Overview

Students will be introduced to the basic concepts of electricity.

Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will know and be able to demonstrate that:

We use electricity in our everyday lives for a variety of “jobs” (purposes, applications).
Electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound, and magnetic effects.
An electric circuit is a complete path through which electric current can flow; electric current is the movement of electricity through a material.
A battery can be a source of electric current. The current produced by a battery flows through the circuit in one direction, not in both directions. This can affect how the “job” in the circuit works.
A battery can produce a specific amount of electrical current. (The volts* number on the battery is a measure of the amount of current produced.) When several batteries are connected in a row, then the amount of electrical current in the circuit is increased. (Add the volts.) Each job in a circuit “uses” a certain amount of the current (volts) produced by the battery.
A useful electric circuit has 4 basic parts: a source of electric current (power or energy source), a job to be done by the electricity, a switch to control the electricity, and a path (made of a conductive material) that connects these components.
A circuit can have one or more of the basic parts. However, when more jobs are added, more electricity (voltage) is “used”, and the circuit may require more power (more batteries, more volts) to work.
In a series circuit, all parts of the circuit are connected to the battery(ies) in one single path. In this case the jobs in the path must share the amount of electricity provided by the power source, and a break in the circuit at any place in the path (like a burned out bulb) will destroy the circuit and none of the jobs will function.
In a parallel circuit, there are two or more paths connected to the battery(ies). Each path gets the full amount of electricity, and a break in the circuit of one path will not affect the other path(s).
A conductor is a material through which electricity moves freely.
An insulator is a material through which an electric current cannot move.
An electromagnet is a magnet produced by an electric current; this kind of magnet can be turned on and off.

Concepts

Introduction: Electricity Search
A Simple Electrical Circuit
Terms and Symbols; Introducing Switches
Switches
Cooper Wires Vs. Soft Circuit Wires
Variations in LED Lights; Electricity Use and Direction

Standards

Illinois State Standards: Late Elementary- As a result of this project students will be able to:

12C. Know and apply concepts that describe properties of matter and energy and the interactions between them.

Describe and compare types of energy including light, heat, sound, electrical, and mechanical

12D. Know and apply concepts that describe force and motion and the principles that explain them.

Demonstrate and explain ways that forces cause actions and reactions (e.g. magnets attracting and repelling)

11A. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of scientific inquiry.

Formulate questions on a specific science topic and choose the steps needed to answer the question.
Use scientific process skills including observing, estimating, and measuring
Use data from project to produce reasonable explanations
Report and display the results of individual and group projects.

National Science Education Standards- As a result of activities in grades K-4, students should develop an understanding of the following fundamental principles and concepts:

Electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound, and magnetic effects
Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass
Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of other mater.