Electricity

What do you know about electricity?

Activate your students’ curiosity by getting them to reflect on what they already know about electricity.

Grade

7, 9

Duration

20 mins

Type

Thought starter

Overview

To better understand what your students need to learn about electricity, you can use the "Know Wonder Learn" (KWL) chart to find out what they already know. Engage their curiosity and focus their learning on the topics and questions that they find fascinating. Answers have more meaning when students come up with their own questions.

Instructions

What you'll need

"Know Wonder Learn" chart

Ask students to think about electricity and complete the "Know" column of the chart. What do they already know about how electricity works? Do they know where it comes from? Do they understand what electricity is?
As students reflect on what they know, have them open their minds to consider what they want to explore about electricity. They can write down three or four questions in the "Wonder" column of the chart.
This is an opportunity to talk about the scientific method and the importance of inquiry to science and knowledge.
Share ideas as a class.

Modify or extend this activity

Use the KWL chart throughout your lessons on electricity. Encourage students to keep writing questions in the "Wonder" column and documenting the answers in the "Learned" column.
Find some wall space for a KWL chart the entire class can add to. Your students can use it to track their progress through the various Power Smart for Schools activities.

Curriculum Fit

Grade 7, 9 Science

Curricular competencies

Questioning and predicting

Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest

Assessment

In order to assess student learning, have them review their KWL chart, document in the "Learned" column, and reflect on other things they are now curious about.

Save Print