Magnets & Electricity
Investigation 3: Advanced Connections
Part 2
Solving the String-of-Lights Problems
Students simulate the research and development department of a decorative-light manufacturer.
3. Lesson set up and Management
1.1.4 Understand that energy keeps things running and comes in many forms.
1.2.2 Know that energy can be transferred from one object to another and can be transformed from one type of energy to another.
2.1.2 Plan and conduct simple investigations, using appropriate tools, measures and safety rules.
2.1.3 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
2.1.5 Record and report observations, explanations and conclusions using visual, oral, written, and mathematical expression.
3.1.1 Identify problems found in similar contexts in which science/technology can be or has been used to design solutions.
3.1.2 Propose, design, and test a solution to a problem.
3.1.3 Evaluate how well a design or a product solves a problem.
1. A circuit is a pathway through which electric current flows.
2. A circuit that splits into two or more pathways before coming together at the battery is a parallel circuit.
3. Components in a parallel circuit each have a direct pathway to the energy source.
4. A circuit with only one pathway for current flow is a series circuit.
5. Components in a series circuit share the electric energy.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
1. Keep your wire stripper handy. You and your students will use them for cutting more wire and stripping plastic when the wire breaks.
2. Before handing out any equipment remind student about the safety of hot wires.
3. Be sure to read the EQUIPMENT TIP on Page 24 aloud to the kids before completing the experiment.
4. Make sure you have enough index cards cut. See Step 4 on Page 23.
5. Be sure to move about the classroom while they are working to make sure they are setting up the circuits like the ones on Page 25.
Student Management:
1. Keep all materials at the station at which they are working. Don't let them carry the materials around. Let the students wander and explore.
2. Keep Moving! If you are constantly moving, it will keep everyone on task.
3. When discussing questions, have students place their materials in the middle of their table or desks and have them place their hands in lap.
4. Make sure everyone is participating. You don't want one or two in the group to dominate the set-up of the string-of-lights.
1. You can lengthen or shorten the time on any lesson.
2. Use Pages 2 & 3 to help guide further inquiry at the end of every part.
3. Give students time to discuss their observations with each other.
4. Give journal reflection time.
5. Keep word banks and content inquiry charts up so students can see and have more time to copy later, if needed. It's nice if you can keep them up all the time and just add to them as you go.
6. Bring in different types of Christmas lights to use as examples.
Writing Support:
1. Reflective journaling on the day's lesson.
2. Start and finish each lesson with a KWLQ chart. ("What do I know?", "What do I want to know?", "What have I learned?" and "Are there any more questions to investigate?")
3. Have students write all word banks and inquiries in their journals.
4. Make a list about how electricity has made life easier.
Reading Support:
1. Check the Resource section of the teacher's guide for more reading suggestions or the literature link on this site.