At Pao Primary School, the 'Innovation and Technology Gallery' exhibition themed 'How Electricity Lights Up Life' was recently concluded. Projects ranged from a self-illuminating wardrobe through a universal battery to a backpack that reminds students to do their homework. These were presented as hand-drawn idea booklets, video demonstrations, and working prototypes.
The playful and inventive projects all began with a hands-on science expedition, to discover the secrets of electricity. In 'Full Power,' Year 4's first Exploratory Unit, students investigated the fundamentals of circuits through inquiry and experiments, evaluated the soundness of electrical tests, and reflected on the responsibilities individuals and communities share when using and choosing energy sources.
Throughout the unit, students developed both their conceptual understanding and hands-on skills. They learned about the components of electrical circuits, different circuit types, conductors and insulators, and the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. They also practiced two core scientific skills: predicting how changes to an independent variable will affect results, and evaluating investigations for fairness while suggesting possible improvements.
They investigated topics in a variety of ways, consulting reference materials, documenting their findings, and presenting their discoveries. The school encouraged parents to extend those conversations at home by discussing how household appliances work, exploring how electricity is generated in everyday life, or imagining future energy scenarios.
For the unit showcase, the Year 4 exploration-unit teachers reviewed student work from across the term and designed the 'Innovation and Technology Gallery' as a display space for it. The exhibition invited students to deepen their understanding by applying circuit principles to everyday problems and small annoyances. "Working individually or in small groups, students created product posters in class and built prototypes outside school hours," said Year 4 Cohort Leader Mariah Mao. "We were pleasantly surprised by how dedicated they were."
"Since I don't have a bedside lamp, I designed the Auto Light Closet to fix that problem. It uses a battery, an automatic opener/closer and built-in lights, and after trying different approaches we learned which ideas worked and which didn't.
—— Ella Bristow
"I invented a 'magic battery.' When we only had one battery left and no new ones, I tried using a small piece of metal, like a paperclip, to get the toy working for a short time. It's dangerous though—don't try this on your own; always ask an adult or use proper batteries."
—— Charles Jiang, Yichen Cui
"This car can be charged using your home's electricity, so kids don't have to worry about dead batteries anymore! Just supply power to the floor, and the electricity will transfer to the devices. Before long all the batteries will be fully charged."
—— Alexander Chane-Yene
"Our slogan is: 'Forgot your homework? Don't worry, the homework reminder will help. We combined a backpack, a scanner and an alarm together to make a homework reminder. Scan the QR code to hear our explanation."
—— Harvey Lin, Brian Yang
"This device reminds students to put on their red scarf before they leave in the morning. This is our circuit diagram. The circuit uses a battery, a camera, a speaker and software running in the background. If the camera detects that you are not wearing a red scarf, the door handle will not unlock."
—— Claire Ni, Tina Yu
