TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 1
Electrical
Energy
Kit
Overview
This
kit
contains
activities
for
the
students
to
gain
a
better
understanding
about
electrical
energy,
and
its
use
and
effects
on
our
lives
today.
The
difference
between
series
and
parallel
circuits
are
also
explored.
Main
concepts
of
electrical
energy
include
transfer
of
electrons
through
a
circuit,
energy
storage,
and
practical
use.
Main
Concepts
• Electrical
Energy
• Atoms
and
matter
• Electron
flow
• Series
and
Parallel
Circuits
• Voltage
and
Current
• Resistors
Activity
Descriptions
Conductor
and
Insulator
Word
Sort
‐
5
minutes
This
activity
allows
the
students
to
differentiate
conductors
and
insulators
while
acknowledging
similarities
and
differences.
Circuit
Building
Activity‐
30
minutes
This
activity
allows
the
students
to
recreate
several
different
types
of
circuits
and
analyze
the
effects
of
the
circuit
structure
on
voltage
and
current.
Lesson
Extenders
Capacitor
Activity
Using
several
different
capacitor
sizes
the
students
are
asked
to
determine
the
effects
of
an
LED
on
a
capacitor.
The
discharge
time
for
each
capacitor
bundle
is
then
used
to
demonstrate
how
capacitors
use
up
the
energy
that
has
been
stored
inside
of
them.
Partial
support
for
the
TEAK
Project
was
provided
by
the
National
Science
Foundation's
Course,
Curriculum,
and
Laboratory
Improvement
(CCLI)
program
under
Award
No.
0737462.
Any
opinions,
findings,
and
conclusions
or
recommendations
expressed
in
this
material
are
those
of
the
author(s)
and
do
not
necessarily
reflect
the
views
of
the
National
Science
Foundation.
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 2
Resources
New
York
State
Standards
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/pub/mststa4.pdf
http://stateaid.nysed.gov/scripts/sa/pi_find.idc
Circuit
Symbols
and
Circuit
Diagrams
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/circuits/u9l4a.html
Introduction
to
DC
Circuits
http://www.play‐hookey.com/dc_theory/
An
Introduction
to
Capacitors
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mastascu/eLessonsHTML/LC/Capac1.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/capacitor1.htm
Note:
Many
of
these
resources
were
used
in
assisting
the
creation
of
the
following
lesson
plan
and
we
want
to
thank
and
reference
them
for
their
valuable
instruction.
NYS
Learning
Standards
MST
1
E
Scientific
Inquiry
Interpret
organized
observations
and
measurements,
recognizing
simple
patterns,
sequences,
and
relationships
MST
1
E
Engineering
Design
Discuss
how
best
to
test
the
solution;
perform
the
test
under
teacher
supervision;
record
and
portray
results
through
numerical
and
graphic
means;
discuss
orally
why
things
worked
or
did
not
work;
and
summarize
results
in
writing,
suggesting
ways
to
make
the
solution
better
Standard
4:
Energy
exists
in
many
forms,
and
when
these
forms
change
energy
is
conserved.
Students:
•
Describe
the
sources
and
identify
the
transformations
of
energy
observed
in
everyday
life.
•
Describe
situations
that
support
the
principle
of
conservation
of
energy.
This
is
evident,
for
example,
when
students:
‐Design
and
construct
devices
to
transform/transfer
energy.
‐
Build
an
electromagnet
and
investigate
the
effects
of
using
different
types
of
core
materials,
varying
thicknesses
of
wire,
and
different
circuit
types
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Electrical
Energy
(Approximately
1
hour)
Concepts
covered:
Electrical
Energy
Atoms
and
Matter
Electron
Flow
Series
and
Parallel
Circuits
Voltage
and
Current
Resistors
Page 3
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 4
Electricity:
Group
discussion
(Pose
the
following
questions
to
the
group
and
let
discussion
flow
naturally…
try
to
give
positive
feedback
to
each
child
that
contributes
to
the
conversation)
What
do
you
have
at
home
or
school
that
runs
on
electricity?
• Toaster
• Microwave
• New
Ovens
with
coils
• Computers
Just
to
name
a
few…
Where
does
that
electrical
energy
come
from?
