Can you move like a photon? Young scholars use a maze to reproduce the straight line motion of a photon. The second in a six-part series of lessons on the sun has learners measure angle of incidence and refraction to determine the path...

I get a charge out of this. In order to learn how a generator works, groups build and test one in this ninth lesson of the series. The generators are tested at low speed and high speed to determine the watt output and whether they have...

Students use a battery, wires, small light bulb and a light bulb holder to learn the difference between an open circuit and a closed circuit, and understand that electric current only occurs in a closed circuit. They describe the...

Third graders investigate the concept of how electricity works in the lighting of a light bulb. They construct a circuit in order to follow the path of electricity and test how it can travel in a wire system. Then the light bulb is lit...

Hopefully you have a sensor interface for your physics class to use with graphing calculators when collecting data with a light sensor. If so, read on. Use this resource for learners to predict and then test whether or not the intensity...

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,...

A collection of 15 practice problems, most of them involving circuit schematics, is provided for your physics class on this handout. Learners are to compute the net charge, resistance, energy, or power dissipated for different...

What does it mean to be resistant to electricity? Scholars answer the question in a six-part STEM lesson plan on electricity. They begin by assessing the conductivity of several different materials and progress to designing their own...

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...

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...

Students research types of technology available to Americans at the beginning of the 20th century and compare the style of living to modern times. They identify Thomas Edison's contributions to technology and their own current lifestyles.

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...

Students conduct an investigation. In this energy conservation lesson, students observe and make predictions about fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Working in groups, students conduct an investigation to compare the two light...

Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin.  In this biographical lesson, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current...

Take a very basic understanding of circuits and develop a strong understanding of the parts and function of a circuit. This activity is developed to be an independent exploration of circuits from the basics to series and parallel models....

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...

Collaborative groups connect resistors and solar panels in series and measure electrical resistance, voltage, and current. The objective is to order 16 solar panels from strongest to weakest. They graph current-voltage and power curves...

Let there be light—or maybe not. Pupils learn about light pollution with an investigation of constellations. They create constellation boxes and experiment with different levels of light. Observations are then made about the lighting in...

Fourth graders experiment to find out how to light a bulb with simple materials. They make predictions if a light bulb set-up could work and gain knowledge to tell the difference between an open and closed circuit. They also figure out...

Test six various reagents for their ability to conduct electricity. Cooperating chemists research whether each is ionic or covalent and discover the relationship between bonding and conductivity. This laboratory exercise would be an...

Students 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.

In this saving energy worksheet, students compare and contrast the effectiveness of compact fluorescent lighting, incandescent light bulbs, and light emitting diodes.

Pupils test various materials to learn if the materials are conductors or insulators. They observe a small electric charge go through, or not go through, a material to light up a small bulb.

Ideal for your electricity unit, especially with middle schoolers, this lesson plan gets engineers using multimeters in electrical circuits to explore the relationships among voltage, current, and resistance. Older learners may even plot...