Electronic Circuits Workshop – Snap Circuits
LEARNING GOALS: After the completion of this workshop, students will understand:
1.
2.
3.
The basic components of an electronic circuit
How these components work within Ohm’s Law to do work
How to build different types of circuits to accomplish particular tasks
CONCEIVE – What do I wish to accomplish through this project?
This stage involves guiding students in defining the goals of the project, then helping them develop
conceptual, technical and action plans to meet those goals while considering the technology, knowledge, and
skills that apply. This guidance is provided in the form of Essential Questions that use student’s
preconceptions, and misperceptions then move them toward a deeper and more realistic understanding of
the process and skills needed to complete the project.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
1. What do all those little parts in an electronic gadget do?
2. Can I predict what a circuit will do based on the parts that are present?
3. Can I build a circuit that accomplishes a task that I want it to?
NOTES:
In this workshop, students will use Snap Circuits to learn the function and role of resistors, capacitors,
transistors, motors, and circuits. Students will take this knowledge and build circuits from directions
included in the kit and build a circuit of their own design.
5 min: To start, ask students what they know about electricity, electronics, and circuits. Use the information
from How does a circuit work? http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/circuit1.htm to
correct any misperceptions.
Big, Take Home Ideas for Students:
1. Flowing electrons make up electrical current
2. What Ohm’s law is and what voltage and current are
3. What makes a good conductor and how that relates to resistance
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
5 min: Ask students: “Did you know there are different types of circuits?” Have them share their ideas. Use
the information from “Types of Circuits”
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/circuit2.htm to correct any misperceptions.
Big Take Home Ideas for Students:
1. The difference between a closed and open circuit
2. The difference between a series and parallel circuit
3. What a short circuit is
5 min: Ask students: “What is an electronic circuit?” Have them share their ideas. Next ask: “Do you know
what all those little parts in an electronic device do?” Have them share their ideas. Additionally have an
opened device (i.e. remote control, CD player, radio) to use as a prop on hand. Probably, not very many
students will know the components. Use the information from “Electronic Circuits” http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/circuit5.htm. The big ideas
Basic components of a circuit:
1. Resistor
a. Resistors are used to produce heat, as in an electric toaster or furnace; to produce light, as
in an incandescent light bulb; to regulate the electric power entering a device, as in a light
dimmer or radio volume control; and to set voltages within an electric circuit.
2. Capacitor
a. A device whose principal electric property is the ability to store an electric charge. They are
important components in many kinds of electrical equipment, including radio and television
transmitters and receivers, some automobile ignition systems, and some types of motors.
b. The ability of a capacitor to store an electric charge is useful in controlling the flow of an
electric current.
c. Another use of capacitors is in circuits that filter electrical signals. A capacitor whose
capacitance can be varied is used in the tuning circuit of radio and television receivers.
Varying the capacitance changes the resonant frequency of the tuner circuit so that it
matches the frequency of the desired station or channel, filtering out signals of all other
frequencies.
3. Transistor
a. A transistor regulates current or voltage flow and acts as a switch or gate for electronic
signals.
b. A small change in the current or voltage at the inner semiconductor layer (which acts as the
control electrode) produces a large, rapid change in the current passing through the entire
component. The component can thus act as a switch, opening and closing an electronic gate
many times per second.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
c. Transistors are the basic elements in integrated circuits (ICs), which consist of very large
numbers of transistors interconnected with circuitry and baked into a single silicon
microchip or "chip."
DESIGN - How will I accomplish the project?
After sharing the basics of electric circuits, follow the following agenda that will lead the students through the
design process of using the snap circuit kits, constructing circuits in series with resistance and added battery
power. By starting with constructing these initial circuit designs they will understand reverse polarity, how
they control speeds and then they will introduce an integrated circuit.
1. Instructor explains how to build projects with the kit (Grid, Layers).
2. Students construct an electric circuit in series with a motor and fan (Project #11).
3. Students construct an electric circuit in series with a resistor, motor, and fan (Project #12). Note and
discuss the impact to the fan speed.
4. Instructor demonstrates an electric circuit in series with two battery packs, motor, and fan. Note and
discuss the impact to the fan speed.
5. Students construct an electric circuit in parallel with a resistor, motor, and fan (Project #6 with motor
polarity reversed). Note and discuss the impact to the fan speed.
6. Students construct an electric circuit using an integrated circuit (Project #53).
7. Instructor demonstrates an electric circuit that produces an AM radio.
IMPLEMENT - From an idea to a product!
Have students select and construct a project of their choosing. They can modify a project in the instruction
manual but encouraging them to experiment.
OPERATE – Does it work the way I planned?
Have students demonstrate their project and discuss how the circuit design works.
Did it accomplish the task or initial design the envisioned?
What would they “tweek” next?
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
RESOURCES NEEDED – What equipment and supplies do I need?
Elenco Snap Circuit kits use building blocks with snaps to construct electronic circuits where a manual is
provided with many different project circuit diagrams. These are real working circuits just like the circuits
found in today’s modern technology that we find ourselves using regularly including video games and cell
phones. For more information http://www.elenco.com/snapcircuits.html
SET-UP
1. Have complete kits ready with fresh batteries.
2. Have instructions available for Project #11, #12, #6, and #53. (see attached).
Note: If you have limited time availability for this workshop, have the above projects pre-built for students to
explore.
3. Pre-build Project #242 (Am Radio) and ready to demonstrate.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Colorado State Standards – High School
1. Physical Science
Concepts and skills students master:
5. Energy exists in many forms such as
mechanical, chemical, electrical, radiant,
thermal, and nuclear, that can be
quantified and experimentally
determined
6. When energy changes form, it is
neither created not destroyed; however,
because some is necessarily lost as heat,
the amount of energy available to do
work decreases
Evidence Outcomes
Students can:
21st Century Skills
Inquiry Questions:
3.Scientists or engineers
often say energy is “lost.” Is
there a word that might be
better than “lost?” Why?
b. Evaluate the energy conversion
efficiency of a variety of energy
transformations
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the Center for STEM
Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.
Copyright University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2011. For permission to use these materials, contact the Director at the
Center for STEM Education, (719) 255-3595. Curriculum format design adapted from CDIO developed by MIT.