• Power
plants
(coal,
nuclear)
• Batteries
• Portable
generators
Do
you
know
about
alternative
ways
of
producing
electricity
that
are
being
developed
today?
• Solar
• Hydro
• Wind
• Fuel
Cell
• Geo‐thermal
What
kind
of
job
do
you
think
a
person
would
have
if
they
develop
new
ways
of
producing
energy?
Engineers
and
scientists!
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 5
Electrical
Circuit
(Draw
this
circuit
on
the
board
to
explain
positive
and
negative
connections
and
how
they
complete
a
circuit.
Also
explain
the
terms
following
the
diagrams
using
the
diagrams
when
necessary.
Continue
with
discussion)
Series
Circuit
Parallel
Circuit
Terms
• Electron:
the
negatively
charged
particle
of
an
atom
that
is
free
to
move
around
• Electricity:
the
form
of
energy
created
by
movement
of
electrons
• Conductor:
a
material
that
allows
electricity
to
move
through
it
easily
• Insulator:
a
material
that
does
not
allow
electricity
to
pass
through
it
easily
• Source:
something
that
provides
the
circuit
with
power
i.e.
batteries
• Resistor:
something
that
uses
up
the
energy
i.e.
light
bulbs
• Voltage:
the
measure
of
the
force
pushing
the
electrons
through
a
circuit
o Example:
if
a
tank
of
water
were
suspended
one
meter
above
the
ground
with
a
one‐centimeter
pipe
coming
out
of
the
bottom,
the
water
pressure
would
be
similar
to
the
force
of
a
shower.
If
the
same
water
tank
were
suspended
10
meters
above
the
ground,
the
force
of
the
water
would
be
much
greater,
possibly
enough
to
hurt
you.
(If
you
jumped
from
a
one‐meter
diving
board,
the
force
when
you
hit
the
water
would
not
be
too
great.
If
you
jumped
from
a
10‐meter
board,
the
force
would
be
much
greater).
• Current:
The
flow
of
electrons
o Example:
if
a
water
tank
has
a
one
centimeter
diameter
pipe
coming
out
of
it
less
water
can
flow
through
it
compared
to
the
same
tank
with
a
10
centimeter
diameter
pipe.
• Series:
In
order
for
the
light
bulbs
to
be
in
series,
they
have
to
be
connected
so
the
current
only
has
one
way
to
go.
This
makes
the
current
the
same
through
each
light
bulb.
• Parallel:
In
order
for
the
light
bulbs
or
resistors
to
be
in
parallel,
the
positive
sides
need
to
be
connected
together
and
the
negative
sides
need
to
be
connected
together.
This
makes
the
voltage
across
each
resistor
the
same.
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 6
How
do
you
know
if
your
circuit
is
closed?
The
circuit
is
closed
if
current
is
flowing
through
all
of
the
components.
Think
of
Christmas
lights.
If
one
bulb
goes
out
the
circuit
is
no
longer
closed
and
the
entire
string
goes
out,
but
if
all
of
the
bulbs
are
on
and
working
properly
then
current
is
flowing
through
the
circuit.
New
style
light
bulbs
have
what
is
called
a
third
strand
cord
so
that
it
is
always
a
closed
circuit
and
will
still
light
up
even
if
one
bulb
goes
out.
Third
strand
cords
have
three
wires
instead
of
two
in
which
the
third
wire
connects
all
lights
to
keep
the
circuit
flowing.
Current
Flow
Everything
on
the
planet
wants
to
be
in
balance.
Because
there
is
a
positive
side
to
the
source
and
a
negative
side,
the
electrons
from
the
negative
end
of
the
source
want
to
go
to
the
positive
end
of
the
source.
This
movement
of
electrons
is
electrical
energy!
Do
you
think
we
can
build
a
circuit
with
string,
pencils
and
some
gum?
An
electrical
circuit
can
only
be
made
with
objects
or
materials
that
electrical
current
can
flow
through
‐
conductors.
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 7
Mini
Group
Activity
(allow
groups
to
sort
the
given
words
into
two
groups
to
differentiate
conductors
vs.
insulators)
Conductors:
• Silver
• Copper
• Gold
• Aluminum
• Iron
• Steel
• Brass
• Bronze
• Mercury
Insulators:
• Glass
• Rubber
• Asphalt
• Porcelain
• Ceramic
• Quartz
• Plastic
• Air
• Diamond
Follow
up
discussion:
Do
you
see
something
common
about
all
the
conductors?
