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Electricity is presented as
an interactive animation. Pupils review
the features of the analogy, and then
alter the various parts of the analogy
to observe the effects on ‘current’
and ‘energy transfer’. There
are also questions with the option
of printing out pupils’ answers
to enable the teacher to check their
understanding.
Electricity can be used either
in support of your existing teaching,
or as part of ‘Teaching Science
for Understanding: Electric Circuits’,
a teaching scheme developed by the
Centre for Studies in Science and
Mathematics Education, University
of Leeds, from research evidence on
pupils' learning about electric circuits.
The full programme is available for
you to print out below, and provides
a context for using this interactive
analogy.
Electricity consists of five
sections:
1. An introduction to the analogy
Pupils review the components of
the analogy and relate them to the
corresponding parts of the electric
circuit. The pupils’ answers
to the questions can be printed out
for checking by the teacher.
2. Matching the analogy to circuit
diagrams
Pupils are asked to match a number
of circuit diagrams to the appropriate
version of the analogy.
3. Interactive analogy
Pupils run an interactive version
of the analogy in which they can vary
the number of bakeries (cells) and
supermarkets (bulbs) in a simple series
circuit. The pupils can observe the
effect of these changes on the amount
of bread carried by each delivery
van and the rate at which the vans
arrive at the supermarket. A simple
meter indicates the rate at which
vans pass any point in the ‘circuit’
(as counted by the traffic observer
whose position can be changed). The
rate of supply of bread to and from
the supermarket is represented by
the number of customers leaving the
supermarket.
4. The analogy for a parallel
circuit
Pupils run a ‘parallel’
version of the analogy with a single
bakery (cell) and two supermarkets
(bulbs). The position of the traffic
observer can be changed, showing the
variation in rate of passage of vans
(current) around the circuit, and
this can be compared with readings
taken from the ‘series’
circuits of Section 3.
5. Incorrect analogies
Pupils are asked questions about two
incorrect versions of the analogy
to check their understanding. The
pupils’ answers can be printed
off for checking.
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