Electric Circuits
Lesson 10
Deciphering a Secret Language
Students learn and use symbols to draw circuit diagrams.
3. Lesson Set-up and Management
4-5 PS3A Energy has many forms, such as heat, light, sound, motion, and electricity.
4-5 PS3B Energy can be transferred from one place to another.
4-5 PS3E Electrical energy in circuits can be changed to other forms of energy, including light, heat, sound, and motion. Electric circuits require a complete loop through conducting materials in which an electric current can pass.
- Students learn a “secret language” they can use to create circuit diagrams.
- Students draw circuit diagrams of different circuits.
3. Lesson Set-Up and Management
Materials:
- Students do not need their materials boxes for this lesson, unless you are having them build circuits based on the circuit diagram.
- Photocopy Figures 10-2 and 10-3 to display (if you have an overhead
projector, photocopy onto a transparency).
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| Foldable insert of “Secret Language” handout | Display of model circuits, used to
draw corresponding circuit diagrams. |
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| Student’s circuit diagram and a labeled diagram of the same circuit. | Gluing in the insert. |
Student Management:
- Use “A Secret Language” handout and have students create a foldable insert. Go through this step-by-step with students and model.
- On Procedure step 2, place Figure 10-3 under the document camera or overhead projector instead of drawing it on the board.
- Reinforce the learning of electrical codes. Some ideas include: cover the drawing, ask students to guess the symbol; play a matching game where students match the symbol to its corresponding drawing; make flashcards; make a puzzle of the parts and symbols.
- Some additional practice activities are to have students build a model based on a circuit diagram or have students use the symbols to draw a circuit diagram of the simple circuits they have built in past lessons.
- It can be helpful to show the actual model using the battery holders, bulb holders, etc. instead of displaying the transparency.
Writing Support:
- Focus Question: How do electricians communicate their plan to others in an easy to understand way?
- To create a foldable insert, have students cut out the two boxes. Accordion fold vertically along the lines separating the symbol, picture, and meaning columns. Cut along the horizontal lines separating out bulb, battery, and wire for the first two columns only (as well as connected wire, crossing wires, and switch). Glue into notebook.
Last updated 6/17/2009