‐
They
are
all
metals
End
of
Mini
Group
Activity
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 8
Circuit
Activity
Objectives
• Build
and
understand
a
basic
circuit.
• Use
a
multimeter
to
measure
voltage.
Materials
 1
Circuit
Board
 Alligator
Clips
 1
Multimeter
 3
Light
bulbs
Safety
Precautions
• Make
sure
ALL
light
bulbs
are
in
place
before
students
start
constructing
circuits.
Procedure
1. Explain
the
kits
before
handing
them
out:
• On
the
circuit
board,
the
red
wire
is
the
positive
end
of
the
battery
and
the
black
wire
is
the
negative
end
of
the
battery.
• The
alligator
clips
are
all
the
same
connecting
wire;
however
the
color
can
be
used
to
organize
positive
and
negative
connections.
• Explain
to
the
students
that
connecting
the
two
ends
of
the
battery
directly
will
cause
the
circuit
boards
to
short
circuit
(fail).
2. Now,
hand
out
the
kits.
Instruct
the
students
to
take
out
only
the
circuit
board,
three
light
bulbs,
and
the
alligator
clips.
Put
everything
else
back
in
the
box
and
place
it
on
the
floor.
3. Make
sure
that
the
students
have
ALL
the
light
bulbs
in
place
before
they
start
connecting
the
battery.
4. Pass
out
the
activity
handout.
5. Instruct
each
of
the
groups
to
follow
the
instructions
on
the
handout.
6. When
they
have
finished,
discuss
their
results
with
them.
Expected
Results
The
students
should
observe
that
the
current
is
lowered
as
more
light
bulbs
are
added
to
the
circuit.
End
of
Circuit
Activity
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 9
Circuit
Activity
Handout
Before
using
any
alligator
clips,
put
ALL
three
light
bulbs
in
place
Series
Circuits
&
Measuring
Voltage
1. Construct
a
closed
series
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
A.
**note:
the
red
wire
is
the
positive
end
of
the
battery
and
the
black
wire
is
the
negative
end
of
the
battery
Circuit A
Circuit B
Circuit C
2. Measure
and
record
the
voltage
across
light
bulb
1
by
placing
the
tips
of
each
lead
from
the
multimeter
on
the
wing
nuts
on
either
side
of
the
light
bulb.
3. Construct
a
closed
series
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
B.
4. Measure
and
record
the
voltage
across
light
bulb
1
and
then
light
bulb
2.
5. Construct
a
closed
series
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
C.
6. Measure
and
record
the
voltage
across
light
bulb
1,
light
bulb
2
then
light
bulb
3.
Voltage
(V)
Light
Bulb
1
Light
Bulb
2
Light
Bulb
3
Circuit
A
Circuit
B
Circuit
C
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 10
Parallel
Circuit
&
Measuring
Current
1. Construct
a
closed
parallel
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
X.
Circuit X
Circuit Y
Circuit Z
2. Measure
and
record
the
current
across
light
bulb
1
by
placing
the
tips
of
each
lead
from
the
multimeter
on
the
positive
wing
nut
of
the
light
bulb.
3. Construct
a
closed
parallel
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
Y.
4. Measure
and
record
the
current
across
light
bulb
1
and
then
light
bulb
2.
5. Construct
a
closed
parallel
circuit
as
shown
in
Circuit
Z.
6. Measure
and
record
the
current
across
light
bulb
1,
light
bulb
2,
then
light
bulb
3.
Current
(A)
Light
Bulb
1
Light
Bulb
2
Light
Bulb
3
Circuit
X
Circuit
Y
Circuit
Z
**
If
you
have
extra
time,
measure
the
voltage
across
each
light
bulb
in
circuit
Z
and
make
an
observation
**
Extra
Challenge:
Series
and
Parallel
Circuit
See
if
your
group
can
create
a
circuit
that
is
both
parallel
and
series.
How
can
you
test
your
circuit
to
see
if
it
is
both
parallel
and
series?
Make
a
sketch
below.
