Curated OER
Insulators and Conductors
Students conduct an experiment in which they create open and closed circuits. In this insulators and conductors lesson, students review open and closed circuits and then get in groups to make both kinds of circuit. Students use a...
Curated OER
Let There Be Light
Fifth graders explore electricity. For this electricity lesson, 5th graders experiment with open and closed circuits. Students determine how to properly connect a battery and bulb to illuminate the bulb.
Curated OER
Electricity
In this electricity worksheet, students compare open and closed circuits, calculate voltage, and determine total resistance is resistors are parallel or series in a circuit. This worksheet has 19 problems to solve.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Light Your Way
When there is a power failure, or when we go outside at night, we grab a flashlight so we can find our way. What happens inside a flashlight that makes the bulb light up? Why do we need a switch to turn on a flashlight? Have you ever...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Introduction to Electric Circuits
This activity will show how to properly connect wires to make a closed electric circuit. Included in this will be how to connect batteries in series and/or in parallel, and how to properly measure potential drops across a resistor and...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Electromagnets
This lesson plan contains several activities designed to help the student understand the magnetic effects of an electrical current.
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.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lighting the Way: Electrical Circuits and Lamp Wiring
Through a series of self-guided activities, students will explore basic electrical circuits and then build a working model of a circuit through the process of wiring a lamp. They will understand the flow of electrons through a circuit,...
Other
Electricity: Simple Circuits
Create your own simple electric circuit. Using simple supplies build your own battery and investigate conductivity. You can also construct a crossword puzzle with electrical vocabulary words.