Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lighting the Way: Electrical Circuits and Lamp Wiring
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,...
National Geographic
National Geographic: Building Circuits
In this lesson, students build series and parallel circuits and test their conductivity. Includes handouts with diagrams, and a vocabulary list with definitions.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Electric Switches
Lesson focuses on how switches control the flow of electricity. Students are posed with the challenge of designing and building a simple switch into an electric circuit.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigate Electric Circuits Through Construction and Illustration
In this physics instructional activity 4th grade students 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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Saltwater Circuit
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...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit
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.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: From Sunlight to Electric Current
The lesson will first explore the concept of current in electrical circuits. Current will be defined as the flow of electrons. Photovoltaic (PV) cell properties will then be introduced. This will lead to the principle of "Conservation of...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Ac+dc), Virtual Lab
Build circuits with capacitors, inductors, resistors and AC or DC voltage sources, and inspect them using lab instruments such as voltmeters and ammeters.
Physics Classroom
The Physics Classroom: Current Electricity: Electrical Resistance: Ohm's Law
There are certain formulas in physics that are so powerful and so pervasive that they reach the state of popular knowledge. The predominant equation which pervades the study of electric circuits is often referred to as the Ohm's law...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Comparing Current Intensities of Series, Parallel, and Complex Circuits
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.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Ac+dc), Virtual Lab
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...
Other
Bc Hydro: Power Smart for Schools: Electromagnetism
This set of activities has students using everyday items (batteries, magnets, compasses, iron and paper clips) to reveal the connection between electricity and magnetism. Ideally, students will already have experience building simple...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Dc Only), Virtual Lab
Build circuits with resistors, light bulbs, batteries, and switches and take measurements with laboratory equipment like the realistic ammeter and voltmeter.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Dance Mania: Build Your Own Dance Pad!
The objective of this electricity and electronics science fair project is to build a dance pad that flashes lights when you step on it.
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Circuit Construction Kit (Dc Only)
An electronics kit in your computer! 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....
Read Works
Read Works: Electricity & Energy Circuits
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about electric circuits. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Heat and Light From Electricity
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...
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: Build a Conductivity Tester [Pdf]
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.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Kids Science Projects and Experiments: Electric Circuit
Kids learn by experimenting with science. Project on building an electronic circuit.
Other
Electricity: Simple Circuits
Create your own simple electric circuit. Using simple supplies build your own battery and investigate conductivity. You can also construct a crossword puzzle with electrical vocabulary words.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Electricity: Building Circuits in Elementary Science Class
In this exploration activity, students compare the difference between series circuits and parallel circuits using wire, light bulbs, and D batteries.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Put a Spark in It! Electricity
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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Lights On!
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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bulbs & Batteries Side by Side
We are surrounded everyday by circuits that utilize "in parallel" and "in series" circuitry. Complicated circuits designed by engineers are made of many simpler parallel and series circuits. In this hands-on activity, students build...