ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY CIRCUITS: SHANNA AYER

I. Topic/Grade Level: Electricity and Energy Circuits

II.

4th Grade/Science

Standards: 4-5.6 Identify and summarize the components of a complete simple circuit
and properly connect them.

III.Goals and Student Learning Outcomes (Objectives):

Goal 1: Students will identify and summarize the components of a complete simple circuit.
Student Learning Outcome 1: Identify components of a simple circuit
Student Learning Outcome 2: Summarize the components of a simple circuit
Goal 2: Students will properly connect the components of a simple circuit to create an actual
simple circuit using batteries, wires, and a light bulb
Student Learning Outcome 1: Properly connect batteries, wires, and a light bulb to
together to create a simple circuit
Student Learning Outcome 2: Explain what will happen if a simple circuit does not have
all correct components in place
IV.

Learning Environment(s):
This lesson will be in a face to face environment

V.

Resources:
Simple Circuit PowerPoint
http://www.learningcircuits.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/8_9/circuits_conductors_fs.shtml
http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html

VI.

Diversity / Differentiation:
Students with special needs will be partnered with a study buddy for extra help and
the teacher will individualize instruction tailored to the students accommodations
according to the students IEP.
The lesson will have visual, auditory, and kinesthetic parts to reach many different
modalities and learning styles.

VII.

Technology Inclusion:
Students will have access to computers to play games were they have to create a
simple circuit but figuring out what piece in the circuit is missing and what piece
will act as a conductor to produce electricity to light up a single lightbulb and then
a double lightbulb.
The teacher will use the Team Board located in the classroom to allow students to
come up the board and move parts of a simple circuit to create one that will work

properly.
Students will watch a Brain Pop video on Electricity and take the quiz on the
website.
Students will watch the Magic School Bus Gets Charged and create a concept map
on Electricity and Simple Circuits.

VIII. Prior Knowledge: Prior to this lesson, students have only had experience with electricity
due to turning on and off lights and plugging in appliances at home. This is there first real
introduction to electricity and energy circuits.
Lesson Placement in the Unit: This is lesson _1_ of _4_.
1. Procedures:
Teacher will read engaging scenario to begin lesson on electricity and energy circuits.
Teacher will begin working through simple circuit PowerPoint. Teacher and students
will discuss focus questions, predictions, charts, diagrams, energy flow, etc. Students
will work together to create a simple circuit. Details below.
2. Lesson Introduction / Anticipatory Set:
(Teacher will begin lesson by pretending he/she is hiking with a book bag with the
items from the engaging scenario. Students are given an ENGAGING SCENARIO:
You are out for a nature hike with your friends. It is beginning to get dark.
Suddenly, the group falls down into a dark cave. Fortunately no one is injured. You
cannot see anything and without light you have little hope of escape. Searching
your backpacks you find a new D cell (battery), a small flashlight bulb, 2 strings, 2
plastic straws, an index card, 2 paper clips, and 2 insulated wires. You know the D
cell is working because you just bought it the day before and it has not been used.
What is the problem here?
3. Direct Instruction:
Students will discuss the engaging scenarios as a group and then the class will discuss
the focus question.
How can we make the bulb glow with the materials found?
4. Student Interaction with lesson content / Guided Practice:
Observe and identify parts of a bulb with hand lens and a transparency of a battery.
Discuss the filament and contact points. Draw parts of a bulb and battery.
Discuss insulator and conductors, then group the materials and recorded them in a two
column chart.
Students will look at Simple Circuit PowerPoint with diagrams of a simple circuit after
discussing the focus questions. They will draw and label a plan of connection in their

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science journals and create a prediction statement. Students will then be given two
diagrams one that has correct labeling of a simple circuit and one that has incorrect
labeling of a simple circuit. Students will use colored pencils to add the flow of
electricity on their charts.
5. Independent Practice:
Students will be working in groups to create a simple circuit using batteries, wires, and
lightbulb. Students will answer guiding questions by writing 2 claims with evidence on
their own.
6. Review / Closure:
Revisit the predictions made in class and students will write a statement in their science
journal of whether it was supported or not by the evidence.
Reflection: Students are challenged to light the bulb with one wire. They will draw a
conclusion on this new investigation.
7. Presentations:
N/A
IX.

Evaluation/Assessment:
1. Teacher observation and science journals will be used as assessments in this lesson.

X.

Risk Analysis:
Dead batteries, burned out lightbulbs, internet connection, bad wires, etc. could cause
students projects not to work correctly so the teacher would need to make sure that he/she
had extra parts on hand.

XI.

References:

BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.brainpop.com/
Circuits and Conductors. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/8_9/circuits_conductors_fs.shtml
Learning Circuits. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.learningcircuits.co.uk/
The Magic School Bus: Gets Charged [Motion picture on DVD]. (2012). Scholastic.
Science. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://interactivesites.weebly.com/science.html