Design Topic: Electricity & Magnetism

Subject: Science

Grade: 5

Designers Name: Lyndsay Harris

STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS

Unit Title: _Electricity & Magnetism_____________________________________________
Established Goals:
I can build simple circuits.
I can ask questions that help me to explore and investigate
I can work alone or with others to plan and carry out procedures.
I can identify example applications of electrical devices in the school and home environment, and classify the kinds of uses.
Categories of electrical use may include such things as: heating, lighting, communicating, moving, computing.
I can design and construct circuits that operate lights and other electrical devices.
I can recognize the importance of switches and other control mechanisms to the design and operation of electrical devices,
and identify purposes of switches in particular applications.
I can construct and use a variety of switches.
(Given a design task and appropriate materials, invent and construct an electrical device that meets the task requirements
possible final project?)

Understandings: Students will understand that

Students learn about electricity

by building and testing circuits.
Using batteries, bulbs and wires,
students construct simple circuits and
test the effects of various modifications.
Through such tests, they
discover that a circuit requires a closed
pathway for electricity and that some
materials conduct electricity and others
do not.
They learn that an electric
current can affect a nearby magnet and
that this property of electricity is used
in making electromagnets and motors.
Potential dangers are examined,
as students learn about the safe use of
electricity.

Essential Questions:

Does a battery produce electricity?

What is an electric circuit?
What kind of materials can
electricity travel through?

Students will know:

Students will be able to:

5-5 Demonstrate safe methods for the

1. Recognize and appreciate the potential

dangers involved in using sources of
electrical currents:
o understand that
household electrical currents are
potentially dangerous and not a
suitable source for experimentation
o understand that small
batteries are a relatively safe source
of electricity, for experimentation
and study, but that care should be
taken to avoid short circuits

study of magnetism and electricity,

identify methods for measurement and
control, and apply techniques for
evaluating magnetic and electrical
properties of materials.

1
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Electricity & Magnetism

Subject: Science

Grade: 5

Designers Name: Lyndsay Harris

o understand that short

circuits may cause wires to heat up,
as well as waste the limited amount
of energy in batteries.
2. Describe and demonstrate example
activities that show that electricity and
magnetism are related:
o demonstrate that
electricity can be used to create
magnetism
o demonstrate that a
moving magnet can be used to
generate electricity.
3. Demonstrate and interpret evidence of
magnetic fields around magnets and around
current-carrying wires, by use of iron filings
or by use of one or more compasses.
4. Demonstrate that a continuous loop of
conducting material is needed for an
uninterrupted flow of current in a circuit.
5. Distinguish electrical conductors-materials
that allow electricity to flow through themfrom insulators-materials that do not allow
electricity to flow through them.
6. Recognize and demonstrate that some
materials, including resistors, are partial
conductors of electricity.
7. Predict the effect of placing an electrical
resistance in a simple circuit; e.g., in a
circuit with a light bulb or electric motor.
8. Recognize that the amount of electricity we
use in our homes is measured in kilowatt
hours.
9. Interpret and explain:
o the reading on a
household electrical meter
o efficiency labels on
electrical appliances.
10. Draw and interpret, with guidance, circuit
diagrams that include symbols for switches,
power sources, resistors, lights and motors.

Performance Tasks (summative):

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Other Evidence (formative):

Capture pictures of complete

circuits with bulbs lit; blog with
explanation and picture (google docs)
Silicon Spies individual
certificate (Electricity)
Unit Exam Electricity Worksheet

KWL Chart assessment as

learning
Kahoot Quiz formative
assessment
Shocking Truth About Electricity
Safety (booklet from Fortis Alberta)
2

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Electricity & Magnetism

Subject: Science

Grade: 5

Designers Name: Lyndsay Harris

Hands-on Experiments
White-board, team exam review
Students show work in front of
class
Key Criteria:

STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN

Summary of Learning Activities:

Safety SLE 1
-Introduced; Revisited through Booklet from Fortis Alberta Shocking Truth
Introduction to Electricity: What is Electricity and how does it flow? SLE 1
(Nov.15 & 16)
-KWL Chart: What do students know about electricity? What do students know about Atoms:
Electrons, Protons, Neutrons?
-Review Electrons, Protons, Neutrons and discuss that electrical energy is the result of the movement
of electrons.
-Discussion on Batteries, copper wire, flow of electricity. Since electrons are negatively charged,
batteries have a positive and negative end. The free electrons in the copper wire are attracted to the
positive charge and the negative charge repels the electrons, thus pushing
-WORD WALL: Proton, Electron, Neutron, Current, Electricity, Battery
Class Activity: What is electricity, Anyway? (Orange duotang pg 8)
-Activity: Hot Stuff (pg 10)
Circuits SLE 4
(Nov 17-22)
-Sheet: Label Bulbs & Battery (orange duotang pgs 2& 3)
Activity: Lights On! (pg 14-15)
You Tube Video: Explaining an Electrical Circuit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU
Activity: Will it Light? (Pg 16-17)
Activity: Open & Closed Circuits (pg 24-25)
Activity: Short Circuits (pg 27-28)
Activity: Making a Switch (pg 30-31)
Series & Parallel Circuits - christmas light demo
Stations:
Parallel
Series
Switch
3
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Electricity & Magnetism

Subject: Science

Grade: 5

Designers Name: Lyndsay Harris

Adding more Batteries

Adding more bulbs
Drawing Circuit Diagrams SLE 10
(Nov 28-30)
Activity: More Wires (pg 20-21)
Conductors vs Insulators, Resistors SLE 5, 6, 7
(Nov 23-25)
Activity: All Conductors Dont Drive Trains (pg 50-51)
ASSESSMENT:
Dec 1: Silicon Spies
Dec 2: Mid-Unit Quiz
Electricity in the home (KWH) SLE 8, 9
Dec 5-7
Activity: Measuring Electricity Usage (pg 66-67)
Relationship between Electricity & Magnetism SLE 2, 3
Dec 8-13
Activity: A Magnetic Experience (Pg 39-40)
Activity: A Field to Remember (pg 46-47)
Activity: Making an Ammeter
Inquiry based project
Dec 14
In preselected pairs, students have to design a circuit that can light a lightbulb. They will draw a
circuit diagram of their circuit. With their design, they have to create an open circuit and test 3-5
items and determine if they are conductors or insulators.
At each step, students take a picture of their circuit and put on google docs. Accompanying this,
students have to write or verbally speak to their circuit, explaining how electricity flows, I will give
key concepts/vocabulary that must be included.
DIFFERENTIATION: select groups of similar learning abilities, CLOZE sheet for written/verbal
portion, open-ended as to what their circuit consists of (criteria can vary depending on skill level).

Brain/Body Breaks as required:

Song about Electricity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-9EwBpQDdg
Dance/Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=NQHijbqEB_E
Rap Song about Electricity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeiWZxhnL4

4
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic: Electricity & Magnetism

Subject: Science

Grade: 5

Designers Name: Lyndsay Harris

5
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)