Explaining Electrical Circuits
A unit structured around inquiry activities teaches students to
share results through written explanations
By Tracy Hodgson-Drysdale and Edward Ballard
“O
nce the wire is connected to the
ends of either the positive or
negative [of the battery], the wire
must be attached to the tip of the
Receiver (A.K.A. the lightbulb). The pathway
(A.K.A. The Wire) should be connected to the
metal jacket….” This is the written response
of a fourth-grade English language learner to
the prompt “Explain how electricity in a circuit can cause a lightbulb to light” at the end
of a unit on explanations. It demonstrates the
level of science content and language learning
that is possible after a five-week science unit,
and how that learning can be shared through
written explanations.
37 Science and Children
April/May 2011 37
Science is more than learning a collection of facts. In
the classroom, it is about creating a deeper level of understanding of the world and providing students with the
tools to share that knowledge. We can share knowledge
orally or in writing, in a variety of genres such as reports,
arguments, and explanations.
As a researcher working on writing in elementary
science and a science teacher, we teamed up for a unit
on explanation designed to teach fourth-grade students
to demonstrate their learning of scientific concepts and
language through written explanations of scientific
phenomena. It is important to note that this unit was
designed to be inclusive of all learners and that bilingual
learners worked alongside their peers to accomplish all
tasks, in addition to learning the English language.
Figure 1.
Sample t-table.
Familiarity
In the upper elementary grades, explanations provide students with an appropriate means for sharing
the results of research into various phenomena. Two
crucial aspects of sharing findings are (a) the inclusion of scientific concepts and (b) appropriate technical language. An important part of helping students
deepen their understanding of scientific phenomena is
giving them regular opportunities to become familiar
with the language of science by introducing technical
language through teacher read-alouds, discussions,
and inquiry activities. Learning the language of science is essential for all children and is crucial when
sharing results. Children need to learn new technical
language in relation to new science content, and they
need to know how to use this language to understand
and explain the content. Another way to help students
deepen this understanding is to provide regular opportunities to explain phenomena orally in class discussions and through a combination of collaborative and
independent writing. Sharing the results of inquiry in
science is an essential part of learning for all students,
and sharing through writing enhances that learning
(Newell 2006; Wollman-Bonilla 2000).
Planning the Unit
Our unit was designed to help fourth graders explain
(in writing) scientific concepts they learned through
inquiry activities and explicit teaching. We believe
this helps them deepen their understandings of the
content. First, the students needed to be taught the
“genre of explanation” and the language choices available to them (Derewianka 1990; Halliday and Martin
1993). This means knowing the structure of explanation, in which each text begins with a clear statement
of the phenomenon itself (e.g., Electricity flowing in a
38 Science and Children
circuit can cause a lightbulb to light.), followed by a sequenced explanation of how or why it occurs (e.g., A
circuit is created when a battery is connected to a lightbulb using a minimum of two wires. The wires form pathways to conduct the electricity. One wire connects either
the positive or negative end of the battery to the metal
jacket of the bulb, the other connects the tip of the bulb
back to the opposite end of the battery. When the wires
are connected, the circuit is complete, which will cause
the bulb to light up.).
Explanation also requires certain elements of language
to be effective. For example, explanations often require
technical language (e.g., electricity, circuit, connector,
insulator) and content-specific action verbs (flow, light,
connect) to aptly describe the phenomenon. Verbs are
usually in the present tense to suggest the timelessness
of the information being conveyed. Participants—who
or what is taking part—in explanations are generalized
(e.g., “electricity,” “a battery,” “a wire”) as opposed to
specific participants (e.g., “the electricity,” “the battery,” “the wire”) because the purpose of the genre is
to explain broader scientific phenomena and not how to
create one particular circuit. For a detailed explanation
of the most common genres, including explanation, see
Derewianka (1990).
Explaining Electrical Circuits
Figure 2.
Sample word bank.
circuit is created by connecting a D-cell battery to a
lightbulb using two wires,” where “a circuit,” “a Dcell battery,” and “two wires” are general so that they
apply to any set of batteries, lightbulbs, and wires. If
they weren’t generalized then it would read “The circuit is created by connecting the D-cell battery to the
lightbulb using the two wires” and it would be referring to a specific circuit as opposed to explaining how
the circuit works.
