Goodnight Mister Tom - Electricity
Goodnight Mr Tom by the English author Michelle Magorian is a popular story when learning about WWII. It follows Willie Beech as he is evacuated to the country just as the country is poised to go to war. Willie is a sad, deprived child, who slowly begins to flourish under the care of old Tom Oakley. As he begins to enjoy life in the country, Willie is summoned back to London by his mother. Mr Tom senses that Willie is in danger and returns to London to rescue Willie and takes him back to the countryside, where Willie begins to rebuild his life.
This moving novel tackles some difficult themes of child abuse and neglect as well as giving readers a glimpse into wartime Britain. There are opportunities for children to also explore:
- the relationship between the brightness of a lamp or the volume of a buzzer with the number and voltage of cells used in the circuit
- switches
- use recognised symbols when representing a simple circuit in a diagram.
Key scientific vocabulary: volume, voltage, current, resistance, switch, cell, simple circuit, paralell circuit
Other fiction books with a similar theme
Blackout- John Rocco
Hitler’s Canary – Sandi Toksvig
Squishy Circuits
Squishy Circuits begin with two types of pliable dough: a conductive dough allows for current flow, and a non-conductive dough that helps isolate different areas of a circuit. Each of these doughs are non-toxic and can be made at home or at school. Squishy circuits create opportunities for children to make exciting electrical models - utilising their knowledge and understanding of electricity in a more dynamic way than the traditional circuits they build in science using the battery holders, bulbs in bulb holders etc....
The children may design and make their own models and think about how they can add sound or light. For example, in chapter sixteen when Mr Tom returns to London he is caught in an air raid. The children could either design and make a torch to use in the air raid shelters, or they could make a siren to warn of an air-raid.
Words Along Wires
In chapter five, it is announced on the wireless that Britain is at war with Germany. The Second World War showed an increase reliance on the use of electricity from creating complex circuits to power search lights, sending signals to set off air raid sirens and sending messages to different positions on the fighting line.
As part of the messaging system the Army and Navy etc used the Morse code. Challenge the children to make their own electrical circuit which recreates a Morse code system, possibly even with a different switch for the longer and shorter light flashes.
A New Revolution
In this engineering challenge the children are asked to invent a new motorised object. They need to about the need for the product and how much better a motor can make the experience for the user. Make an advert to promote their new object and then promote their new invention to a Dragons Den panel.
The children think about existing objects which have had a motor added for example the toothbrush or the whisk and consider how motorisation has made those objects more efficient.
In chapter one of Goodnight Mr Tom, we see what his kitchen is like - it is a simple room, with few modern appliances. Ask the children to think about which items in Mr Tom's kitchen would be powered by electricity now.
Making Contact
This resource by Royal Institution encourages children to look at the history and continued development of the telephone. Children can consider how telephones work, and how have they changed over time? The children are then encouraged to find conductive and insulative materials.
Children then investigate how their touch pad mouse works. Does it still work when they are wearing a glove? It does not work. Encourage the children to predict, make a hypothesis, create, test and amend a glove that will work a touch pad or touch screen without being removed. Encourage pupils to explain how their new glove works.
Children could then go on to investigate conductive materials using makey makey kits or BBC Microbits.
EON Energise Anything
This campaign by EON looks at electricity in its widest sense. A series of three animated cartoons explores electricity. The first film INSULATOR or CONDUCTOR looks at how electricity reaches our homes. It also explores how nature uses electricity for example Bees use an electrical charge to collect pollen. The second film GENERATIONS OF POWER talks about the changing face of our need from the first humans to now. Children consider how we use energy and how electricity might be produced in the future. The third film THE NATURE OF INSULATION looks at how we can conserve energy. Taking inspiration from nature, the penguin family look for better ways to keep warm.
Each film is accompanied by activities to try out in the classroom or at home.
Flying Tinsel
This film demonstrates some fun activities exploring static electricity. Children could then research how Bees and Spiders use static electricity.
