Purdue University
Design of a Door Alarm
How does electricity work? Budding scientists explore the concepts of electrical currents and open and closed circuits with class discussion and a hands-on activity using a battery to turn on a light bulb. Learners also make predictions...
Scholastic
On or Off?
How does electricity work? Put an electric circuit into your own hands with a short experiment that makes a switch out of a battery, light bulb, and thumb tacks. Young scientists then respond to short answers about why the circuit works.
Teach Engineering
Lighting in My Classroom Survey
How much energy does it take to light a room? Class members calculate the total wattage it takes to light the classroom. Through calculations, responsible scientists determine the cost of energy for the year, then figure out how much...
Curated OER
Applied Science - Physics (K) Post Lab
Students are introduced to electricity. In this electricity lesson, students listen to the book Switch on, Switch off by Melvin Berger and discuss the use of electricity in light switches. They create a picture of an atom using pom poms.
Curated OER
Let There Be Light
Fifth graders explore electricity. In this electricity lesson, 5th graders experiment with open and closed circuits. Students determine how to properly connect a battery and bulb to illuminate the bulb.
Curated OER
Electricity
In this electricity worksheet, students review scientists and inventors of electricity. how electricity is transported, and how electricity is measured. This worksheet has 16 problems to solve, 5 fill in the blank, and 7 short answer...
Curated OER
Light Saver
Turn off the lights! That's right it's time to start thinking about conservation and saving electricity. Here is a very quick and very simple Earth Day craft that kids can do in a wink. They'll make light-bulb-shaped door hangers that...
DiscoverE
Let Your Lights Glow
Put those old holiday lights to good use. Individuals use a section of ornamental lights to create electric circuits. If the lights glow, it's a success; otherwise, it's time to try again!
Curated OER
Typical Numeric Questions for Physics I - Electric Circuits
A collection of 15 practice problems, most of them involving circuit schematics, is provided for your physics class on this handout. Learners are to compute the net charge, resistance, energy, or power dissipated for different...
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.
Museum of Science
Circuit Board
Light up the solutions. By following a set of directions, pupils build a circuit board with six different circuits. Learners use the circuit board to create a matching activity by connecting the questions to the correct answers via a...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Get Connected with Ohm's Law
Ideal for your electricity unit, especially with middle schoolers, this lesson plan gets engineers using multimeters in electrical circuits to explore the relationships among voltage, current, and resistance. Older learners may even plot...
Curated OER
A Shocking Experience
Learners differentiate between current and static electricity, conductors and insulators, explain how energy is converted from chemical to electrical, measure voltage of batteries, collect data on voltage, and predict voltage of...
Curated OER
Interactive Notes-"Electricity"
Students explore electricity. For this interactive electricity lesson, students create static electricity with balloons, observe the rate at which ice melts to identify conductors and insulators, and create a static charge. Activities...
Curated OER
Simple Circuit
In this circuits learning exercise, students follow directions on how to make a light bulb light and answer questions about it. Students answer 1 question about an insulator and 1 about a conductor.
Curated OER
Lightning Rod
In this lightning rod worksheet, students make a lightning rod out of batteries, breadboard, light bulbs, wires, and more. Students also answer 2 questions.
Curated OER
Series Circuit
In this series circuit worksheet, students observe what happens when they make a simple circuit light more than one light bulb. Students follow 3 directions and answer 3 questions.
Curated OER
Parallel circuit
In this parallel circuit worksheet, students use batteries, a breadboard, light bulbs and more to make a parallel circuit and answer short answer questions. Students answer 2 questions.
Curated OER
Signaling
In this signaling worksheet, students follow directions to make a circuit involving batteries, light bulbs, wires and more. Students then try to make morse code signals with their circuit.
Curated OER
A simple computer
In this circuit worksheet, students build a circuit simulating a simple computer using light bulbs, breadboards, push pins and more. Students then complete a chart and answer 1 question.
Curated OER
Electricity and Magnetism: Ben Franklin and His Influence
Fourth graders explore electricity by examining the life of Benjamin Franklin. In this biographical lesson, 4th graders listen to the teacher read facts of Benjamin Franklin's life and analyze his contributions to our current society. ...
Curated OER
Series or Parallel?
Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...
Purdue University
Light – Just Right!
What does it mean to be resistant to electricity? Scholars answer the question in a six-part STEM activity on electricity. They begin by assessing the conductivity of several different materials and progress to designing their own...
PBS
High Tech Fashion
Creatively combine clothes and conductors. Pupils learn how to use conductive thread to make electric circuits. They apply the thread to design and build an accessory item with LEDs.