Current Electricity Intro 2 - Distance Learning or Homeschool for KS3

This action-packed distance or home learning pack explains everything a student needs to know about current, voltage and lamps in series and parallel circuits. Students will also practice drawing circuit diagrams from descriptions and designing results tables.

This resource has been designed so that the animated PowerPoint replaces the teacher by providing structure, sequence, knowledge and answers. The worksheets, cut-outs, foldable and progress check provide a familiar medium for students to develop and test their knowledge, continue to develop their literacy skills and use their creativity to organise their learning and assess their progress.

The simulated practicals take the student through planning, designing a table and drawing conclusions from a given set of typical results.

Objective

To know that:

• voltage is measured in volts (v);
• voltage is measured by a voltmeter placed in parallel in a circuit.
• the battery voltage is shared across all the components in a series circuit and understand why;
• the voltage across each component is the same as that across the battery in a parallel circuit and understand why;
• units for current is the amp (A).
• ammeters measure current and are used in series.
• current is the same at all points in a series circuit;
• current divides in a parallel circuit;
• adding the current in each branch of a series circuit gives the current in the main part.
• if lamps are identical in a parallel circuit, the same current will flow through each;
• as lamps are added in a series circuit the lamps become dimmer;
• as identical lamps are added in a parallel circuit the brightness of the lamps does not change;
• if the lamps in a series circuit are identical, all the lamps are of equal brightness;
• if the lamps in a parallel circuit are identical, all the lamps are of equal brightness;
• if a lamp is removed or breaks in a series circuit, the others will go out;
• if a lamp is removed or breaks in a parallel circuit, the others will stay on.

To be able to:

• draw series and parallel circuits from descriptions and sketches;
• deduce voltmeter readings in series and parallel circuits;
• deduce readings on ammeters and voltmeters in series and parallel circuits.

Resources

• 1. An animated PowerPoint which guides the student through the lesson by:
• explaining how to use distance learning effectively;
• explaining how to use this resource;
• explaining current, voltage and resistance and the relationship between them;
• providing the answers to all the worksheets so that the students can mark and correct their work.

1. Four worksheets, and two cut-out activities, the answers to which are in the PowerPoint.

2. A foldable and cut-out activity so that students can record and organise their learning.

3. A checklist for students to use to assess their progress.

4. Digital quick test.

5. For those students without internet or a computer at home a condensed printable copy of the PowerPoint is provided.

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