Simple Electric Circuit
I will never forget the feeling of creating my first electric circuit. I was in third grade and my teacher introduced the concept to us and gave us the materials we needed to make it work. It took a few tries, a few adjustments were needed, but when that bulb lit up for the first time, so did my curiosity. I can remember my walk home that day, I worked through a few modifications in my mind and was elated when I finally visualized how the circuit I created that day at school was the same as the light switch in my house.
You see, children are natural tinkerers and when we give them the tools they need and the right dose of inspiration, they turn on, they light up, and they want to explore more… What more could you hope for in a day?
As I set out on a quest to develop more of these types of learning experiences for the studio, building a simple electric circuit quickly came to mind.
Materials
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- Copper Tape
- Circuit Stickers
- Lithium Coin Battery
- Binder Clip
- Electric Circuit Printable (below)
- For further exploration try the Lights Circuit Stickers STEM Starter Kit
Steps
- Read a book or watch the video in the resource section to introduce the basic concept of electricity and a simple circuit.
- Next, use the KWL chart below to have your child start out the experience by writing about what they know about electricity. Then ask your child or student to think about and write what they would like to know about electricity.
- Watch the video below… You can use the printable above or the one shown in the video.
- When you have successfully completed your circuit, complete the experience by asking your child to reflect on what they just learned on the KWL chart.
Printables
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Resources
- Making a Circuit by Chris Oxlade
- What is Electricity by Lisa Trumbauer
- Explaining an Electrical Circuit (Video)
- Wonderful Circuit Tutorials by Chibitronis
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