Curated OER
Magnetism And Electricity
Students investigate the concept of electricity and how to build a circuit. They identify the presence of heat, light, sound, and the magnetic effects. Students construct the circuit and draw a diagram that gives directions for its...
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Series or Parallel?
Physics classes that are studying electricity connect photovoltaic cells into both series and parallel circuits. Inquiry and critical thinking come into play as learners try to determine which circuit is more productive. They associate...
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Electricity
Young scholars experiment with a series of circuits. In this chemistry lesson, students discuss voltage, resistance and current as they flow through an electrical circuit. They work in pairs to solve the questions.
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Leyden Jar: Static Electricity
Students experiment with a Leyden Jar, a device that stores electrical charges. A large voltage can be built up in this jar by adding more and more charge. The modern name for this device is a capacitor.
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Electricity And Magnetism
Students explore the relationship between magnetism and electricity byby explaining how the model motor operates. They observe the the spinning of a coil of copper wire that is part of a circuit.
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Organization Station
After students complete an in-class unit on electricity they participate in making a hands-on circuit to create electricity. Then they use the computer program Kidspiration to create a graphic organizer of the content. They print their...
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What Configurations Work to Light a Bulb?
Students explore simple electrical circuits. Students experiment, using different configurations, to determine what is necessary to compeete a circuit. Students observe similarities between arrangements that work and differences in...
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Electricity: Going with the Flow!
Fifth graders explore a simple circuit. They experiment with a wire, light bulb and a bettery to see how many ways they can make the light bulb light up. Students describe how they were or were not ablt to light the bulb.
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Electrical Circuits
Students explore parallel and series circuits. In this electrical circuit lesson, students investigate the differences between series and parallel circuits. Students observe the benefits and drawbacks of series and parallel...
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Energy Conversion in Electricity – Resistors and Circuits
Learners explore electrical energy. In this electricity lesson plan, students design and build a large circuit in order to determine whether circuit size correlates with the light of a bulb.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Electric Messages: Then And Now
Learners engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the history of communication devices that are used today and in the past. They practice using morse code as a look into the past and then cover the modern subjects of...
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How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
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Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator...
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The Shocking Truth About Fruit
Looking for a great lesson plan on circuits and conductors of electricity? Take a look at this one! In it, 6th graders create circuits out of pennies, washers, alligator clips, fruit, and LED’s. Learners use voltmeters to analyze the...
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How a Circuit Works
Students explore the differences between parallel and series circuits by designing and constructing several different circuits. In small groups, they use miniature light bulbs, wires, and nine-volt batteries to build the circuits they...
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Switcheroo
Students construct a simple switch and determine what objects and what types of materials can be used to close a switch in a circuit and light a light bulb.
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Electricity Generation
Students study the history of electricity and the different ways we generate electricity. In this electricity lesson students complete several experiments on generating power.
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Electrical Circuits - Current & Voltage in Series Circuits
Learners investigate the relationship between current and voltage in a series circuit. In this physics lesson, students measure the current across each light bulb. They predict what happens to the circuit if one bulb is blows out.
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity B
In this second of three activities, energy engineers plan and create a hydropower dam as they learn how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity. A hydropower puzzle is also included, which can be worked on by teams that finish...
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Lemon Battery
Students construct their own battery made of lemons. In this electrochemistry lesson, students explain why lemons conduct electricity. They perform a series of experiments to investigate its conductivity.
Wind Wise Education
Understanding Forms and Sources of Energy
What is the difference between a form of energy and a source of energy? This first activity in a series of 19 lessons uses demonstrations and discussions to introduce energy to the class. Through using hand-generator flashlights,...
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Electrifying Electricity
Students explore the basics of electricity using common everyday items as well as demonstrate how parallel and series circuits can be used in electronics and electrical devices. They explore how common items in their world can be wired...
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Applied Science -Physics (4A) Post Lab
Fourth graders explore the history of electricity. In this electricity instructional activity, 4th graders review the connection between electricity and magnetism. They do a research project on the history of electricity.
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Electric Light Tower
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.