2.7 Man's use of electricity

Natural sciences

Grade 4

Energy and change

Module 32

Man’s use of electrical energy

Activity:

To investigate man’s use of electrical energy

[lo 1.2, 1.3, 2.2]

In our own country, South Africa

We get electricity from power stations that supply power to the whole country. The electricity supply of each town or city depends on the size of the area, the number of houses, the number of factories and the number of people.

Find pictures to represent the uses of electricity in your town or city. Paste the pictures in the space provided below.

Write a short sentence on the use of electricity in the following places: Describe how the people who belong to your culture found safe ways of using electricity in years gone by.

On farms

In factories:

In mining areas:

In our community:

List the situations in which electricity is used in our community.

Three assignments follow. Choose one and act out the event of your choice.

There is a power failure at your school. Show through your acting how it affects

1. you?
2. your educator?
3. the caretaker?
4. the secretary?
5. the principal?

Some schools in our country have no electricity. How do you think the staff and learners manage to do the schoolwork?

There is a power failure at the hospital. Show through your acting how it affects

1. the patient?
2. the doctor and nursing staff?
3. the kitchen?
4. the theatre?

There is a power failure at the supermarket. Show through your acting how it affects

1. the clientele?
2. the manager?
3. the cash register?
4. the bakery section?
5. the meat section?
6. the cooling system/fridges?

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 1: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS

The learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner

1.2 leads investigations and collects data;

• evaluates data and provides feedback on observations.

LEARNING OUTCOME 2: CONSTRUCTING SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE The learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge.

Assessment Standard

We know this when the learner

2.2 categorises information.

Memorandum

In our country, South Africa

Write a short sentence on the utilization (use) of energy in the following places. (The learners must write their own sentences according to their cultural group, to indicate how safe methods of using energy have been found throughout the past years. These sentences are merely guidelines.)

On farms:

A farmer uses electricity to save time, energy and money, but then he might not need so many workers.

In factories:

Factories cannot run without electricity. The machines that make products work for very long hours.

In mining areas:

Machines that are used in mines use electricity. This saves time and makes the miners’ work easier.

In our community

Make a list of where we use electricity in our community.

• Homes
• Supermarkets
• Chemist shops
• Hospitals
• Streets
• Shopping centres
• Churches
• Any other acceptable answers