ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY CIRCUITS

I. Topic/Grade Level: Electricity and Energy Circuits

II.

4th Grade/Science

Standards: 4-5.6 Identify and summarize the components of a complete simple circuit
and properly connect them.
4-5.7 Create and label a schematic drawing in order to light 2 bulbs. Illustrate the
path of electric current in series and parallel circuits.

III.Goals and Student Learning Outcomes (Objectives):

Goal 1: Students will create and label a schematic drawing showing how to light 2 bulbs in a
series circuit.
Student Learning Outcome 1: Schematic drawing and labeling is correct on all
components.
Student Learning Outcome 2: Students will discuss, analyze, and explain their drawing
and why it will work to light 2 bulbs in a series circuit.
Goal 2: Students will perform an investigation of a series circuit and its components to see
what will happen if 2 light bulbs are connected to one battery with 3 wires and then 4 wires
and then two batteries with 3 wires and 4 wires.
Student Learning Outcome 1: Perform an investigation and create a chart of the series
circuit created. Test each scenario to score the level of brightness of the bulbs with the change
in materials.
Student Learning Outcome 2: Justify their findings through a claims and evidence session
through discussion and sharing of findings with their classmates through the creation of a
Chart that indicates their findings.
IV.

Learning Environment(s):
This lesson will be in a face to face environment

V.

Resources:
Series Circuit PowerPoint
http://thefusebox.northernpowergrid.com/page/circuitbuilder.cfm
http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html
http://www.physics-chemistry-interactive-flashanimation.com/electricity_electromagnetism_interactive/components_circuits_as
sociation-series_parallel.htm

VI.

Diversity / Differentiation:
Students with special needs will be partnered with a study buddy for extra help and
the teacher will individualize instruction tailored to the students accommodations
according to the students IEP.
The lesson will have visual, auditory, and kinesthetic parts to reach many different
modalities and learning styles.

VII.

Technology Inclusion:

Students will have access to computers to play games were they have to create a
series circuit. Students will create different series circuits using different materials
to see which bulb is brighter and why.
Students will have tablets with access to Electricity apps such as Easy Electricity
and Connect the Bulb.
The teacher will use the Team Board located in the classroom to allow students to
come up the board and move parts of a simple circuit to create one that will work
properly.
Students will be creating an ABC Electricity Chart with their electricity words i.e.
Filament, Series Circuit, Parallel Circuit, Switch, Open Circuit, Closed Circuit,
Connector, Load, Receiver, Wire, Source, Conductor, Insulator, etc.

VIII. Prior Knowledge: Students have worked with simple circuits, conductors, and insulators
and will now begin working with simple series circuits.
Lesson Placement in the Unit: This is lesson _3_ of _4_.
1. Procedures:
Teacher will read engaging scenario to begin the third lesson on electricity and energy
circuits. Teacher will begin working through the series circuit PowerPoint. Teacher
and students will discuss focus questions, predictions, charts, diagrams, energy flow,
etc. Students will work together to create a series circuit. Details below.
2. Lesson Introduction / Anticipatory Set:
(Teacher will begin lesson by rereading the ENGAGING SCENARIO:
Yesterday you made the bulb work, but the light was not enough for you to see
inside the cave. Once again your group searches the backpacks for materials that
might give you a brighter light. Your partner discovers more things that could help.
He finds another bulb and another D-cell (battery). He also finds 2 wires, 2 bulb
holders and 2 battery holders. What problem do we need to solve now?
3. Direct Instruction:
Students will work together as a group to create series circuits using 3 or 4 wires, 1 or 2
batteries, and 1 or 2 light bulbs to determine which produces the brightest light.
4. Student Interaction with lesson content / Guided Practice:
Students will be working with materials to create series circuits. Students will be given
2 D cell batteries, 2 battery holders, 4 wires, and 2 lightbulbs. They will investigate a
variety of ways to create series circuits and which series circuit creates the brightest
light. (If time permits, students will be allowed to play around with motors that can be
connected to the series circuits to see if they can create a series circuit that will produce
enough electricity to power the motor and the lightbulb)
5. Independent Practice:
Students will actually begin creating the series circuits they have designed using their

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materials in different ways to see how and why different ways of connecting wires with
different amounts of batteries and lightbulbs will create different levels of brightness of
the bulbs if connected correctly.
Students will also be working with tablets and will be playing a variety of games that
challenges them with electricity. One app that will allow students to play with
electricity is Easy Electricity by Alexandre Minard. There are 3 modes of play: easy,
hard, and a creation mode which allows students to create their own electric circuits.
The other app students can choose from is Connect the Bulb. There are 150 levels and
they can play against and challenge other classmates.
6. Review / Closure:
Claims and Evidence (Each student)
What claim can we make when adding more light bulbs to a series circuit with only
using 1 D cell battery?
What if we add another D cell battery to the series circuit?
What does your data tell you about removing a component from a circuit that has only
one path for energy to flow through?
Teacher will see students individually as they write their claims and evidence based on
the guiding questions.
Example sentence structures:
I claim that a series circuit will produce a brighter light when ________. I know this
because _________.
I know that __________________. I know this because______________.
Share and discuss claims and evidence with the class
Check and provide feedback
7. Presentations:
Students will share their findings with the class through the use of their schematic
drawings and correct labeling of the drawings. Students will display their illustrations
of series circuits and the path of energy in the classroom.
IX.

X.

Evaluation/Assessment:
1. Teacher observation, series circuit investigations, science journals, schematic drawings
and labeling, and illustrations of the path of electricity.
Risk Analysis:
Dead batteries, burned out lightbulbs, internet connection, bad wires, etc. could cause
students projects not to work correctly so the teacher would need to make sure that he/she
had extra parts on hand.

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XI.
References:
Circuit Builder. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://thefusebox.northernpowergrid.com/page/circuitbuilder.cfm
Science. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html
SERIES or PARALLEL CIRCUIT. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.physics-chemistryinteractive-flashanimation.com/electricity_electromagnetism_interactive/components_circuits_associati
on-series_parallel.htm