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voltage, current & resistance

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: voltage, current & resistance

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about voltage, current & resistance. Then check against the key terms: key terms from voltage, current & resistance. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from voltage, current & resistance.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: voltage, current & resistance. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Electronics because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of voltage, current & resistance

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about voltage, current & resistance.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: voltage, current & resistance

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on voltage, current & resistance. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Voltage is the potential difference that drives charge through a circuit, measured in volts (V).
Key Fact: Current is the rate of flow of charge, measured in amperes (A); 1 A = 1 C/s.
Key Fact: Resistance opposes the flow of current, measured in ohms (Ω).
Key Fact: Ohm's Law states V = IR, linking voltage, current and resistance linearly for ohmic conductors.
Key Fact: Conventional current flows from positive to negative; electron flow is opposite, from negative to positive.
Key Fact: Charge is quantised: Q = It, where charge is measured in coulombs (C).

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of voltage, current & resistance

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: voltage, current & resistance

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from voltage, current & resistance. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: voltage, current & resistance

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Explain the relationship between voltage, current and resistance, and describe how each is measured in a circuit. <div class="

Voltage, current and resistance are related by Ohm's Law: V = IR. Voltage (potential difference) is the driving force that pushes charge through a circuit and is measured in volts using a voltmeter connected in parallel across the component. Current is the rate of flow of charge (I = Q/t), measured in amperes using an ammeter connected in series with the component. Resistance opposes current flow and is measured in ohms; it can be calculated from voltage and current measurements using R = V/I. For ohmic conductors, resistance remains constant regardless of the applied voltage, producing a straight-line V-I graph through the origin.

Exam Tips: Always state Ohm's Law as V = IR before rearranging in calculations. | Show full working: write the formula, substitute values, then give the answer with units. | Remember conventional current is positive to negative; exam questions often use this convention. | Check that your answer is sensible: resistance should not be negative in basic circuits. | When describing measurements, always specify whether the meter is in series (ammeter) or parallel (voltmeter).
Common Errors: ✗ Confusing electron flow direction with conventional current direction. ✓ Conventional current flows positive to negative; electrons flow negative to positive. ✗ Connecting an ammeter in parallel with a component. ✓ An ammeter must be connected in series to measure current correctly. ✗ Forgetting to include units in the final answer. ✓ Always include the correct SI unit: V, A, Ω or C. ✗ Assuming all components obey Ohm's Law. ✓ Only ohmic conductors have a constant resistance; filament lamps and diodes are non-ohmic.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how voltage, current &amp; resistance connects to another Electronics topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of voltage, current &amp; resistance
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in voltage, current &amp; resistance?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)