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...

Young scholars construct their own battery made of lemons. In this electrochemistry instructional activity, students explain why lemons conduct electricity. They perform a series of experiments to investigate its conductivity.

Fifth graders investigate how chemical energy in food and batteries is potential or stored energy. They discuss how batteries function, and create a class list of different forms of energy. Students then create a lemon battery that...

A solar cell is similar to a rechargeable battery in many ways. Science lab groups connect each in a series circuit to run a mini motor and then compare and contrast them by answering questions and completing a Venn diagram. This is an...

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...

In this circuits activity, learners read about the symbols used in drawing circuit diagrams and then complete 16 matching, 2 multiple choice, and 4 short answer questions.

Learners explore simple electrical circuits. Students experiment, using different configurations, to determine what is necessary to compeete a circuit. Learners observe similarities between arrangements that work and differences in...

The purpose of the slide show is to help learners understand that there are different types of lights, that they have an on/off switch, and that they can be made out of a variety of materials. There are quite a few nice pictures of lamps...

Students build parallel circuits, exploring how they function and looking at their unique features. They describe how current changes when batteries are added in parallel or removed from a parallel arrangement, demonstrate the process of...

Students recognize that inventions are developed to fill a need.In this inventions lesson plan, students become familiar with the inventing process and create simple inventions. Students complete a worksheet about their inventions.

Liquid or not, here comes the electricity. Scholars test the conductivity of various substances using a circuit that includes a light bulb. If the light bulb lights up, then the liquid is a conductor. What a bright idea!

Students light a LED clock or light bulb using potatoes. They examine how a battery works in a simple circuit. They determine how chemical energy changes to electrical energy while experimenting with potato powered circuits.

Young scholars examine electrical contacts, solar cells, and rechargeable batteries and compare and contrast the characteristics of a solar cell to a rechargeable battery in a hands-on activity. Students complete a worksheet as they...

Students examine the uses of batteries and bulbs and explain the differences between series and parallel circuits.  In this circuits lesson students complete a lab activity.

Student explore the relationship of static electricity to current electricity, circuits, electromagnets, electro generators, and public electric utilities. In this Green Team lesson plan, 4th graders participate in hands-on science...

Students explore how a circuit works and create a circuit to use energy from a battery to light a bulb. In this introduction to circuits lesson, the students study the parts of a circuit and have a class discussion of what would happen...

Fifth graders investigate conductors and insulators by testing their hypotheses. They use copper wire and batteries to light a bulb. They use a penny and a plastic spoon to determine which is an insulator and which is a conductor.

Pupils 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.

Students explore electricity.  In this interactive electricity lesson plan, students create static electricity with balloons, observe the rate at which ice melts to identify conductors and insulators, and create a static...

In this electrical circuits worksheet, students answer 12 questions about basic circuits including identifying parts of a circuit, answering questions about shorted circuits and determining if voltage would exist at certain test points...

In this online electricity activity, students are asked 10 questions about electric current and battery energy, an online answer key provided.

In this circuit instructional activity students complete a series of questions using diagrams of different types of circuits and explain why they fail or work. 

Students examine the San Jose Light Tower as an example of the development of urban lighting circa 1900. They view a slideshow, conduct research and write newspapers to chronicle the lighting ceremony from a variety of perspectives.

Students design and draw circuits with batteries, small light bulbs and common household conductors. They build and test the circuit then modify it so someone who couldn't use their hands could turn the circuit on and off.