Electricity is a form of energy. This energy is stored in batteries (also known as cells) or comes into our houses and other buildings along wires. Many items we use every day rely on electricity to work.
Smaller appliances, such as watches and phones, are powered by batteries. Larger products, for example freezers and washing machines, have to be plugged in to mains electricity.
Teach your children about the electricity using our handy topic guide!
Teaching Ideas
- Play this fun game where children carry out an action to describe seven electricity words.
- Read Traction Man meets Turbodog with your children and try some of our related teaching ideas.
- Test different materials to find out if they are electrical conductors or insulators.
- Play the Electric Eddy Energy Saving game.
- Learn about electrical symbols and diagrams with these free resources.
- Teach your children how static electricity works, how current flows and how switches work with these fun experiments.
Resources
- Download our Electricity Mini Pack for loads of information and resources.
- Use our fact cards to teach your children about electricity and circuits.
- Our electricity and circuits banners are perfect for classroom displays.
- This great infographic gives a brief history of electricity and magnetism.
Electricity Knowledge Organiser
Members of Teaching Packs can download a comprehensive knowledge organiser to accompany this topic. It includes key information that your children can use for reference and research, along with a glossary, circuit symbols, electrical safety advice and more.
Not a member yet? Join us today!
Electricity Facts
- Electricity travels at the speed of light. That’s more than 186,000 miles per second!
- One flash of lightning could power 1000 houses for a whole year. Lightning lasts one second, but can create up to 3 million volts of electricity.
- English scientist William Gilbert discovered electricity around the year 1600.
- Electric eels can produce strong electric shocks of around 500 volts for both self-defence and hunting.
- A bolt of lightning can measure up to three million (3,000,000) volts (and last less than one second).
Videos
Electricity Rap
This is a Science rap to help you understand the basics for electrical circuits, including series and parallel circuits.
Running time: 4:46
Introduction to Electricity
This video helps children to learn about electricity in a simple and easy way.
Running time: 5:25
How is electricity made?
Two children meet Curious Cat, an animated cat who asks them if they would like to find out how electricity is generated.
Running time: 9:39
How Batteries Work
Even the best batteries will diminish daily, slowly losing capacity until they finally die. Why does this happen, and how do our batteries even store so much charge in the first place?
Running time: 4:19
Books
Oscar and the Bird
When Oscar the kitten finds a tractor in a field and accidentally turns on the windshield wipers, he is full of questions about electricity. Luckily, Bird knows the answers!
Charging About
This series uses cartoon style illustrations and humorous narrative text to teach children about electricity. It also includes an experiment, facts and links to useful websites.
Electric Storm
Keesha and the rest of Ms. Frizzle’s class are gearing up for an exciting trip through the world of electricity when they collectively become a bolt of lightning.
The Shocking Story of Electricity
This book explores the fascinating story of electricity from the earliest experiments to the gadgets and gizmos of the modern world.
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Electricity!
This series takes readers on a historical journey, examining how electricity works and exploring the ingenious ways that people have controlled and used it throughout the ages.
Shocking Electricity
Horrible Science: Shocking Electricity is packed with sizzling zap-filled facts to electrify every reader.
Essential Science: Electricity
What exactly is electricity, how do we generate it, and how can we use it? This book explores the phenomenon that keeps the modern world up and running.
Electrigirl
Holly Sparkes is just your average 12-year-old, that is, until she’s hit by a bolt of lightning. Now Holly is EXTRAordinary.
Links
- This page on BBC Bitesize give an overview of the topic, with animations to watch.
- These animations teach children how to be safe around electricity.
- The Fuse Box has a range of activities and resources for teachers of students at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
- UK Power Networks has information (and a quiz) to help children stay safe with electricity.
- This video from Teachers TV explores the different ways that electricity can be used.
Are you teaching your children about other topics? Explore our full collection of guides!
If you have found a broken link, or if you have any other suggestions to add to this page, please let us know. Thank you!
