Heat and Electricity
Science • 30 • 6 students • Created with AI following Aligned with Australian Curriculum (F-10)
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Teaching Instructions
need 20 lesson using the following information. Big Picture
What is the purpose of this text for our students?
To connect science concepts to things students see and use at home, school and in the community.
To build students’ vocabulary around words such as hot, cold, warm, light, on, off, switch, safe and electricity.
To support students to communicate their understanding using speech, gestures, visuals, AAC, Key Word Sign, pointing or matching.
What is the textual concept? (Located on English Scope and Sequence) - context and perspective
Students explore how heat and electricity are used in different places and situations.
Students connect the text to their own experiences, family routines, culture, environment and daily life.
Students learn that people may use heat and electricity in different ways depending on their home, community and needs.
How does this book connect to students’ lived experiences, interests, or communication needs?
Family
Students may see heat and electricity used at home for cooking, lights, heating, cooling, TV, fans and devices.
Students can connect the text to family routines such as cooking dinner, turning on lights or using warm water.
Language
Students can practise core and topic words such as hot, cold, warm, on, off, light, fan, stop, go, help, more and finished.
Students can respond using verbal language, AAC, visuals, gestures, Key Word Sign, pointing or matching.
What are the key ideas or messages students should engage with, at their level?
Heat and electricity are part of everyday life.
We use heat and electricity at home, school and in the community.
Heat can come from the sun, fire, cooking and warm objects.
Electricity helps things work, such as lights, fans, switches, devices and appliances.
Heat and electricity need to be used safely.
We need to care for Country/land, animals, plants and the environment.
People and families may use heat and electricity in different ways.
Syllabus Outcomes
What outcomes are we targeting in Science?
Students listen and respond to shared texts.
Students engage with pictures, objects, spoken words and written information.
Students identify familiar people, places, objects and actions in a text.
Students build vocabulary related to heat, electricity, safety.
Students communicate ideas using speech, gestures, visuals, AAC or Key Word Sign.
Students answer simple who, what and where questions.
Students make connections between the text and their own experiences.
Students participate in shared reading, discussion and hands-on learning activities.
How do these outcomes build on prior learning?
Builds on matching picture to picture, picture to object and object to object.
Builds on responding to simple questions using visuals, gestures, AAC or verbal responses.
Builds on previous learning about Country/land, nature and caring for the environment.
Extends students’ vocabulary by introducing heat, electricity and safety words.
Continues to support students to communicate choices, needs, observations and ideas.
Student Learning
What do we want students to know, do, or communicate by the end of the unit?
Know that heat and electricity are used in everyday life.
Know that heat can come from the sun, cooking, fire and warm objects.
Know that electricity helps things work, such as lights, fans, switches, iPads and communication devices.
Know that heat and electrical items need to be used safely.
Identify examples of heat, such as sun, heater, oven, fire or warm water.
Identify examples of electricity, such as lights, fan, switch, TV, iPad or device.
Match pictures or objects related to heat and electricity.
Sort items into hot/cold or electrical/non-electrical.
Use core words such as hot, cold, on, off, go, stop, help, more and finished.
Connect the text to home, school, family, nature.
What will success look like for our students?
Student looks at or attends to the shared text.
Student points to, touches or selects a picture or object.
Student matches a picture to a sample.
Student selects the correct item from a small field of choices.
Student uses AAC, visuals, gestures, Key Word Sign or verbal language to respond.
Student identifies hot, cold, light, switch, sun, fan or device.
Student participates in shared reading or hands-on activities.
Student responds to staff modelling.
Student shows awareness of safe and unsafe actions.
Student makes a connection between the text and something familiar from home, school or the community.
How will students show understanding?
By matching pictures to real objects.
By sorting hot and cold items.
By sorting electrical and non-electrical items.
By pointing to or selecting the correct picture when asked.
By using AAC or visuals to request, comment or answer.
By participating in simple demonstrations or experiments.
By identifying safe and unsafe behaviours.
By answering simple questions such as:
“What is hot?”
“What is cold?”
“What uses electricity?”
“Where do we see this?”
“Is it safe?”
By connecting the text to their lived experiences, such as using lights, fans, cooking, devices, the sun, weather.
Overview
Today students connect everyday experiences to science ideas about heat and electricity. They share a short text with pictures, practise key vocabulary and safe choices, and complete hands-on matching and sorting to show understanding.
Learning intentions
- Students will learn that heat and electricity are used at home, school and in the community.
- Students will learn that heat can be hot or cold and can come from the sun or warm objects.
- Students will learn that electricity helps things work (lights, fans, switches, devices) and needs safe use.
- Students will communicate understanding by pointing, matching, selecting, speaking, using gestures, visuals or AAC.
Success criteria
- I can point to or select pictures/objects for hot, cold and “electricity works”.
- I can sort items into “hot/cold” and “electrical/non-electrical” with support.
- I can answer a simple question (who/what/where) using speech, visuals, AAC or pointing.
