating positive environmental change. Take part in the Schools Recycling Right Challenge for Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week. Register your lesson or other activities today!

How to Teach Sustainability with Hope

Quick Summary: This course is for both primary and secondary teachers of all subjects, but especially for English, Science, Humanities and Geography teachers who are covering climate change and the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability.