Step 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching

Demonstration Lesson: Let There Be Light

UFTeach Partner(s): Ionut Albu, Andrew Cobb Date of Lesson: 03/19/12 Length of Lesson: 50 mins. Grade Level: 5th Source of the Lesson: Based on Physics by Inquiry; Lillian C. McDermott and Electric Circuits; National Science Resources Center: AIMS Educational Foundation, Electrical Connections Path Finders Activity.

1. Florida Sunshine State Science Standards Addressed

Benchmark Number
SC.5.P.10.4

Descriptor
Investigate and explain that electrical energy can be transformed into heat, light, and sound energy, as well as the energy of motion. Investigate and illustrate the fact that the flow of electricity requires a closed circuit (a complete loop). Identify and classify materials that conduct electricity and materials that do not.

SC.5.P.11.1 SC.5.P.11.2

2. Concepts
A 3-volt light bulb can be illuminated using a battery, the bulb, and one wire. There are several ways to light a light bulb in a simple circuit. A closed circuit results in the bulb lighting, while an open circuit prevents the bulb from lighting. In trying to understand electricity it is often helpful (but not entirely accurate) to make an analogy between the flow of electricity and the flow of water (http://www.4qdtec.com/water.html) Both will flow and form a current when there is a difference in "pressure". Both flow from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area, the flow ceases when the pressure reaches an equilibrium. An electrical circuit ( http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage6/phys/eenergy.html) is formed when there is a path for the electrical field to flow along. There must be a complete path, or circuit, from the negative terminal (bottom of the battery) to the positive terminal (top of the battery). Most circuits have more than one device connected to the path to take advantage of the energy transfer received when the electric field rushes through them. These devices can be connected in two basic types of path arrangements, series and parallel (http://www.cornwallis.kent.sch.uk/intranet/elearn/science/elecmag/1elec3.html). In a series circuit, there is only one path for the current and a break in the circuit stops the current. In a parallel circuit, there are multiple pathways. Each pathway is a separate path that the current may follow. If there is a break in any branch, the current can still flow through the other pathways. The amount of current (measured in amps) that flows through a circuit depends on the "pressure" or volts (measured in voltage) provided and the resistance (measured in ohms) encountered by the current as it flows through the circuit (http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/Voltage/). To increase the electrical "pressure" add more batteries to the circuit. Just as flowing water is met by resistance from the inside walls of a pipe, electric current is met with resistance (www.cornwallis.kent.sch.uk/intranet/elearn/science/elecmag/1elec4.html) when traveling through the wire. The amount of resistance depends on the conductivity of the wire, its

Step 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching

thickness, length, and temperature. The thicker, shorter, and colder the wire, the less resistance. Electrical devices added to the circuit, such as light bulbs and motors, add more resistance. Circuits with less resistance allow more electricity to flow, and circuits with more resistance restrict the flow.
(Source: Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, electricity section author: G. Jones)

All conductors contain electric charges which will move when an electric potential difference (measured in volts) is applied across separate points on the material. This flow of charge (measured in amperes) is what is meant by electric current. In most materials, the rate of current is proportional to the voltage (as determined by Ohm's law) provided the temperature remains constant and the material remains in the same shape and state. An insulator, also called a dielectric, is a material that resists the flow of electric current. An insulating material has atoms with tightly bonded valence electrons. These materials are used in parts of electrical equipment, also called insulators or insulation, intended to support or separate electrical conductors without passing current through themselves. The term is also used more specifically to refer to insulating supports that attach electric power transmission wires to utility poles or pylons. (Wikipedia)

3. Materials List and Advanced Preparations

For each team of 2 students: 1 D-cell battery 1 3v flashlight bulb 2 length(s) of wire (or 1 length of wire plus either 1 paperclip or aluminum foil strip) 1 worksheet (see below for sheet, may also require every student to complete sheet) 1 bag of various supplies for conductors and insulators (paper clips, string, marble, aluminum washer, tin foil, plastic cap, etc) For Teacher Demonstration: UFO Electrical Energy Ball Small brown paper bag Advance Preparation: Teacher will make two lengths of wire for each student (10-15 cm length). Strip 1 cm off each end of wire Put battery, bulb, and wire in plastic beakers/cups to give to each group. Copy Materials: diagram worksheet, assessment quiz. Set up Powerpoint presentation

4. Performance Objectives
Students will be able to: Build a closed electrical circuit. Evaluate simple circuits and determine if the circuit will work. Describe the flow of electricity to complete a closed circuit. Identify and classify materials that conduct electricity and materials that do not.

5. Safety Considerations

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There is little chance of electrical shock the voltage is too low--but curious students might try to plug their circuits in to a wall socket, so warn them that battery power is all they will be using during your study of electricity. Also, caution students not to let the wire get too hot.

Lesson Plan in 5E format:

Probing/Eliciting Questions Introduce your Science Mystery Bag. Say, Since we have been studying energy, I put some energy in our Mystery Bag. How could I store energy in the Mystery bag What is inside this ball that can store energy? How do we know that this ball has energy? Show the Energy Ball and use your finger to secretly switch the light on and off several times. Everyone look when I point to the ball it lights up. What is happening when you point at it that makes the ball light up? [Let several students try pointing and time the switch so that the ball lights up when they point] Do not tell the students how and why the ball is lighting up until the end. Key Q: Using only the materials provided, how can you make a complete electrical circuit that will light a bulb? Student Responses and Misconceptions Students might say there is a battery in the bag. They might think there is a light bulb in the bag (but a light bulb has no energy without a battery)

What the Teacher Will Do Dim the lights in the room. Hold up a paper bag containing the Energy Ball.

To give the students a hint by turning the Ball on.

[Battery, light bulb, speakers, wires]

[The ball lights up and makes noise which requires energy] Students may assume pointing at the ball transfers energy to the ball and makes it light up.

Introduce and post the KEY QUESTION for the Exploration.

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What the Teacher Will Do Say, Im going to give you a battery, a bulb and a piece of wire. You have one task Make the bulb light.

Divide the class into groups

Have a student from each group get the plastic cup containing the battery, bulb and length of wire.

Probing/Eliciting Questions Once you get your materials you need to figure out how to make the bulb light What is the battery for? What about the bulb and the wires? Okay, now we are going to split-up into groups (Count off like last time, two or three students to a group, most likely two per group and one of three. 17 in class) I want only one student from each group to go and get a cup containing the battery, wires, and light bulb

Student Responses and Misconceptions [The battery the energy Stepstores 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching required to make the light bulb light up and the wires transfers the energy to the bulb]

Safety: Tell the students that the voltage is too low to get any painful shock, and only worry about the wire possibly heating up too much. NO putting the wire in/on anything but the light bulb and the battery Monitor the groups. Allow the students to discover the arrangement that works. Go around the room and say You are on the right track or Try a different method this one is not going to make the bulb light up We will not reveal the correct arrangement at this time. Ask Predict which arrangements will light Tell students to put a P next to the arrangement they predict will light up. Students look at the Path Finders diagram worksheet and try every diagram and then circle which ones work Make sure you do the arrangements just like in the diagrams. Try to make other systems that work. Draw new successful system arrangements in the blank boxes on your sheet. Students please place your materials back in the cup Page and place the cup in the4 of 7 middle of your desk. Please listen closely as we Some students may not understand what arrangement a diagram is showing so we may need to help them out with it. Most groups will probably have a hard time figuring out the correct arrangement.

After a few minutes of free exploration, show students the Path Finders diagram worksheet.

[students mark the arrangements they predict will light]

Have students build each system pictured and observe/record whether they light.

If time allows, have students try to make different systems that also are complete circuits.

Students may know that everything needs to be connected but will have a hard time placing the wires and the bulb in the right place on the battery.

When all students have been successful, ask that they put their materials back in the cups and place the cup in the middle of the desk.

