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Did you know?

Ohms!Law!is!perhaps!the!most!important!part!of!
understanding!how!current!flows:!that!resistance!
directly!affects!the!amount!of!energy!that!flows!
to!the!device,!or!voltage.!

A DIFFERENT FLOW OF CURRENT:

MAKE A POTATO CLOCK!

If!you!increase!the!voltage!through!a!circuit!with!a!
fixed!resistance,!the!current!will!go!up.!If!you!
decrease!the!voltage,!the!current!goes!down.!
Simple!as!that,!right?!

You#will#need:#2#potatoes,#2#short#pieces#of#copper#wire,#2#
galvanized#steel#nails,#3#alligator#clips#connected#to#each#other#
with#wire,#&#1#LED#clock#that#functions#on#a#silver#oxide#battery#

We!can!understand!and!express!Ohms!Law!
through!this!equation::!V!=!I!x!R.!In!this!equation,!
V!represents!voltage,!I!stands!for!the!around!of!
current!flowing,!and!R!stands!for!resistance.!
Current!is!measured!in!amperes,!while!resistance!
is!measured!in!Ohms.!The!final!product!is!
measured!in!Volts.!

!#

1 Make!sure!the!battery!is!out!of!the!clocks!battery!
compartment.!
2 Label!the!potatoes!as!A!and!B.!
3 Insert!one!nail!into!each!potato.!
4 Insert!one!of!the!pieces!of!wire!into!each!potato!as!far!away!
from!the!nail!as!possible.!
5 Use!one!alligator!clip!to!connect!the!wires!in!potato!A!to!the!
positive!(+)!side!of!the!LED!clocks!battery!compartment.!
6 Use!another!alligator!clip!to!connect!the!nail!in!potato!B!to!the!
negative!(])!side!of!the!LED!clocks!battery!compartment.!
7 Use!the!last!alligator!lip!to!connect!the!nail!in!potato!A!to!the!
copper!wire!in!potato!B!and!set!the!clock!!
YOURE#ALL#SET!!

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In#a#parallel#circuit,#many#devices#
are#hooked#to#a#single#power#source#
#kind#of#like#a#power#strip#or#multi:
plug#outlet.##Even#if#you#take#one#of#
the#plugs#out,#or#remove#a#device#
from#a#parallel#circuit,#energy#can#
keep#flowing#to#each#remaining#
device.#However,#the#source#of#the#
power#will#continue#to#be#
distributed#among#the#devices,#so#
the#devices#still#plugged#in#are#
receiving#power#and#still#work.##
#
Sometimes,#a#device#does#not#
receive#equal#power.#This#happens#
when#there#is#resistance##that#
means#other#devices#have#better#
conductors,#or#easier#paths#for#the#
electrons#to#flow.#By#the#time#the#
charge#gets#back#to#the#source,#it#
has#lost#all#its#energy.##
#
In#a#series#circuit,#the#addition#and#
removal#of#power#comes#from#
turning#the#device#on#and#off.#

Without electricity,
modern life would
cease to exist.

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Could#you#imagine#life#without#
electricity?#You#certainly#wouldnt#
be#able#to#charge#your#devices##
much#less#use#them!#
Before#electricity,#kids#would#play#
outside,#read#books,#or#play#musical#
instruments#for#fun.#To#talk#to#their#
friends,#they#would#write#letters.#
It#can#sure#get#hot#during#the#
summer,#but#without#electricity,#
theres#no#air#conditioning#or#fans!#
Kids#would#drink#lots#of#cool#water#
they#pumped#from#the#well#or#take#a#
dip#in#a#near#by#lake,#pond,#river,#or#
stream.##
There#were#no#washing#machines,#
either,#so#laundry#had#to#be#done#by#
hand.#A#single#load#could#take##more#
than#5#hours!#

ATEFUL
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F OR E L E CT R IC

Energy!only!flows!when!devices!are!
turned!on!or!off.!!For!energy!to!flow,!
there!must!be!a!circuit.!When!
switches!are!turned!on,!electricity!is!
flowing!through!the!circuit.!When!
devices!are!turned!off,!electricity!does!
not!and!cannot!flow!because!of!a!
break!in!the!circuit.!
!
When!electrons!flow!in!a!current,!they!!
carry!electrons.!These!electrons!can!
flow!easily!when!they!move!through!
something!that!allows!for!them!to!do!
so,!called!a!conductor.!!A!conductor!
is!said!to!have!a!high!conductance!
and!low!resistances;!something!that!
prevents!the!flow!of!electrons!is!called!
an!insulator.!Theyre!the!opposite.!
!
Something!has!to!be!there!to!move!
the!electrons!along,!called!an!
electromotive!force!(EMF).!Batteries!
and!power!outlets!create!and!destroy!
the!EMF!in!order!to!stop!and!start!the!
flow!of!electrons.!Believe!it!or!not,!
you!already!knew!about!EMF!!its!
more!commonly!called!voltage.!

