Electric Circuits
Lesson 2
What Electricity Can Do
Students light the bulb using a battery and a wire. Students record the ways they found to light the bulb and the ways that did not light the bulb.
3. Lesson Set-up and Management
4-5 PS3A Energy has many forms, such as heat, light, sound, motion, and electricity.
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 discover how to light a bulb using a wire, a small bulb, and a battery.
- Students record their observations.
3. Lesson Set-Up and Management
Materials:
- The distribution station is an effective way for students to get and organize their set of materials into the boxes. Make generic “Take 1” or “Take 2” signs that you can use throughout this unit and others.
- Use Post-it tape to create the labels for student names.
- Do step 3 before step 2 (have students get boxes ready before putting the labels on).
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| Trying to light the bulb. | Getting the bulb to light. |
Student Management:
- This lesson can be frustrating for students, as they are finding ways to light the bulb.
- Have students complete Procedure step 6 as they go. Students often skip recording the ways that did not light to bulb in their excitement to find a way that does.
- The Final Activities portion prepares students for upcoming lessons when they more closely look at the critical connections needed for a bulb to light.
- If you notice students are stuck repeating the same arrangements to light the bulb, with no success, ask some questions to get them thinking about some other configurations. For instance, you could ask if they had considered moving the wire around.
Writing Support:
- Focus Question: How do you use a battery and wire to light a bulb?
- A T-chart can be useful to help students organize ways to light the bulb and ways the bulb did not light.
- The focus question can be asked again at the end of the lesson to help students focus on their learning from that lesson.
Reading Support:
- Amazing Electricity by Sally Hewitt can be used to extend the lesson. It discusses electricity basics and has a section on circuits.
Last updated 6/17/2009