Teaching Language
Implementing the Unit
The electricity unit was structured around a variety of
inquiry activities designed to help students learn about
electricity. Each week the science teacher introduced a
new electricity concept and the related technical language to students. For example, during week three
students learned about the flow of electricity and the
terms conductors and insulators. Students were given a
D-cell battery, a lightbulb and stand, three wires, and a
variety of other materials. They created an open circuit
into which each different material could be placed to
see which ones would conduct electricity, complete the
circuit, and light the bulb. Students reported their findings in a t-table in their notebooks (Figure 1).
Teaching Explanation
Teaching explanation was accomplished in a variety
of ways throughout the electricity unit. The science
teacher modeled explanations orally and read a variety
of mentor texts or examples of the genre to students
(see Print Resources). He also explained how questions relating to the flow of electricity were not asking
students to write a procedure (which they were familiar
with from third grade), but were instead asking them
to explain how or why the phenomenon worked a certain way (Derewianka 1990; see Internet Resources).
Another method of teaching about explanation was
collaboration, in which the teacher and students created both oral and written explanations of electrical phenomena (e.g., how electricity flows in a circuit, or why
some objects are conductors and some are insulators)
after an inquiry activity. The teacher also modeled and
explained the use of verbs (present tense) and generalized participants in the explanations. For example, “A
Learning the language of science took place throughout the unit by identifying new technical terms, reading
books aloud to the class, creating diagrams of circuits,
and daily group discussions. New technical language
was introduced by the teacher each class and previous
terms were revisited during discussions and inquiry
activities. The teacher also created word banks which
included technical terms, a simple definition, and a labeled diagram of the concept whenever it was relevant
(Figure 2). The word banks were posted in the classroom for students to use during discussions, activities,
and writing. Students also kept a glossary of the terms
in their science notebooks.
The teacher read aloud a variety of books, such as
Angela Royston’s (2003) Conductors and Insulators,
which describes how electricity is used, how to create
an electric circuit, and the phenomenon of the flow of
electricity (see Print Resources). The teacher engaged
students in daily group discussions where he helped
them learn to use technical language to ask questions,
increase understanding, and create collaborative oral and
written explanations of concepts. On some occasions he
used chart paper to create diagrams of circuits, and on
others he asked students to play the role of teacher and
draw a circuit diagram for the class. Then students would
explain whether the circuit was complete and why. They
also discussed the concept of simple circuits in relation
to inquiry activities conducted during lessons.
Assessment
We asked students to write uncoached explanations
about the flow of electricity at the beginning and the end
of the unit using the prompt “Explain how electricity in
a circuit can cause a lightbulb to light.” We analyzed
the initial student explanations using a rubric (Figure
3, p. 40) to see what students already knew about creating explanations and the flow of electricity and which
aspects of explanation and content would need to be
taught. We also used the initial student writing to select
two specific language objectives: technical language and
the use of action verbs. At the conclusion of the unit we
April/May 2011 39
analyzed the students’ final written explanations using
the same rubric.
What Students Learned
Students shared their understanding of the electricity concepts and language skills at the end of the unit
through written explanations. These explanations
showed that students had learned many things about
the genre of explanation, the content, and the language
of the unit. The student writing showed better organization of ideas, partial to thorough explanations of
how electricity flows through a circuit, and increased
use of technical vocabulary. Students still had difficulty
writing the identifying statement of the phenomenon
and using action verbs specific to the phenomenon.
For example, in Figure 4 the student begins “A circuit
can make a lightbulb turn on,” which would be a more
complete initial statement if it were phrased as “Elec-
tricity flowing through a complete circuit can make a
lightbulb turn on,” or “A circuit can make a lightbulb
turn on when it is complete and allows for the flow of
electricity.” We concluded that students needed more
modeling and support in these areas, which could occur
by having them continue to write explanations of phenomena throughout the school year.
When sharing their understanding, some students
focused on certain parts of the phenomenon. For example, one student focused on details about the bulb
itself “when the [they] attached one wire to the D-cell
battery to the tipe [tip] of an lightbulb…with another
wire attached to the D-cell battery to the metal jacket
of a lightbulb.” Another student focused on the overall
circuit concluding, “If there’s a gap the lightbulb won’t
light up.” These examples show increased knowledge
of the phenomenon of the flow of electricity and also an
increased ability to use the language of science in writing
explanations.