!
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For!parents!

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&
DAY&ONE:&YOU&HAVE&TO&BE&BRIGHT&TO&USE&CIRCUITS!&
After!an!introduction!to!electricity,!electric!currents,!and!batteries,!
students!will!learn!basic!safety!procedures!to!begin!experimenting.!
Today,!students!will!make!a!lightJup!magic!wand!that!will!use!basic!
batteries!and!series!circuits!as!well!as!give!students!a!basis!for!their!
final!product,!an!electric!device!to!fix!a!common!household!
problem.!
DAY&TWO:&TURN&YOUR&SKILLS&ON!&
Students!will!be!learning!about!switches.!In!order!to!learn!how!to!
incorporate!switches!into!electric!devices,!students!will!create!a!
switch.!A!discussion!about!their!importance!in!the!flow!of!current!
will!follow.!Students!will!then!review!batteries!and!create!a!
homemade!battery!pack!that!can!be!used!towards!their!final!
product!device.!
DAY&THREE:&NO&SCHEMING&HERE!&
On!Day!Three,!the!class!will!learn!about!insulators,!conductors,!and!
components,!but!will!focus!largely!on!the!development!of!a!
schematic!diagram.!Students!will!be!asked!to!develop!a!schematic!
based!on!their!device!in!order!to!ensure!their!understanding.!To!
accompany!this,!students!will!enjoy!a!visit!from!our!expert,!Nancy!
ManningJMore,!an!engineer!who!works!with!airplanes.!
DAY&FOUR:&YOU&LIGHT&UP&MY&LIFE&
On!the!final!day,!students!will!continue!to!work!through!any!
engineering!issues!they!face!with!their!homemade!devices.!Any!
needed!adjustments!to!the!schematic!will!be!completed!at!this!
time.!Students!will!engage!in!class!discussion!about!their!devices.!
!

&

Websites!to!check!out!!
explainthatstuff.com/electricity.html&

For!a!great!explanation!on!all!topics!electric,!visit!this!website.!
You!can!learn!more!about!everything!covered!in!Currently!
Dangerous!and!more!!Different!types!of!electricity,!circuits,!and!
electromagnetism!are!just!a!few!of!the!things!you!can!read!
about.!!!

switchedonkids.org.uk&

Lots!of!fun,!interactive!activities!are!available!on!Switched!On!
Kids,!a!website!made!by!the!Electrical!Safety!First!Organization!
in!the!UK.!Lessons!on!circuits,!electricity,!and!electrical!safety!
can!be!found!on!this!website!!even!in!sign!language!!Dont!miss!

consumersenergy.com/kids/TeachersParents.aspx?
The!Brain!Station!run!by!Consumers!Energy!of!MI!may!have!
lesson!plans,!but!these!are!meant!for!young!engineers!and!not!
just!teachers!!Here,!you!can!read!about!all!components!of!
circuits!and!electricity,!from!conductors!to!switches!and!much!
more.!There!are!even!some!activities!you!can!do!at!home!!

youtube.com/watch?v=D2monVkCkX4&
YouTube!is!huge,!but!start!here,!where!a!video!on!Electricity!and!
Circuits!will!teach!you!all!you!need!to!know!about!the!basics!
including!vocabulary!and!visuals.!When!youre!done,!choose!a!few!
videos!on!the!side!and!continue!to!learn!about!electricity!and!
circuits.!

enwin.com/kids/electricity/&

This!site!is!a!great!way!to!learn!about!alternative!energy!sources,!
including!water!&!wind.!You!can!learn!about!the!history!of!
electricity,!find!out!more!about!the!scientists!who!pioneered!energy!
&!electricity,!and!learn!about!energy!conservation.!Theres!even!a!
games!section!which!is!sure!to!have!you!visiting!again!and!agan!!