Circuits Lab

What is the smallest number of wire strips that is needed to make the bulb light up?


A. One strip of wire


Explain thinking about how to light the bulb:


If you have one wire that has its ends exposed (no in the protective coating), you just need to have a metal connector (i.e. paper clip) that conducts electricity attached to one side and the battery, and one end that touches the other end of the battery which the lightbulb is attached to as well.


Pink Sheet:
Electricity must have a complete circuit to work.
Creating electricity with wire, battery and lightbulb= put lightbulb on one end of the battery where a wire is and have the wire loop around to the other end of the battery; creating a full circuit and causing the lightbulb to light from electricity.




Circuits Labs
Pink Lab strengths=
*student-centered
*inquiry based
*More challenging/thought provoking
*engaging questions
Weaknesses=
*time consuming
*doesn't provide additional help
*doesn't provide background knowledge of concept(s) EX: vocabulary


Yellow Lab strengths=
*students understand learning goal
*can be completed more quickly
*gives alternate routes to solving the question
*shows diagrams/pictures of examples
weaknesses=
*not as engaging
*doesn't require students to create own questions
*doesn't allow students to dictate the process to the "solution"




NSES Standard:
Physical Science Content Standard B
-As a result of the activities in grades k-4, all students should develop an understanding of light, heat, electricity, and magnetism.
Benchmark:
- Electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.


Learning Goals (what students should know):
-TLW understand and be able to construct a closed circuit that produces electricity


Learning Performances (what do you want students to do to show they know):
-The students will perform the first step in creating a circuit with an energy source (D-cell battery), small 1.5V bulbs and a thin wire. From here, they will utilize a variety of materials to alter the intensity of the circuit, such as different sizes of batteries, different wires (coil vs. straight) and differnt volt lightbulbs. They will also need to show the maintaince of a circuit by putting different objects in between what they have found to be the connector (wire to battery) to see if the circuit remains closed. (EX: paperclip, paper sheet, etc.)
-Here the students are able to show their understanding in a variety of ways what a circuit is, that it produces electricity (shown through the lightbulb) and are able to construct it firsthand.