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.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Series and Parallel Circuits
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What series and parallel circuits are and how they differ.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Combined Series Parallel Circuits
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Presents methods for solving electrical circuit problems where there is a combination of series and parallel circuit features.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Series and Parallel Circuits
The core of this lesson is simple circuits and the differences between parallel and series circuit design. Students perform experiments to test the differences between the two circuit designs using low voltage light bulbs.
Other
Southwest Tech: Combination Circuit
Explains what a combination circuit is and how to calculate the resistance and amperage values in this type of circuit.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: The Tinkering Studio: Circuit Boards
Some history behind the function of the circuit board, with a guided activity guide for students to download.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Electric Current and Circuits
Students have the opportunity to explore the basics of current and circuits in this online module. Some of the activities include interactive animations, informational text, practice problems, and lab experiments.
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...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Parallel Circuits
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this module, students learn what a parallel circuit is and how it differs from a series circuit.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Introduction to Circuits and Ohm's Law
Students will explore the basics of dc circuits analyzing the light from light bulbs when connected in series and parallel circuits. Ohm's Law and the equation for power dissipated by a circuit will be the primary equations used. Using...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Series and Parallel Circuits
A teacher lesson plan which could be easily converted into an idea for a student project or presentation. Ideal for pre-high school students. This page describes an activity in which the history of electric circuits, the nature of...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physics Simulation: Marquee Lights
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about different ways you can wire an electric circuit, and how the brightness of the lights depends on how they are configured using this interactive simulation. A PDF worksheet and a video...
Concord Consortium
Mobile Inquiry Technology: Parallel Versus Series Circuits
For this lesson, students actively investigate the differences between parallel and series circuits and how the brightness of bulbs is affected.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Wired for Learning
As part of a unit on electrical circuits, students will work in collaborative groups to create a video of how to construct parallel and series circuits. This lesson plan was created as a result of the Girls Engaged in Math and Science...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Calculating Equivalent Resistance for Series and Parallel Resistor
Practice finding the equivalent resistance for parallel and series resistor configurations in this four-problem quiz.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Dc Circuits: Parallel Resistances (Sparks 2)
Explore circuits with resistors in parallel and answer questions regarding voltage drops across resistors and currents through them in such circuits.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Advanced Circuit Analysis
Practice analyzing circuits using Kirchhoff's laws and Ohm's law with series and parallel resistors.
South Carolina Educational Television
Etv: Circuits
This colorful site will help you understand series and parallel circuits.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physics: Electrical Systems Study Guide
A study guide covering electrical systems.
Georgia State University
Georgia State University: Hyper Physics: Ac Circuits
A very comprehensive site organized well with many topics dealing with AC circuits.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Parallel Plate Capacitor
A simulation investigating a parallel-plate capacitor which is charged by connecting one plate to the positive end of a battery, and the other plate to the negative end. The battery sends electrons from one capacitor plate to the other...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Introduction to Electricity by Creating a Light Up Quiz Board
In this activity, students will learn how to create a simple circuit. They will create a matching quiz board that will light up when the correct pair is selected using electricity vocabulary from the text.
Other
Easyphysics: Chapter 14 Basic Circuit
Learners investigate circuits. Some topics examined are a series circuit, parallel circuit, and Joule?s law. The resource includes practice problems with solutions and a chapter quiz.