How Does Electricity Reach Our Homes?

Have your students ever wondered how the lights magically come on at home or at school? We often take electricity for granted and may not stop thinking about how it arrives at our homes, schools or places in the community. Let’s take a quick look at how electricity can enter our houses to understand better how electrical energy is generated.

• Coal – Coal is burnt at the power plant to generate steam. Nuclear power stations and hydroelectric plants are some other ways that electricity can be generated.
• Power Station – A turbine spins a giant magnet inside a copper wire to generate heat. This energy is then converted into mechanical energy and then to electrical energy, which is stored in a generator.
• Transformer – The electrical energy flows through insulated wires to a step-up transformer. The step-up transformer raises the pressure so the electricity can travel long distances over the power grid.
• Substation – At the substation, the pressure is lowered to 2000 –  13 000 volts.
• Transmission Tower – The current is still very strong and travels along power lines to another transformer. The pressure is lowered to 120 – 240 volts.
• Service Box – The electrical energy is delivered to your house! A meter measures how much power you use.

Download Your Electricity Poster Today!

Teach Starter has created an informative science poster for your year 6 classroom that you can use during your unit on electricity. If you are ready to get your hands on this printable teaching resource, head on over to the green download button! Here, you will find the quick-print PDF file and the editable Google Slides document. If selecting the Google Slides option, please note that you will first be prompted to make a copy of the resource to your personal drive before accessing it.

Consider printing this classroom poster on thick card and laminating it to ensure it lasts many years!

More Resources for Your Electricity Lesson Plans!

Make sure to check out some of our suggested electricity resources below!  

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