- I can show safe/unsafe choices by selecting “safe” actions.
Curriculum links
- Science — AC9S5U03: identify sources of light; recognise light travels in a straight path; describe shadows; and note reflection/refracted behaviours (used today through “lights are electricity” and “safe use” of light devices).
- Science — AC9S5H02: investigate how scientific knowledge is used by individuals and communities to identify problems, consider responses and make decisions (today: safety choices and everyday use of heat/electricity).
- Science — AC9S5I02: plan and conduct repeatable investigations to answer questions (today: a guided, repeatable sorting/matching activity with clear variables/criteria).
- Science — AC9S5I06: write and create texts to communicate ideas and findings (today: co-create a picture “safe/unsafe” message and short spoken/AAC responses).
Lesson structure (30 minutes)
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0–4 min · Welcome and routine prompt. Teacher greets students, shows the shared text cover/pictures, and models core words (hot, cold, warm, light, on, off, safe, help). Students attend to the book and respond to “What do you see?” by pointing/choosing from 2–3 options.
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4–10 min · Shared text (context and perspective). Teacher reads/looks through pages showing heat and electricity in family routines (e.g., cooking, turning lights on/off, warm water, fan/TV/iPad) and highlights that families may use things differently. Students answer simple questions using visuals/AAC/pointing: “Where do we see this?” and “Is it safe?”
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10–17 min · Guided matching (communicate using vocabulary). Teacher places real items or photo cards in a small tray: sun/heater/oven (heat examples), ice/cold drink (cold examples), torch/light or lamp (electric light), fan/switch (electricity). Teacher models matching: “Hot” matches “oven.” Students complete 4–6 matches, using matching picture-to-object or picture-to-picture. Teacher prompts vocabulary: hot/cold/warm, light, on/off, switch, safe.
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17–23 min · Sorting investigation (repeatable and fair). Teacher explains the rule clearly: “We will sort items into two groups: hot/cold (heat) and electrical/non-electrical.” Teacher demonstrates one item for each category and keeps the same sorting criteria for the whole group. Students work in pairs/rotations with adult support to sort cards into two colour-coded bins (e.g., red=hot/warm, blue=cold; electrical=works with power, non-electrical=does not). Teacher asks WH questions: “What is hot?” “What is cold?” “What uses electricity?”
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23–27 min · Safety decisions (science knowledge used for decisions). Teacher uses 4 picture cards: safe actions (ask for help, keep fingers away, use switch gently, stay with an adult) and unsafe actions (touch a hot surface, plug in with wet hands, run near cords). Teacher says a decision sentence: “Is it safe? Choose safe.” Students select safe/unsafe and respond with a matched action card (speech or AAC/gesture allowed). Teacher reinforces “help/stop/go” language.
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27–30 min · Exit check (quick evidence of learning). Teacher shows one mystery card at a time. Students point to the correct option: “hot or cold?”, “electricity works?” or “safe or unsafe?”. Teacher records responses.
Resources
- Shared picture book/visual text with pages about heat and electricity in everyday life (home/school/community)
- Picture cards and real object samples (where available): sun/heater/oven photo cards; ice/cold drink photo cards; lamp/torch photo card; fan/switch photo card; non-electrical items (e.g., rock, paper) to avoid confusion
- Two bin labels: “Hot/Cold” and “Electrical/Non-electrical” with clear visual symbols
- Safe/unsafe action cards; laminated choice cards for AAC/key word sign support
- Sentence starter strips (visual): “It is hot/cold.” “It uses electricity.” “It is safe/help.”
- AAC device or low-tech communication boards with key words: hot, cold, warm, light, on, off, switch, safe, help, stop, go, more, finished
- Timer and teacher checklist for quick formative notes
Assessment
- Ongoing formative assessment: teacher checklist noting whether each student can match/select for hot/cold and electrical/non-electrical.
- Listening-and-response check: students answer WH questions (“What is hot/cold?”, “What uses electricity?”, “Where do we see this?”) using approved communication modes.
- Exit ticket (last 3 minutes): one selection per student per category to verify understanding of heat/electricity and safe decisions.
Differentiation
- Support: provide a small field of choices (2 options first, then 3–4); use consistent colour coding for bins; model each step once with a “first then” prompt; allow AAC/key word sign/gesture/pointing rather than speech-only.
- Support for comprehension: pre-teach vocabulary with objects/pictures before sorting; keep questions short and repeated (“Hot or cold?” “Safe?”).
- Extension for advanced learners: ask students to sort with an extra challenge—“warm vs hot” and “light needs electricity” (torch/lamp) while still sorting into heat/electricity categories; add an extra “requires electricity” cue card.
- Dyslexia-friendly reading options: use picture-only prompts and large-print icons; avoid long text during student responses; let students participate through matching/sorting rather than decoding words; provide audio read-aloud if available.
- Behaviour/attention support: rotate stations with brief tasks (3–5 items per round) and use a visual timer so students know when it changes.
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