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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Series or Parallel?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...
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Lesson Plan
SRI International

Performance Assessment Links in Science: Mystery Card 3

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Straightforward introduction to electrical circuits using minimal materials and time. Students learn about the basics of electrical circuits by experimenting with "mystery cards" -- index cards with hidden aluminum foil used to conduct...
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Unit Plan
Other

The Blobz Guide to Electric Circuits

For Students 3rd - 8th
An exciting interactive site of games, activities, information, and quizzes about electric circuits. You'll learn what makes circuits work, all about conductors and insulators, switches, changing circuits, and circuit diagrams. Learning...
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Interactive
Other

Tech Topics: Electricity: Circuits

For Students 9th - 10th
What is a circuit? How does it work? The animated diagrams and accompanying text will make it easy to understand the concept of circuits!
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eBook
ibiblio

Ibiblio: Lessons in Electric Circuits

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn anything you ever wanted to know and more about electrical circuits here. Complete with in-depth explanations and detailed diagrams.
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Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Science: Vikings: What Is an Electric Circuit?

For Students 4th - 6th
The god of thunder, Thor, controls thunder and lightning. Let's ask Thor about electric circuits.
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Activity
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Introduction to Electric Circuits

For Teachers 9th - 10th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Mn Step: Why Placing Wires Correctly on a Light Bulb Is Important

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners will learn about simple electric circuits as they investigate the structure of a light bulb and how electricity flows through it.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Learning the Science Behind Electricity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Following a PowerPoint lecture, young scholars will participate in a laboratory investigation where they dissect a disposable camera.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Getting the Lightbulb to Light Up

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students construct a simple electrical circuit using wires, batteries, and a lightbulb. From constructing a circuit the students will discover that when energy is produced there is heat.
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Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Series and Parallel Circuits

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The core of this lesson is simple circuits and the differences between parallel and series circuit design. Students perform experiments to test the differences between the two circuit designs using low voltage light bulbs.
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Lesson Plan
TryEngineering

Try Engineering: Electric Switches

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Lesson focuses on how switches control the flow of electricity. Students are posed with the challenge of designing and building a simple switch into an electric circuit.
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Activity
Maryland Science Center

Maryland Science Center: Happy Birthday, Harry Potter! [Pdf]

For Students 4th - 6th
Using your knowledge of electricity, learn how to make a 'magic' wand like Harry Potter's that will light up on your command.
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Interactive
University of Colorado

University of Colorado: Ph Et Interactive Simulations: Signal Circuit

For Students 5th - 8th
Learn how electricity flows through a circuit by watching how the electrons move.
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Unit Plan
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Magnet Academy: Induced Current

For Students 9th - 10th
A current can be induced in a conducting loop if it is exposed to a changing magnetic field. (Java tutorial)
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PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Electric Circuits: Lesson 3

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson will explain how to calculate voltage, current, and resistance in simple electric circuits. It is 3 of 4 in the series titled "Electric Circuits."
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Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Electric Circuits

For Students 9th - 10th
Current transfers energy around circuits. Circuit components have various properties that can be measured and then used to make circuits for control and also circuits for testing other components.
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Interactive
Physics Aviary

Physics Aviary: Simple Circuit Lab

For Students 9th - 10th
This lab is designed to have students investigate the relationships between voltage, resistance and current in a circuit with only one passive component. The batteries in this simulation can be varied from ideal batteries to batteries...
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Article
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: What Is an Electric Circuit?

For Students 9th - 10th
In this tutorial the concept of electric potential difference is discussed. Electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy per unit of charge that would be possessed by a charged object if placed within an electric field...
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Unit Plan
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Common Misconceptions Regarding Electric Circuits

For Students 9th - 10th
In this tutorial, preconceived ideas regarding the nature of charge flow and the role of a battery in a circuit are addressed. In many instances, these preconceived notions about charge flow and batteries are incorrect ideas and are...
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Article
Physics Classroom

The Physics Classroom: Journey of a Typical Electron

For Students 9th - 10th
In the wires of electric circuits, an electron is the actual charge carrier. In this article, an electron's path through the external circuit is introduced.
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Activity
Concord Consortium

Mobile Inquiry Technology: Moving Magnets

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This investigation has students examining how electric and magnetic charges are related. They will look at how an electric current is affected by the proximity of a magnet.
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Unknown Type
Project Britain

Primary Homework Help: Electricity Questions

For Students 3rd - 8th
Brush up on electricity facts before taking this interactive quiz. Students can get immediate feedback by checking the answers after each question.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Series and Parallel Circuits

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What series and parallel circuits are and how they differ.