Chris Lapish                           Sandie Nichols

Understanding Electricity

 

 

ENGAGE

Teacher will provide a D battery, copper wire, and small light bulb for each student. Students will be given the task to make the light bulb light in 15-20 minutes. Once all students have mastered the task, teacher will question students and guide them as necessary to summarize the learning and elicit Òwhat ifÓ questions.

 

 

EXPLORE

Students will be given bulb holders, switches, alligator clips, extra wires, several bulbs, and extra batteries to explore. Oral summarizations and learning will be added to a chart similar to a KWL chart. Teacher will elicit more Òwhat ifÓ questions from the students.

 

 

EXPLICATE

Teacher and students will discuss and use terminology of previous lessons. Students will summarize the content of facts they know to be true. Teacher will provide more terms as needed. Students will be given materials and guidance to achieve the task of discovering series and parallel circuits on their own. As discoveries occur, teacher will assist children in making connections.

 

 

ELABORATE

Class will explore the Òwhat ifÓ questions and add important concepts to the chart of knowledge. Students will be encouraged to use proper terminology in the discussions and presentations. Teacher will provide more materials for students to explore series and parallel circuits.

 

 

EVALUATE

Students will work in groups to develop a presentation or a concept map of the learning. They will use a blank transparency and a dry erase marker with the overhead projector to share their presentations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 1:

ENGAGE

Teacher will provide a D battery, copper wire, and small light bulb for each student. Students will be given the task to make the light bulb light in 15-20 minutes. Once all students have mastered the task, teacher will question students and guide them as necessary to summarize the learning and elicit Òwhat ifÓ questions.

 

Materials per student:

8Ó copper wire

D battery

Small light bulb

Prediction Sheet #1 for homework

 

Possible Questions:

  1. What does the light bulb need to touch for it to light?
  2. What do you think happens inside the wire?
  3. What if you reversed the positions on the wire, would the bulb still light?
  4. What does the + and Ð mean on the battery?

 

Possible  ÒWhat ifÓ questions:

1.     What would happen if you used two bulbs?

2.     What would happen if you used two batteries?

3.     What if you added a switch to turn the bulb on and off?

 

Possible terminology to explore during the activity:

Current

Series circuit

Voltage

Positive charge

Negative charge

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2:

EXPLORE

Students will be given bulb holders, switches, alligator clips, extra wires, several bulbs, and extra batteries to explore. Oral summarizations and learning will be added to a chart similar to a KWL chart. Teacher will elicit more Òwhat ifÓ questions from the students.

 

Materials per group:

Alligator clips

3-4 extra copper wires

C batteries

6 Volt batteries

Switches

Battery holders

Extra bulbs

Prediction Sheet #2, completed in class

 

Possible questions:

  1. What will the light bulb do if you add a switch in the middle of the path?
  2. If you add two bulbs, will the switch turn off both bulbs?
  3. How could you make the path of current only go to one bulb at a time?
  4. What would happen to the bulbs if you tried another size battery?

 

Possible ÒWhat ifÓ questions:

  1. What if your house was wired this way?
  2. What if you wanted to turn on all the lights at the same time?
  3. What could you do to change the path of current?

 

Possible terminology to explore during the activity:

Open circuit

Closed circuit

Resistance

Dimmer switch

Parallel circuit

 

 

 

 

Lesson 3:

EXPLICATE

Teacher and students will discuss and use terminology of previous lessons. Students will summarize the content of facts they know to be true. Teacher will provide more terms as needed. Students will be given materials and guidance to achieve the task of discovering series and parallel circuits on their own. As discoveries occur, teacher will assist children in making connections.

 

Materials per group:

All materials from Lesson 2

 

v    Have the students test their predictions from the previous day

v    Review terminology as it applies in situations

v    Elicit more Òwhat ifÓ questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 4:

ELABORATE

Class will explore the Òwhat ifÓ questions and add important concepts to the chart of knowledge. Students will be encouraged to use proper terminology in the discussions and presentations. Teacher will provide more materials for students to explore series and parallel circuits.

 

Materials per group:

All materials from the previous lesson

 

v    Have groups come to a decision about the major concepts in the learning and discuss the important items

 

 

 

 

Lesson 5:

EVALUATE

Students will work in groups to develop a presentation or a concept map of the learning. They will use a blank transparency and a dry erase marker with the overhead projector to share their presentations.

 

Materials per group:

Blank transparency and dry erase marker

Overhead projector

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment:

Have the students wire a ÒhouseÓ with lights for each room. Each light must work independently of the others.

 

Materials:

Box with four compartments

Bulbs

Switches

Batteries

Copper wire

Alligator clips