Interactive
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Electric Circuits: Circuit Builder

For Students 9th - 10th
Students manipulate this virtual electronic circuit board where they can add resistors, light bulbs, wires, and ammeters to build a circuit, explore Ohm's law, and compare and contrast series, parallel, and combination circuits. Three...
Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Common Misconceptions Regarding Electric Circuits

For Students 9th - 10th
In this tutorial, preconceived ideas regarding the nature of charge flow and the role of a battery in a circuit are addressed. In many instances, these preconceived notions about charge flow and batteries are incorrect ideas and are...
Activity
Museum of Science

Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Make a Circuit Board

For Students 3rd - 8th
Step-by-step illustrated instructions showing how to build a circuit board using everyday materials.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lighting the Way: Electrical Circuits and Lamp Wiring

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Through a series of self-guided activities, students will explore basic electrical circuits and then build a working model of a circuit through the process of wiring a lamp. They will understand the flow of electrons through a circuit,...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigate Electric Circuits Through Construction and Illustration

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this physics lesson 4th grade learners investigate electrical circuits in greater depth than the FOSS unit used in a prior grade in school. Students become familiar with a computer simulation allowing them greater choices of materials...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Saltwater Circuit

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students build a saltwater circuit, which is an electrical circuit that uses saltwater as part of the circuit. Students investigate the conductivity of saltwater, and develop an understanding of how the amount of salt in a solution...
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit

For Students 9th - 10th
Build circuits with resistors, light bulbs, batteries, and switches. Take measurements with the realistic ammeter and voltmeter. View the circuit as a schematic diagram, or switch to a life-like view.
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Ac+dc), Virtual Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
Build circuits with capacitors, inductors, resistors and AC or DC voltage sources, and inspect them using lab instruments such as voltmeters and ammeters.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Comparing Current Intensities of Series, Parallel, and Complex Circuits

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will investigate the differences of current in series, parallel, and complex circuits through the construction of a small house containing the different types of circuits.
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Ac+dc), Virtual Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
With this interactive students will build circuits with capacitors, inductors, resistors and AC or DC voltage sources, and inspect them using lab instruments such as voltmeters and ammeters. Students will observe and discuss electricity...
Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Dc Only), Virtual Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
Build circuits with resistors, light bulbs, batteries, and switches and take measurements with laboratory equipment like the realistic ammeter and voltmeter.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Electricity & Energy Circuits

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about electric circuits. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Heat and Light From Electricity

For Students 6th - 8th
Understand the energy transformations that happens when you light a bulb with a battery. Activity requires students to build a simple circuit and take temperature and time measurements. Lab includes procedure with questions that can be...
Activity
Maryland Science Center

Maryland Science Center: Build a Conductivity Tester [Pdf]

For Students 4th - 6th
Instructions on how to build an instrument that can be used to test which materials are conductors and which are insulators, in order to bridge a gap in an electrical circuit.
Activity
Ducksters

Ducksters: Kids Science Projects and Experiments: Electric Circuit

For Students 1st - 9th
Kids learn by experimenting with science. Project on building an electronic circuit.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Electricity: Building Circuits in Elementary Science Class

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this exploration activity, learners compare the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits using wire, light bulbs, and D batteries.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Put a Spark in It! Electricity

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Uncountable times every day "with the merest flick of a finger"each one of us calls on electricity to do our bidding. What would your life be like without electricity? Students begin learning about electricity with an introduction to the...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lights On!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students in this activity will build simple circuits using a battery, wires, and light bulbs. This activity allows students to examine how electricity is conducted through a light bulb using a battery as a power source. Students will...
eBook
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Electrical Engineering: Circuit Analysis

For Students 9th - 10th
Circuit analysis is the process of finding all the currents and voltages in a network of connected components. We look at the basic elements used to build circuits, and find out what happens when elements are connected together into a...
eBook
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Basic Electrical Quantities: Current, Voltage, Power

For Students 9th - 10th
Build an intuitive understanding of current and voltage, and power.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Batteries: Building an Electrolytic Cell

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this inquiry, students will attempt to build an electrolytic cell which will cause a bulb to turn on then diagram the set-up. Included in this lab, students will experience voltage, solve a problem using the Nernst equation, and...
Handout
PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Dance Pad Mania (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
Hands-on challenge to build a dance pad that lets you use your feet to either flash a light or to sound a buzzer. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign the pad if necessary. Activity...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Build a Toy Workshop

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Working as if they are engineers who work for (the hypothetical) Build-a-Toy Workshop company, students apply their imaginations and the engineering design process to design and build prototype toys with moving parts. They set up...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: How Does a Robot Work?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
This lesson plan introduces electricity, batteries and motors using a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robot. The associated activity guides students to build a simple LEGO NXT set-up and see the practical implementation of the concepts discussed....