Let There be Light
Saba Hedayatollahnajafi
GK-12 Down to Earth Fellow
Arizona State University
Grade 9
Key Words:
Battery
Electricity
Energy Transfer
Energy Storage
Overview
In this lesson, the students learn how to use their cognitive abilities to deduce the basic
ideas that define the principles that are the basis for operation of batteries. They will use
some of the basic household equipment to make their batteries.
Objectives:
The students will learn:



to design a system and use a methodical testing approach to confirm its
functionality
what electricity is and how it is generated, transferred, and used
how a simple chemical battery functions and how it can be used to power a simple
electronics device
Arizona State Standards
Strand 1: Inquiry Process
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypothesis
Concept 2: Investigating and Modeling
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
Concept 4: Communication
Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept4: Chemical Reactions
PO 2. Identify the indicators of chemical change, including formation
of a precipitate, evolution of a gas, color change, absorption or release
of heat energy
PO 3. Represent a chemical reaction by using a balanced equation
PO9. Predict the products of a chemical reaction using types of
reactions
PO12. Compare the nature, behavior, concentration, and strengths of
acids and bases
PO13. Determine the transfer of electrons in oxidation/reduction
reactions.
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
1
National Standards
Concept A: As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should
develop:
• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understand about scientific inquiry
Concept C: As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should
develop an understanding of:
• Properties and changes of properties in matter
• Transfer of energy
Materials
Let there be light:
1. Fruit Battery
- 2 lemons / station
- 2 oranges / station
- 2 tomatoes / station or 16 fl oz tomato juice /station
- 16 fl oz fresh pineapple juice / station
- 3 medium to large sized strawberries / station
For each fruit station:
- 2 wire connectors/station (or 4 5cm pieces of medium-gauge wire stripped at the
ends)
- 1 low voltage (~1.8min V) LED (or low voltage calculator) / station (Optional)
- 3 copper pennies (or 5cm pieces of copper wire) / station
- 3 galvanized nails / station
- 1 plastic knife / station
- Voltmeter(s)
- Extra wire
2. Vinegar Battery
- 2 20 oz bottles of white vinegar
- 3 25 oz beakers or cups / station
- 2 wire connectors / station (or 4 5cm pieces of wire stripped at the ends)
- 1 low voltage (~1.8min V) LED (or low voltage calculator) / station (Optional)
- 3 pennies (or 3 5cm pieces of copper wire) / station
- 3 galvanized nails (or 3 5cm pieces of aluminum wire) / station
- 1 plastic knife / station
- Voltmeter(s)
- Extra wire
3. Salt Battery
- 20 ml NaCl
- ml water
- One 100 ml beakers
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
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-
5cm piece of medium-gauge copper wire
5cm piece of aluminum wire) / station
2 wire connectors (or 2 5cm pieces of wire stripped at the ends)
voltmeter
Lesson Plan
Pre-activity (Time: 30 min)
Objective:
This pre-activity will introduce the students to the concept of energy obtained from
electrical forces and how it can be used to, for example, light up a lamp. It is a great tool
to introduce the students to the basics of electricity and will provide them with some
background knowledge to perform their inquiry activity.
Procedure:
Have the students watch the video provided in the website or at:
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?p=electricity&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF
8&b=5&oid=76c92361b43cc2e2&rurl=www.windham.k12.me.us&vdone=http%3A%2F%
2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fvideo%3Fp%3Delectricity%26toggle%3D1%26cop
%3Dmss%26ei%3DUTF-8
Before showing the clip, give the sheet containing related questions to the students. The
question sheet is attached.
Let There Be Light (Time: One block period (2 hrs). Might extend to two periods if
needed)
Objective:
In this inquiry activity the students will have the chance to construct a simple battery and
understand how simple electrical devices are powered and function. The students have
the opportunity to device methods to create their batteries using simple tools and the
background knowledge they attained from the video.
Teacher Reference:
Useful information for this section can be found in the following website (focus on the
last few paragraphs of the webpage):
http://home.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm
http://hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/vinegar_battery.html
http://hilaroad.com/camp/projects/lemon/lemon_battery.html
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
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Useful information regarding the fruits being using in this lab:
Fruit
Strawberry
Orange
Lemon
Tomato
Pineapple
Ascorbic Acid
Content (mg/100mg
fruit)
56.7
53.2
53.0
19.1
15.4
Ascorbic Acid = Vitamin C (C6H8O6)
Procedure:
- Ask the following questions from the students to get a general idea of their
background knowledge
o What are some of the properties of metals? (physical: shiny, malleability,
etc. chemical: good conductors (donate/accept electrons easily))
o What is electrical current? (movement of electrical charge from atom to
atom in a wire, or, the movement of charged ions in a liquid)
o How do you measure the electrical activity of a battery? (let the students
elaborate then demonstrate using the voltmeter and mention the direct
correlation between current and voltage)
o How do you think a battery works? (Do not go into detail, just get an idea
of what they might know)
o What happens when if you put a metallic wire into an electrical outlet?
(elaborate on the dangers of electricity and prevention methods)
-
Brief the students about the objective of this activity. Things they will learn:
o Properties of metals (i.e. conductivity, ability to donate/accept different
number of electrons)
o How is electrical energy produces from chemical reactions
o How do batteries work?
o What are batteries made of?
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
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-
Send the students to the stations
o Station 1: Tomato Battery?
 2 tomatoes/tomato juice
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3 copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
o Station 2: Lemon Battery?
 2 lemons
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3 copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
o Station 3: Orange Battery?
 2 oranges
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3 copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
o Station 4: Strawberry Battery?
 2-3 strawberries
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3-4 copper wires
 3-4 aluminum wires
o Station 5: Pineapple Battery?
 3 cups of pineapple juice (~25 ml each)
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3 copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
o Station 6: Salt Battery?
 One large cup of slat-water (~20ml salt - 80 ml water)
 Wires/connectors
 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 1 copper wire
 1 aluminum wire
o Station 7: Vinegar Battery?
 3 ~ 25 ml cups filled with vinegar
 Wires/connectors
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
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 1 LED/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3 copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
o Station 8: Vinegar Battery? Power your calculator
 3 ~ 25 ml cups filled with vinegar
 Wires/connectors
 1 low V calculator/voltmeter
 One plastic knife
 3copper wires
 3 aluminum wires
- The extra materials are provided by request
- Be sure to mention to student NOT to taste any of the fruits
- Each station should also be provided with the worksheet (refer to Appendix)
- After all groups successfully lit up their LEDs/calculators (or have measured at
least 1.5 volts using the voltmeter), make sure all LEDs/calculators are
disconnected
- Gather the students from the stations and have them present their ideas for how
the battery functions to the class
o Why we chose those specific fruits
o Why we chose those specific metals
o How can we increase the voltage (basics of series connection)
- Discuss each idea and explain why they might be right or wrong
Evaluation
One bases for evaluation is reflections from the discussion. They should also submit their
proposed drawn setup to be used for further evaluation purposes. At the end of the
session, or during the next session, a quick 10 minute quiz will be given to students to
understand their level of understanding regarding the properties of metals and electrical
currents.
Lesson Plan, Let There be Light, GK-12
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