Science Matters
Series Circuit and Switches
Lights out! Scholars build on their understanding of a simple circuit by adding a switch and creating schematic drawings. The eighth lesson in a series of 14 has pupils use everyday materials to create circuits and make observations as...
Consumers Energy
Circuits and the Flow of Electricity Lesson Plan
I think I lost an electron. Are you sure? Yes, I'm positive! Starting with a hands-on demonstration and problem solving activity, young scientists define vocabulary related to circuitry and currents. Then they build their own circuits...
Curated OER
Casual Patterns in Simple Circuits
Students work in cooperative pairs to create a series circuit and a parallel circuit. Students compare and contrast the two different types of circuits using worksheets that are included.
Bonneville
Introduction to Circuits
Light up the class's knowledge. Pupils build a simple circuit using a battery, wire, and a light bulb and create a diagram of their circuit. The teacher provides a short lecture on a complete circuit, calling attention to the direction...
Curated OER
Electrical Circuits
Students 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. Students construct...
Curated OER
Series and Parallel Circuits
Fourth graders explore electrical circuits. In this electrical circuit lesson, 4th graders research the history of the use of light and read a biography regarding Benjamin Franklin. Students the build basic circuits, series circuits and...
Curated OER
Physical Setting: Physics Exam 2004
Twelve pages of mostly multiple-choice questions comprise this comprehensive New York Regents physics exam. It covers an entire year's worth of physics curriculum and requires about three hours for completion. Review the questions to...
Perkins School for the Blind
Building a Basic Series Circuit
Make science a fully accessible subject for your learners with visual impairments. They'll use tactile models to explore the nature of basic electrical circuits. Template board, wires, batteries, and Velcro are used to construct the...
Curated OER
Electricity and Electrical Circuits
Learners are introduced to electricity and electrical circuits. In groups, they draw circuit diagrams, complete a KWL chart and discover the difference between open, closed and series circuits. They define new vocabulary and make...
Curated OER
Simple Circuit: Electric Currents and Circuits
Through inquiry and exploration, 4th graders will learn and understand the functions of open and closed circuits. They will break into 2 groups, define vocabulary, hypothesize how to light a bulb, then test their hypothesis 4 different...
Curated OER
Ohm's Law: Getting There Hands On
Young scientists inductively derive Ohm's Law of voltage, resistance, and current by creating series and parallel circuits with 9-volt batteries and light bulbs. A week's worth of experiments, observation, and hands-on activities are...
Curated OER
Batteries in Series
Eighth graders examine batteries in a series circuit and the associated voltage. They determine, through inquiry and problem solving, that the total voltage of batteries in a series is the sum of the voltage of each battery. They design...
Curated OER
Earth's Energy
Students discuss the Earth's energy. In this science lesson, students construct a simple circuit, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit.
Curated OER
Electrical Circuits
Sixth graders make an electrical switch. In this electricity lesson plan, 6th graders will make an electrical switch, a series circuit, and a parallel circuit. They explain an open and closed circuit and give examples of series and...
Bonneville
Macro-Scale Solar
There's no substitute for the power of the sun. The second of four installments of the Solar Resources Assessment unit looks at macro-scale photovoltaic (PV) technology. Future scientists first learn about PV modules with a PowerPoint...
Virginia Department of Education
Electricity and Circuits
Electrify your classroom as you lead pupils through a series of steps to demonstrate basic principles of electricity and magnetism. They design a simple circuit and test this for static electricity and current electricity. Next, they...
Curated OER
Let's Get Connected!
A great lesson plan 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 construct a...
Curated OER
Inventing Circuits
Learners make circuits. In this inventing circuits lesson, students complete a worksheet where they predict whether or not the circuits they create will work. Learners work in groups to create the given circuits and see if their...
Curated OER
Holiday Lights and Circuits
Students create a simple circuit using batteries, wires, and light bulbs. In this circuits lesson plan, students learn the difference between a series circuit and a parallel circuit and connect it to holiday lights they use in their home.
Curated OER
One Path
Students discover that charge movement through a circuit depends on the resistance and arrangement of the circuit components. In a hands-on activity, students build and investigate the characteristics of series circuits. In another...
Curated OER
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....
Curated OER
Batteries in Series: Voltage and Light Intensity
Students participate in a hands-on activity to explore the relationship between the number of batteries in a series circuit and its voltage. Students identify the relationship between two variables and plot points on a graph.
Trash For Teaching
The Light-House Project
Groups work together to design a lighthouse, from designing and drawing the wiring diagram, to creating prototypes of the switch and circuit, to envisioning and building a scale model along with a blueprint. By including different...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Small Scale Stenciling: Mask Lab
Investigate the procedure for developing computer chips! Learners use solar print paper to create both positive and negative images. They observe the effects of single and multiple exposures and compare results.