Step 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching

EXPLANATION What the Teacher Will Do Ask the students to describe ways they were able to get their light bulb to light. Pro in!"Elicitin! #uestions !ow were you able to make the light bulb light up"#

Time: 10 minutes Stu$ent %es&onses an$ 'isconce&tions &A few of the arrangements work but in the arrangement the light bulb must touch the metal end of the battery in order for it to light up' &The arrangements that work have a complete, and closed circuit for the energy to travel' &(o that the flow of energy is able to go from the battery through the wires, and into the light bulb, completing the circuit'

$o you know why the light bulb lit up in that particular arrangement"#

%hy does the light bulb need to touch the battery and the wires at the same time in order to light up"# %here on the battery did the light bulb have to touch in order to light up"# +ark on the pro,ected image of the worksheet the systems that worked. -se smartboard to pro,ect the worksheet and go through it with the class, calling on students to say which systems worked. (o what do the systems that worked have in common"#

&The top )part that sticks out*'

$iscuss similarities in the arrangements that worked. $iscuss similarities in the arrangements that did NOT work.

&Only the systems which completed the circuit caused the light bulb to light up. They needed to touch both ends of the battery, as well as the bottom and side of the metal on the light bulb.' &The circuits were not complete so the energy couldn.t flow properly'

The ones that didn.t light up"# $raw a picture that illustrates the path the electricity flows through the circuit. $raw or show a cut/away picture of the light bulb to show how the electricity flows across the filament. Try to get the students to e0plain how the electricity makes the filament glow )filament resists flow of the electricity thereby producing friction and heat, -se smartboard, possibly an image of an actual light bulb.s inner workings. )see above* (o students, can anyone possibly tell me why it is that the filament lights up"# if answer is not reached within a couple of students: !as anyone every seen metal get really hot" %ere there any

&1nergy is flowing through it, causing it to heat up because of friction'

&%hen metal is heated it glows'

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filament glows red hot*

noticeable differences when the metal was hot"# 2an anyone tell me what a filament is made of"# (o how do you think it heats up so that it can glow and give off light"#

&metal'

&The energy from the battery gives it the energy to heat up' )4f necessary e0plain that humans actually have electricity in us, in small amounts anyway, giving the ball the energy it needs*

10plain the trick of the magic ball of energy#

(o there wasn.t really a trick to the ball, but ,ust some science.# (how the back of the ball. 3ou worked with closed circuits in the e0periment with the battery, but this is an open circuit. The ball will not light up until 4 complete the circuit by pressing both of my fingers to the metal.#

ELA(O%ATION What the Teacher Will Do Introduce how some materials conduct electricity better than others. Introduce and define the terms: Conductor and Insulator Pro in!"Elicitin! #uestions So we were able to see from testing our circuits that the wire was good at allowing the energy to easily flow through the system. Can anyone tell me what a good word to describe the wire would be? It starts with a c. However there are some materials that inhibit the flow of energy and are not good conductors. Can anyone give me an example? Now if a conductor is something that allows energy to flow easily, what is the opposite of that? If a material doesnt conduct, it___? Show worksheet on Smartboard

Time: ) minutes Stu$ent %es&onses an$ 'isconce&tions

[conductor]

[ex. Wood, plastic, glass, etc.]

[insulator]

Give each group a kit of different insulators and conductors and refer to the work sheet pg 2. Post a copy of the student data sheet in a ppt slide. Tell students to use their prior knowledge to PREDICT which pieces in their kit are insulators or

So based on what you know about conductors and insulators make your best

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conductors.

guess of whether the material is a conductor or insulator on your worksheet, before you test the materials. When you test the materials, the best way to add the material to the circuit is by placing it between the battery and the light bulb. Go over results on Smartboard

Have students test their predictions by placing the unknown material between two pieces of the complete circuit the student previously constructed (fore example: between the battery and the bulb).

What the Teacher Will Do See below. If the students did not do the Elaboration, only assign questions 1 and 2.

Probing/Eliciting Questions After they complete the assessment, go over the answers.

Student Responses and Misconceptions

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