Things you'll need to decide on as you plan: Power and Voltage

Bringing together two sets of constraints

Focusing on the learners:

Distinguishing–eliciting–connecting. How to:

• keep ideas of power, energy, charge and current separate
• connect the calculations to everyday concerns
• emphasise differences between current and voltage measurements

Teacher Tip: These are all related to findings about children's ideas from research. The teaching activities will provide some suggestions. So will colleagues, near and far.

Focusing on the physics:

Representing–noticing–recording. How to:

• use the idea of voltage, rather than getting stuck on explaining the idea
• be clear and consistent about your use of prepositions
• relate calculations back to physical changes in loops

Teacher Tip: Connecting what is experienced with what is written and drawn is essential to making sense of the connections between the theoretical world of physics and the lived-in world of the children. Don't forget to exemplify this action.