Curated OER
Electric Circuits
Experiment with electric circuits and conductivity. Young scientists will model and discuss how an electric circuit works. First they will draw a model of the flow of electrons and then build an actual circuit. Finally, they will explain...
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...
Curated OER
Simply Circuitry and Series Circuit
Learners investigate a series circuit. In this physical science lesson, students use a battery, switch, and light bulbs to build an electrical circuit. Learners identify the standard symbols being used in electric circuitry.
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.
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
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
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
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...
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...
Bonneville
Engaging with Solar Panels
Build a fan and become a fan of solar power. The second of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit has learners first construct circuits with solar cells to power a fan, a motor, and an LED. They then test their circuits both...
Curated OER
Circuits
Fifth graders discover the differences between parallel and series circuits. They draw and construct the two types of circuits using wires, bulbs, batteries, sockets, and switches.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Series and Parallel Circuits
Students demonstrate simple circuits and find the differences between parallel and serial circuits. In this electronic lesson plan students work in teams to test different designs using a low voltage light bulb.
Curated OER
Electric Gameboards
Students explore the properties of electricity. In this electricity lesson, students construct an electric game board circuit using their knowledge of a series electrical circuit. Students develop game ideas based on current curriculum,...
Curated OER
Light Your Way
Students 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...
Curated OER
Please Turn Up the Lights!
Eighth graders discuss series and parallel circuits and design an investigation to test a hypothesis on total resistance of series and parallel circuits in combination. After discussion, groups design their experiments, run tests, and...
Curated OER
Series and Parallel Circuits
Students study simple circuits. After a demonstration of parallel and serial circuit designs, students work in teams to predict the difference between two circuit designs. They build examples of two different circuits and test...
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
Circuits and Conductors
Fourth graders investigate the concepts of circuits and conductors. In this circuits and conductors lesson set, 4th graders watch demonstrations of circuits and look at images to identify whether they are complete circuits. They test...
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...
Curated OER
How do Ohm's Law and Constraint-Based Reasoning Help in Thinking About Circuits?
High schoolers investigate Ohm's Law. Through experimentation, students observe Ohm's law. Using the voltage and resistance, high schoolers calculate with Ohm's law. Students collaborate in other activities to apply Ohm's Law to...
Curated OER
Simple Circuits
Students investigate how series and parallel circuits work. In this physics lesson, students build their own simple circuits and compare their characteristics. They explain the importance of circuit breakers in household circuits.
Curated OER
Basic Circuits
Middle schoolers explain the difference between a closed circuit and an open circuit. They construct simple to more complicated series and parallel circuits. They explain the difference between a series and parallel circuit.
Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, University of Texas at Austin
Lesson 8 - Open Syllables
Just like scholars plug something in to close a circuit, they must plug a consonant onto a word to make closed syllables. Help learners distinguish between open and closed syllables with a series of activities that emphasize open...