Yesterday we leant all about electricity with Mrs O’Reilly who works for Electricity North West.
She told us what her company does and how it helps and she taught us what conductors and insulators are for. Then we went back to our tables while Mrs Lindley handed out some circuit boards. When we got in our places she asked us if we knew what electricity can turn into. There are four forms: movement, sound, heat and light.
Then Mrs O Reilly told us how to work a circuit board and then we explored how to turn a light bulb on using the switch. Next she asked us if we could work out how to put two light bulbs on. After we worked that out we tried to do three light bulbs and so on but only a couple of people succeeded but for the people who didn’t she showed us.
We learnt about what the word voltage means and what batteries do and that our homes and schools are powered by mains electricity which is 230 volts! After play a photographer came and took some photos of us while we were working on the circuits and these pictures will go on the Electricity North West website, and might get printed in the newspaper! Then we tested which materials are conductors or insulators. When we got back from dinner there were buzzers and motors in our places, we attached our circuit boards to the buzzers and motors which was really exciting! Luckily everyone’s worked. Next we got some traffic lights which attached to the circuit to see if they turned on and we had to work out how to make them change. When everyone took the wires off the circuit we went out to play, and finally we watched a really important movie all about how dangerous electricity is, and that we must NEVER EVER go into an electrical substation!!
We all had a fabulous day with Mrs O’Reilly and learnt lots. Thank you Electricity North West, we hope you come back again to teach us more!!
By Harry and Ruby