Flowing Electrons

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. 

After reading a short paragraph on how electrical switches work, learners look at four examples of electrical circuits, and circle the ones which will allow a lightbulb to be lit. This would be a good precursor to having your charges...

Students examine how electric circuits are controlled with a switch. They incorporate a switch into a battery/bulb circuit. They design and create their own switches using everyday materials.

Make electricity flow through Play-Doh. Individuals create animals or other creatures using Play-Doh. The engineering aspect? Eyes that light up and Play-Doh that conducts electricity.

The lights don't always go out when the switch is flipped. The 10th lesson in a series of 14 helps learners build a conceptual understanding of the flow of electricity through a parallel circuit. They then build their own parallel...

Elementary schoolers discover how electricity travels and create an electron flow through a closed circuit. They work together to make a closed circuit and observe the electricity being made. This outstanding lesson plan is well worth...

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...

Third graders investigate electricity.  In this electricity lesson, 3rd graders observe a familiar battery-operated toy and brainstorm reasons why and how the battery works.  Students work in pairs to explore batteries, bulbs, and wires,...

For this fifth grade activity, students explore electric circuits by acting out different types, then construct circuits themselves.

Set to upbeat instrumental background music, eight slides present pictures of electrical wires, batteries, and appliances, Each slide is accompanied by a few sentences that introduce viewers to concepts related to current electricity....