Purdue University
Design of a Door Alarm
How does electricity work? Budding scientists explore the concepts of electrical currents and open and closed circuits with class discussion and a hands-on activity using a battery to turn on a light bulb. Learners also make predictions...
Curated OER
Simply Circuitry and Series Circuit
Students investigate a series circuit. In this physical science activity, students use a battery, switch, and light bulbs to build an electrical circuit. Students identify the standard symbols being used in electric circuitry.
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Earth's Energy
Learners discuss the Earth's energy. In this science instructional activity, students construct a simple circuit, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit.
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Simple Electrical Circuits
Students construct a simple electrical circuit. In this electrical circuit lesson, students use a cell battery, bulb, and wire to construct a simple circuit. Students read about switches, circuits, and electricity in Electro Wiz...
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Electrical Circuits
Young scholars compare series and parallel circuits. In this electricity and circuits lesson, students roleplay as a "wire" passing an energy ball to demonstrate how a series circuit works and how the circuit can be broken. Young...
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Let's Get Connected!
A great instructional activity introduces your youngsters to electricity. They use internet links, streaming video, and engage in hands-on activities to understand what electricity is and how it works. They build a circuit board, and...
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Series and Parallel Circuits
Fourth graders explore electrical circuits. In this electrical circuit instructional activity, 4th graders research the history of the use of light and read a biography regarding Benjamin Franklin. Students the build basic circuits,...
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Build a Simple Circuit
Students construct an extremely simple series circuit that powers a lamp on and off with a switch. They are in groups of 4 and are given a set of components and have to build the circuit working together as a group. Finally, they have to...
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What's a Resistor?
Learners determine what a resistor does as they construct parallel circuits. In this circuitry lesson, students experiment with batteries, alligator clips, a resistor and a three-way switch to find out what a resistor does. They continue...
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Brown Bag Science
Pupils discover, through the discovery method, how electricity works. They construct a simple circuit and a parallel circuit, make an electrical motor work and add a switch to turn it on and off.
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Exploring Electricity - Four Activities
These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...
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Build a Simple Motor?
Young scholars experience how to construct a simple electromagnet based motor. In groups they explore what a component is and construct a circuit that can rotate the orientation of the magnet by turning the switch on and off....
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Applied Science- Technology Lab (Circuit Boards)
Students examine electricity. In this electrical conduction lesson plan, students create a quiz board (circuit board). They work in small groups to construct the circuit board and come up with questions/answers for the quiz portion. This...
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Constructions and Creations: Sturdy Structures
Have your class draw the plans and design a structure. Learners discuss and investigate the variables in the stability of a 2D and 3D model. They also consider how to add a circuit to the design. Afterwards, they present their work.
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Electricity: Series and Parallel Circuits
Fourth graders explore electricity and electrical circuits. They explore series and parallel circuits using Christmas lights. Students pull lights out of each strand of lights. They observe the results when the light bulb is pulled out....
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Electric Circuits
Fourth graders investigate complete and incomplete circuits. Using an electrical kit that includes a D-cell battery, wiring, and a flashlight bulb, they construct a complete electric circuit that will light the light bulb. Students...
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Electricity And Magnetism
Pupils explore the relationship between magnetism and electricity byby explaining how the model motor operates. They observe the the spinning of a coil of copper wire that is part of a circuit.
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Simplicity of Electricity
Students examine how to make an electrical circuit. They listen to a teacher led discussion, design a switch to control a circuit, and construct a signaling device.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Insulators and Conductors
In a classic activity, emerging electricians test various objects for electrical conductivity in a circuit. Each group constructs a simple circuit by following a diagram. Predictions are made and objects are inserted into the circuit,...
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Bulbs & Batteries in a Row
Students investigate simple series circuits and their properties. In small groups they draw a circuit diagram on their Series Circuit Building worksheet, follow step-by-step directions to construct a simple series circuit, and solve...
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Engineer Webelos Activity Workbook
In this engineering worksheet, students speak with an engineer, surveyor, or architect in their area about the various occupations in engineering and create a list that explains each. They also draw a floor plan of their home and three...
TryEngineering
Circuits and Boolean Expressions
Teach basic logic using Boolean operators. Young computer scientists learn about the operators NOT, AND, and OR, and how they can be expressed using Boolean notation, logic gates, or truth tables. Along the way, they learn about half...
Curated OER
Light the Bulb
Students explore electricity. In this power experiment lesson plan, students determine what is required for lighting a bulb. Students develop an understanding of open and closed circuits, and how energy is formed
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Light Your Way
Learners investigate how a simple series circuit functions. They design and construct a working portable flashlight, develop a written plan for the flashlight, test their flashlight for functionality and reliability, and draw the series...