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 11
Concluding
Discussion
(pick
and
choose
depending
on
student
questions/
responses
to
activity)
What
did
you
notice
about
the
voltage
in
the
series
circuits?
What
about
the
brightness
of
the
bulbs?
What
did
you
notice
about
the
current
in
the
parallel
circuits?
What
about
the
brightness
of
the
bulbs?
How
did
the
brightness
of
the
bulbs
in
the
series
setup
compare
to
the
brightness
of
the
bulbs
in
the
parallel
setup?
Why
would
you
want
to
use
a
circuit
with
the
components
in
series/parallel?
In
parallel
all
of
the
components
have
the
same
voltage.
In
series
all
of
the
components
have
the
same
current.
Did
anyone
know
something
was
wrong
at
any
given
point?
What
did
you
change?
How
did
you
know
to
change
that?
What
kind
of
materials
in
your
home
could
you
use
to
create
another
electrical
circuit?
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Electrical
Energy
‐
Lesson
Extender
Concepts
covered:
Capacitors
Page 12
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 13
Capacitors:
Group
discussion
(Pose
the
following
questions
to
the
group
and
let
discussion
flow
naturally…
give
positive
feedback
to
each
child
that
contributes
to
the
conversation)
How
does
a
battery
work?
A
battery
uses
a
chemical
reaction
to
generate
electrical
energy.
However
because
a
battery
creates
power
through
a
chemical
process
the
speed
at
which
it
creates
energy
is
limited.
How
can
power
be
stored?
Power
can
be
stored
either
in
a
rechargeable
battery
or
in
a
capacitor.
What
is
a
capacitor?
A
capacitor
is
the
part
of
a
circuit
used
to
store
charge
(electrons)
for
a
small
amount
of
time,
usually
made
of
two
metal
plates
separated
by
insulating
material.
A
capacitor
is
a
little
bit
like
a
battery.
Capacitors
and
batteries
both
store
energy.
Here
are
a
few
differences
between
batteries
and
capacitors:
Batteries:
• Makes
electrical
energy.
• Gives
off
a
small
amount
of
electrical
energy
at
a
slow,
constant
rate.
• Not
always
rechargeable
Capacitors:
• Stores
electrical
energy.
• Gives
off
large
amount
of
electrical
energy
quickly.
• Can
be
charged
and
discharged
over
and
over.
o Think
about
when
you
scuff
your
feet
on
the
floor.
This
builds
up
a
charge
and
when
you
touch
a
doorknob
the
charge
releases
quickly.
You
can
do
this
over
and
over.
In
an
electronic
circuit
diagram,
a
capacitor
is
shown
like
this:
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 14
When
you
connect
a
capacitor
to
a
battery,
here's
what
happens:
The
capacitor
end
that
is
attached
to
the
negative
terminal
of
the
battery
accepts
electrons.
The
capacitor
end
that
is
attached
to
the
positive
battery
terminal
loses
electrons
to
the
battery.
Because
one
side
of
the
capacitor
now
has
more
than
the
other
there
is
a
difference.
This
difference
is
called
voltage.
Think
of
the
capacitor
as
a
dam.
And
the
battery
as
a
river.
More
and
more
water
builds
up
on
one
side,
and
on
the
other
side
there
is
no
more
water.
The
dam
can
only
hold
as
much
water
as
the
river
has.
And
once
the
dam
is
open
the
water
flows
through
on
its
own.
Once
charged
the
capacitor
has
the
same
voltage
as
the
power
source
that
was
charging
it.
•
•
•
•
•
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 15
Capacitor
Activity
Objectives
• Understand
the
difference
between
capacitors
and
batteries.
• Practice
making
circuits.
• Learn
about
another
common
item
in
circuits,
besides
batteries
and
light
bulbs.
Materials
 1
Circuit
Board
 Alligator
Clips
 3
Capacitor
Bundles
 1
Resistor
 1
clear
LED
light
Procedure
1. Instruct
the
students
to
take
out
only
the
circuit
board,
capacitors,
resistor,
LED
light,
and
the
alligator
clips.
Put
everything
else
back
in
the
box
and
place
it
on
the
floor.
2. Pass
out
the
activity
handout.
3. Instruct
each
of
the
groups
to
follow
the
instructions
on
the
handout.
