Activity Introduction
Quick summary: This lesson is part of a unit that explores how electricity and processed materials combine to power mobile phones. In this lesson, students will investigate the conductivity of various materials and apply this understanding to the circuitry inside a mobile phone. They will learn what makes a mobile phone work and where the materials in a mobile phone come from.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand how electricity is conducted through various different materials
- Students understand the difference between electrical conductors and insulators
- Students understand the role of circuitry inside mobile phones.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 5 & 6 – Design and Technology
- Investigate how electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system (ACTDEK020)
- Investigate characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use (ACTDEK023)
Year 6 – Science
- Changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible (ACSSU095)
- Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed in electrical circuits and can be generated from a range of sources (ACSSU097)
Syllabus outcomes: ST3-6PW, ST3-7PW, ST3-13MW, ST3-6PW, ST3-12MW
General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability.
Relevant parts of Year 5 & 6 achievement standards:
Year 5 & 6 – Design and Technology
Students critically examine technologies − materials, systems, components, tools and equipment − that are used regularly in the home and in local, national, regional or global communities, with consideration of society, ethics and social and environmental sustainability factors.
Year 6 – Science
They learn about transfer and transformations of electricity, and continue to develop an understanding of energy flows through systems.
Topic: Sustainability, Energy, Consumption, STEM/STEAM.
Unit of work: MobileMuster – Hands-on Mobile Phone Recycling – Years 3-6
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – facilitate class discussion, support students in circuit building and phone investigation.
Resources required:
- Student Worksheets – one copy per student
- A device capable of presenting a video to the class
- At least one light (LED or similar), two alligator clip wires and one battery holder per 4 students in the class. Please note that LED lights have positive and negative charged points and students will need support getting this right. If wires are attached incorrectly, this will result in the LED lights breaking, so you will likely need several spares
- A selection of samples of metals that you have access to such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, lithium, or tungsten, and some non-metals, such as plastic, fabric, glass, etc. If you are not able to source metals from home, school or your local high school, they can be purchased from a local electronics or science equipment supplier. Here are some examples of the equipment and where to buy it:
Keywords: Mobile Muster, Energy, electricity, current, circuit, battery, circuit diagram, conductor, insulator, mobile phone, STEM/STEAM.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
