Curated OER
How a Circuit Works
Students explore the differences between parallel and series circuits by designing and constructing several different circuits. In small groups, they use miniature light bulbs, wires, and nine-volt batteries to build the circuits they...
It's About Time
Exploring Energy Resource Concepts
Please turn off the lights to conserve energy. Or not, after all energy is always conserved. This first lesson in an eight-part series includes three parts. Part A contains one hands-on activity and two inquiry-based experiments on heat...
Curated OER
Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors
Middle schoolers will investigate the differences in conductivity of materials, design a variety of complete circuits, and observe the differences between the manner in which light is produced in an incandescent light bulb and an LED.
Curated OER
Switched Circuit Experiment
In this switched circuit experiment worksheet, students follow the procedures to build a simple circuit with batteries, light bulbs and paper clips.
Curated OER
Electricity Danger
Students determine how electricity is useful but also can be dangerous. They observe a teacher demonstration of the hazards associated with touching wires using a puppet, batteries, wire, and a light bulb. They devise a list of...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Make an Electric Quiz
In this electric circuits worksheet, students follow the directions to construct an electric quiz board. When the correct answer in one column is matched with the question in another, the light bulb will light up.
Curated OER
How Do Circuits Work?
In this circuits worksheet, students study a diagram showing a network of wires and switches for electrons to flow from a battery to a light bulb. Students use this diagram to complete 2 fill in the blank statements.
DiscoverE
The Power of Graphene
When you think electric circuits, your pencil probably isn't the thing that comes to mind. A simple experiment lets learners test whether the graphene in pencil lead is a conductor or an insulator. If the LED bulb lights up, a conductor...
US Department of Energy
Get Connected!—An Electrical Conductivity Tester
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.
Curated OER
Batteries and Bulbs
Students examine the uses of batteries and bulbs and explain the differences between series and parallel circuits. In this circuits activity students complete a lab activity.
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.
Curated OER
Electricity
Young scholars watch instructor present demonstrations of the basic principles of static electricity, and then conduct some of their own experiments. In small groups, students build simple circuits, using batteries, to try to light up a...
Curated OER
What Is Electricity?
Students investigate vocabulary words associated with electricity. In this electrical lesson, students utilize the Internet to research what electricity is and how it works. Students create an actual circuit in class using a battery,...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
DC Series Circuits
In this circuits worksheet, students review how series circuits work, how volts are created, and how resistors effect the voltage. This worksheet has 11 problems to solve and includes the answers.
Curated OER
Circuits and Symbols
In this circuits worksheet, students read about the symbols used in drawing circuit diagrams and then complete 16 matching, 2 multiple choice, and 4 short answer questions.
Curated OER
How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
Curated OER
How a Circuit Works
Students discover the basic principles of circuits by designing and testing some of their own. They are told that circuits usually have a power source such as a battery and a resistor such as a light. Students make a circuit using a...
Curated OER
Electricity: Going with the Flow!
Fifth graders explore a simple circuit. They experiment with a wire, light bulb and a bettery to see how many ways they can make the light bulb light up. Students describe how they were or were not ablt to light the bulb.
Curated OER
Electrical Circuits - Current & Voltage in Series Circuits
Students investigate the relationship between current and voltage in a series circuit. For this physics lesson, students measure the current across each light bulb. They predict what happens to the circuit if one bulb is blows out.
Curated OER
Electric Circuits
Fifth graders build a simple circuit which transmits Morse code using a battery, bulb, wire, switch, and tape. They analyze problems that arise while transmitting their messages to each other.
Curated OER
The Electric House Project
Students design and build a foam core house which has a light in each room. They demonstrate an understanding of series, parallel, and complex circuits. They complete a worksheet, in complete, sentences expressing these electrical concepts.
Curated OER
Magnetism and Electricity
Learners demonstrate a comprehension of the properties, position, and motion of objects and materials, and of light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. They use materials to assemble an electric circuit and test materials, including...