4. When
they
have
finished,
discuss
their
results
with
them.
Expected
Results
The
students
should
observe
that
the
larger
the
capacitor
bundles
are,
the
longer
the
LED
light
will
stay
lit.
End
of
Capacitor
Activity
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 16
Capacitor
Handout
To
charge
the
capacitor:
1. Using
alligator
clips
connect
the
battery
to
the
capacitor,
creating
a
complete
circuit.
The
red
side
of
the
capacitor
(positive)
should
match
the
red
side
of
the
battery.
Keep
the
circuit
connected
for
at
least
20
seconds
to
fully
charge
your
capacitor.
Disconnect
from
battery.
To
use
the
capacitor:
1. Using
alligator
clips,
connect
the
positive
side
of
the
capacitor
(red)
to
one
end
of
the
resistor
(needed
to
regulate
the
power
from
the
capacitor
so
the
light
doesn’t
burn
out).
2. Connect
the
negative
side
of
the
capacitor
(black)
to
the
red
wire
of
the
LED.
3. Have
one
member
of
your
group
cup
their
hands
around
the
light
and
prepare
to
count
out
loud
how
many
seconds
it
stays
lit
up.
4. Have
another
group
member
connect
the
other
end
of
the
light
to
the
other
end
of
the
resistor.
The
completed
circuit
will
look
kind
of
like
this:
5. Record
the
number
of
seconds
in
the
chart
below.
6. Remove
the
capacitor
from
the
circuit
and
recharge
it.
7. Using
steps
1‐6,
perform
the
experiment
twice
for
each
capacitor
bundle.
8. Calculate
the
values
for
the
last
column.
Bundles:
Trial
#1
Trial
#2
Average
(#1
+
#2)
÷
2
Dark
Blue
Capacitor
Dark
Blue
with
2
Light
Blue
Capacitors
3
Dark
Blue
Capacitors
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 17
Concluding
Discussion
(Pick
and
choose
depending
on
student
questions/responses
to
activity)
Which
capacitor
allowed
the
LED
to
stay
lit
the
longest?
Why
did
that
happen?
• The
biggest
capacitor
‐
it
can
store
more
electrical
energy
and
use
that
energy
over
a
longer
period
of
time.
What
is
the
difference
in
the
way
a
battery
gives
off
energy
compared
to
the
way
a
capacitor
gives
off
energy?
• Capacitors:
For
larger
power/short
duration
applications
• Batteries:
For
slow
consistent
discharge
Think
of
your
parents’
car.
Many
things
are
run
off
electricity
in
a
car.
If
you
thought
about
the
turn
signals
versus
the
headlights,
which
one
would
you
need
a
capacitor
for?
• Turn
signals
–
short
flashes
of
light
that
are
repeated,
large
amount
of
energy
needed
to
make
the
light
turn
on
Can
you
think
of
anything
that
would
use
a
capacitor?
• Surround
Sound
Speaker
connections
• Turn
on/off
switches
• Flashes
on
cameras
• Computers
(storing
information)
• Defibrillator
–
the
machine
doctors
use
to
stimulate
a
stopped
heart
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 18
Trouble
Shooting
Guide
Replacement
of
Parts
Many
circuit
components
will
wear
over
time,
which
may
lead
to
failures.
Specific
problems
may
include:
battery
packs
shorting,
plastic
melting,
LEDs
no
longer
working
due
to
excess
current
being
applied,
inability
of
capacitors
to
hold
electricity
due
to
incorrect
charging,
and
so
on.
If
any
of
these
occur,
replacement
parts
may
be
found
in
the
plastic
bag.
Use
of
Multi‐meters
For
proper
operation
check
sure
of
the
following:
• Leads
are
plugged
in
to
the
correct
ports
• The
knob
is
turned
to
“DCV
20”
• The
pointed
ends
are
being
pressed
onto
a
positive
and
negative
end
• A
9‐volt
battery
(inside
the
multimeter)
may
need
to
be
replaced
TEAK
Electrical Energy Kit Lesson Plan
Page 19
Revisions
Date
9/10/09
Changes
Made
‐Updated
capacitor
section
(lesson
plan
&
handout)
By
Heather
Godlewski