19. THE CIRCUIT QUIZ GAME
GRADE 6
ASSESSMENT CATEGORIES
Knowledge and Understanding
Thinking and Investigation
Communication
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Build and play The Circuit Quiz Game.
PREPARATION TIME
DURATION
Varies
90 minutes
STRAND STRAND
Understanding Matter and Energy
Grade Six
This task addresses the
following expectations:
 investigate the
characteristics of static and
current electricity, and
construct simple circuits;
 demonstrate an
understanding of the
principles of electrical
energy and its
transformation into and
from other forms of energy.
 follow established safety procedures for working with electricity;
 design and build series and parallel circuits, draw labelled diagrams identifying the components used in
each, and describe the role of each component in the circuit;
 use technological problem-solving skills to design, build, and test a device that transforms electrical
energy into another form of energy in order to perform a function;
 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including current, battery, circuit, transform, static,
electrostatic, and energy, in oral and written communication;
 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences
and for a variety of purposes;
 explain the functions of the components of a simple electrical circuit;
 Describe series circuits (components connected in a daisy chain) and parallel circuits (components
connected side by side like the rungs of a ladder), and identify where each is used.
MATERIALS
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LED's/resistors (green, red)
Electrical components/Batteries
Electrical tape
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wires (alligator clips, wire wrap, tinfoil)
contact points (thumbtacks/paperclips/other)
Board/cardboard/stiff backboard material
HOOK
Show your students one of the following videos about simple circuits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwKQ9Idq9FM
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAvCYFR_zM
DEVELOPMENT
Bring an example circuit that you made, and show students how it works, and how to build each
component.
A simple circuit has three parts:
1. A source of electrical energy (battery)
2. A path for the electricity to be conducted (wire or paper clip)
3. An electrical resistor-- this can be any device that uses the electricity (LED bulbs). Other examples of
resistors are motors, heating elements, speakers, etc.
To build a circuit, electricity must travel from one end of the power source and return to the opposite
end in a closed, unbroken loop/circle. When using a battery, the electricity leaves the negative (-) end
and returns to the positive (+) end. Similarly, a wall outlet has a positive end and a negative end — the
two holes which the prongs plug into.
APPLICATION
In teams of 2 or 3, students will design and build a circuit board quiz game on any topic relating to
something they are currently studying in the classroom (it’s fun to relate questions to Electricity, but
they could also relate to History, Math, Art, etc.). The questions can be true/false, multiple-choice, or
matching.
TIPS:
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Students should come prepared with a set of 5 true or false questions per group
Have students pre-design their circuit boards and have them approved by the teacher or EIR
Give the students 45 minutes to prepare their circuits—be mindful to save enough time to test
the circuits and discuss the activity
Instructions on creating the circuit board quiz:
1. Write questions and all answers on the cardboard (layout will depend on the question type used).
Punch a hole beside each question/answer and another hole up at the top (for the light bulb).
2. Turn over the cardboard. Lay a narrow strip of tinfoil (folded into more than one layer) between the
two holes that connect a question with the right answer; poke the ends of the tinfoil strip through the
holes. Carefully tape along the whole length of tinfoil – make sure that no tinfoil is showing or the
game will not work. You can also use copper wire with the ends stripped for this purpose.
3. Flip over cardboard again and connect the thumbtacks (or other ‘contact point’) to the bit of
tinfoil/wire sticking through the hole.
4. Strip the ends of three more pieces of wire. Attach one end of the first wire to a paperclip or alligator
clip, and the other end to the positive end of the battery. Take wire #2 and attach one end to the
negative end of the battery, and the other to one side of the bulb socket. Finally, take wire #3 and
attach one end to the other side of the bulb socket, and the other end to a second paperclip or
alligator clip.
5. Put your light bulb through the hole at the top of the cardboard and secure with tape.
Your game is ready to play! Touch one paperclip/alligator clip to the question, and another to the
answer you think is right. If your answer is correct, the light bulb will light up.
Alternatively, students can create circuits using red and green light bulbs to indicate correct/incorrect
answers. Use the following circuit diagram for reference.
CLOSURE
Ask students to write down one thing they learned, what they enjoyed most about the lesson, and one
question that they still have. Collect their responses and read them for feedback. You may chose to
answer some of the questions the next time you return.
TIPS
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Build an sample game to demonstrate how it works
Have students test their boards on their classmates
Explain the concepts in advance and re-iterate the concepts often
Work individually with each student or group
Ask the teacher to have the students prepare 5 questions relating to another subject they’re
studying