Figure 3.
Explanation rubric for fourth grade.
Structure of genre
Statement of phenomenon
Explanation of how
electricity flows through a
circuit
Science content
Recognize that electricity
in circuits requires a
complete loop through
which an electrical
current can pass, and that
electricity can produce
light, heat, and sound
Language
Technical language
Action Verbs
40 Science and Children
Well-developed
Adequate development
Limited development
Identifying statement
is complete and stated
clearly
Sequencing is logical and
ideas are organized to
effectively address the
question of how electricity
flows
Identifying statement is
partially complete or is
unclear
Sequencing is somewhat
organized, ideas are
grouped appropriately
some of the time
Identifying statement is
unclear or not included
Thorough explanation
of how electricity flows
in a complete circuit,
and reference to the
production of light, heat,
or sound
Partial explanation of
how electricity flows in
a complete circuit, or
some reference to the
production of light, heat,
or sound
Minimal explanation
of how electricity flows
in a complete circuit,
or reference to the
production of light, heat,
or sound
Strong use of technical
terms increases overall
text cohesion
Verbs describe specific
actions related to the
phenomenon being
explained and contribute
to overall clarity of text
Some use of technical
terms, sometimes
increases text cohesion
Some verbs are related
to the phenomenon and
contribute to meaning
Minimal use of technical
terms, does not contribute
to overall text cohesion
Verbs are too general
to contribute to overall
meaning
Sequencing is absent,
ideas are included in
seemingly random order
Explaining Electrical Circuits
Figure 4.
Final uncoached explanation.
Tracy Hodgson-Drysdale (drysdalt@bc.edu) is a third
year doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction
at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Edward Ballard was a former science specialist and is
now a third-grade teacher at Russell Elementary School
in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
References
Derewianka, B. 1990. Exploring how texts work. Rozelle,
NSW: Primary English Teaching Association.
Halliday, M.A.K., and J.R. Martin. 1993. Writing science:
Literacy and discursive power. Pittsburgh, PA: University
of Pittsburgh Press.
Newell, G.E. 2006. Writing to learn. In Handbook of writing
research, eds. C.A. MacArthur, S. Graham, and J. Fitzgerald, 235–247. New York: Guilford.
Wollman-Bonilla, J.E. 2000. Teaching science writing to first
graders: Genre learning and recontextualization. Research in the teaching of English 35 (1): 35–65.
Print Resources
To further extend the sharing of their knowledge,
students could be encouraged to write explanations for
different audiences, such as other students in the school
or their parents. It is important to note that changing the
audience changes the way students write their explanation—using simpler sentence structures, simplifying
some of the scientific vocabulary for younger audiences,
or including extra background information about the
phenomenon itself and clarification of scientific terms
for audiences outside of school.
We concluded that such extended sharing would
make the writing more authentic for students and would
further reinforce the concepts of the unit.
What We Learned
We learned that teaching students to write in genres
commonly used in science, such as explanation, helped
them learn content and language more deeply. This
knowledge has led us to investigate teaching explanation with other topics and also teaching other written
genres in science in the same way, through modeling by
reading and deconstructing mentor texts, writing as a
class in the focus genre, and gradually preparing students to write independently. n
Atwater, M., P. Baptiste, L. Daniel, J. Hackett, R. Moyer, C.
Takemoto, and N. Wilson. 1995. Electrical energy. New
York: MacMillan/McGraw-Hill.
Full Option Science System (FOSS) Science Stories. 2003.
Magnetism and electricity. Berkley, CA: Delta Education.
Mullick, R. 2007. Electricity at play: Using electricity. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
Royston, A. 2003. Conductors and insulators. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann Educational Books.
Internet Resource
Writing Fun by Jenny Eather
www.writingfun.com/writingfun2010.html
Connecting to the Standards
This article relates to the following National Science
Education Standards (NRC 1996):
Content Standards
Grades K–4
Standard A: Science as Inquiry
• Abilities necessary to do science inquiry
• Understanding about science inquiry
Standard B: Physical Science
• Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism
National Research Council (NRC). 1996. National
science education standards. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press.
April/May 2011 41
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